| Adoption is the legal act of permanently
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| | abuse), a court may terminate their
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| placing a child with a parent (or
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| | parental rights and the children may then
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| parents) other than the birth parents.
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| | be adopted.
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| Adoption begins with the severing of the
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| | A minority of adopted children were
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| parental responsibilities and rights of
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| | orphans.
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| the biological parents and the placing of
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| | In some cases, parents' rights have been
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| those responsibilities and rights onto
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| | terminated when their ethnic or cultural
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| the adoptive parents. After the
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| | group has been deemed unfit by the
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| finalization of an adoption, there is
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| | controlling government. Historically,
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| generally no legal difference between
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| | Aboriginal Peoples in Australia were
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| biological and adopted children in most
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| | affected by such policies, as were Native
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| jurisdictions.
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| | Americans in the United States and
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| Different jurisdictions have varying laws
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| | Canada. Moreover, unwed mothers in many
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| on adoption and post-adoption. Some
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| | countries still are often pressured or
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| practice confidential or closed adoption,
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| | forced by families, religious bodies or
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| strictly limiting the availability to
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| | governments to relinquish their children
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| adopted persons (and their families) of
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| | for adoption. These practices of the past
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| information on biological families.
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| | have become emotionally-charged social
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| Others have varying degrees of open
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| | and political issues in recent years.
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| adoption, which may allow for such
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| | The main reasons for adopting vary,
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| contact. In some jurisdictions, open
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| | depending largely on social and legal
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| adoptions are not legally enforceable
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| | structures. The inability to biologically
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| agreements. As of October, 2006, 22 U.S.
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| | reproduce is a common reason, often due
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| states have legal provisions for
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| | to infertility. Another obstacle is the
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| enforceable open adoption contact
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| | lack of a partner of the opposite sex or
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| agreements
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| | a lack of desire to use a surrogate or
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| Adoptions occur for many reasons. Many
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| | sperm donor. Single people and same-sex
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| children are placed for adoption because
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| | couples often adopt for this reason. In
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| their biological parents decide that they
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| | many Western countries, step-parent
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| are unable to adequately care for them.
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| | adoption is the most common form of
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| In some countries, where single
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| | adoption as people choose to cement a new
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| motherhood is considered scandalous or
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| | family following divorce or death of one
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| unacceptable, some women in this
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| | parent.
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| situation make an adoption plan for their
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| | Some fertile couples or individuals adopt
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| infants, whereas others may come under
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| | children. Some may choose to do this in
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| financial, societal or family pressure to
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| | order to avoid contributing to perceived
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| choose adoption. In some cases, they
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| | overpopulation, or out of the belief that
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| abandon their children at or near an
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| | it is more responsible to care for
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| orphanage, so that they can be adopted.
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| | otherwise parent-less children than to
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| In some cases and in some cultures, a
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| | reproduce. Others may do so to avoid
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| parent or parents prefer one gender over
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| | passing on inheritable diseases (e.g.,
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| another and place any baby who is not the
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| | Tay-Sachs disease), or out of health
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| preferred gender for adoption.
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| | concerns relating to pregnancy and
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| Some biological parents involuntarily
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| | childbirth. Still others feel that given
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| lose their parental rights. This may
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| | challenges carrying a baby to term,
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| occur when children are abused, neglected
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| | adoption is the best way to grow a
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| or abandoned. Eventually, if the parents
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| | family. Others believe that it is an
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| cannot resolve the problems that caused
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| | equally valid form of family building,
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| or contributed to the harm caused to
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| | neither better than nor worse than the
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| their children (such as alcohol or drug
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| | biological route.
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