by Merdies Hayes
Special to the NNPA from Our Weekly
The HHS reported that, nationally, there were about 407,000 children in foster care at the start of 2012. By their standards, it is considered “unusual” in most states for adoptions to occur in less than 12 months from the child’s entry into foster care. Overall, national performance on timeliness of adoptions has improved, but it continues to be a challenge for most states. Specifically, placement of children in foster care longer than 12 months has been a difficult chore for many states to reverse.
Maltreatment of children before and once in foster care is also a major concern. Children who experience maltreatment—either at home or in out-of-home care—can experience a wide variety of consequences ranging from physical and mental health problems, to issues with cognitive development and academic achievement. States continue to experience challenges finding permanent homes for children with disabilities, and for children who entered foster care when they were older than 12 years. The 2009 HHS report found that many states are making progress in their efforts to find permanent homes for children in foster care in long before age 18.
A Child Welfare Outcomes report, issued in 2011 through the HHS, found that many states with a relatively high percentage of foster care re-entries also had a high percentage of children entering foster care who were adolescents (12 years and older). The HHS suggested that these states develop better strategies that target the needs of these so-called “difficult-to-place” youth.
There are many reasons why persons adopt a child, but the most common may include the fact that there are one in eight American couples who cannot conceive because of infertility. Some women have medical reasons that make it unsafe to carry a child through pregnancy. Additionally, some single persons desire to be a parent. Childless persons from the LGBT community sometimes must adopt to become parents. Also, people who opt for adoption may prefer this method to start or expand their family.
One hundred years ago, placing a child for adoption was a secretive process because women were looked down upon, if they had premarital sex. All adoptions then were closed, and there was a great deal of shame associated with adoption because it was considered by most people to be taboo. As a result, most women who placed their children for adoption went to maternity homes or shelters operated by religious organizations. These women were usually unable to select the adoptive family or have any control over the amount of information and contact.
However, old judgmental beliefs like those are largely gone. Today, the woman who places a child for adoption often maintains 100 percent control over the process and can create a customized adoption plan, including selection of the family as well as choosing how much contact she wants with the family before and after placement. Adoption Planners, an organization that specializes in adoption counseling, planning and placement, says that adopted children placed through modern adoption methods may thrive more today because the placing parent(s) and adoptive parent(s) have the opportunity to get to know one another during the pregnancy and can share important information and create a more nurturing environment for the child.