| A mummy! A daddy! The belief that all children are | | | | him. |
| entitled to a family! The belief that all who want to | | | | The challenges come more from the reactions of |
| be parents will excel at the life-long process involved! | | | | society than from the home circumstances. In our |
| These beliefs, cherished by all cultures, are the | | | | society today outsiders still sometimes rudely ask a |
| foundation for adoption. Yet, in reality, society | | | | child born in a different country,?What are you?? |
| doesn?t always wholeheartedly support an adopted | | | | (referring to their race). When a white-skinned person |
| child or those who create a home for it. | | | | adopts an African American child many in society still |
| Adoption occurs when biological parents, who are | | | | look on with a frown at the grocery store. |
| usually also the legal parents, transfer over complete | | | | Another myth is that the adopted child will always |
| and permanent rights and obligations to raising a child. | | | | feel ?rejected,? yet that word ?always? should be |
| These legal parents usually freely choose adoption | | | | watched. Most psychologists and social workers have |
| and willingly sign the necessary consent forms. | | | | come to understand that a person raised in its |
| However, when a child has been subjected to abuse | | | | biological home is just as apt to feel rejected as an |
| or neglect, or even abandoned, the courts may order | | | | adopted child. It all depends on the circumstances and |
| that the child be ?put out for adoption.?In the | | | | how much bonding and love and attention is |
| court-ordered cases, the child usually remains in a | | | | experienced. |
| foster home until he is about six or seven years old | | | | Growing up to be a responsible adult is a challenge |
| before being placed for adoption. | | | | for people raised under any circumstances. |
| The differences between adoption and foster homes | | | | Sometimes people choose not to be responsible and |
| are reflected in the permanence of adoption. Foster | | | | make excuses about how they were raised. For |
| homes are always considered temporary, and foster | | | | those people, if they were adopted, that is a |
| parents have no legal rights as to the long-term care | | | | convenient excuse, although usually it is not an |
| of the child, even if the courts order the child | | | | accurate representation. |
| returned to an abusive environment. | | | | Curiosity is part of human nature. For those who are |
| A child may have many sets of foster parents over | | | | adopted, it is natural to wonder who their biological |
| the years; adoptive parents are technically there for | | | | parents were and what became of them. The love |
| the lifetime of the child. | | | | they feel for those who have raised them does not |
| Many myths abound about the mental, emotional and | | | | diminish by this curiosity. And, it is natural for the |
| physical well-being of an adopted child, and that?s | | | | biological parents to wonder what became of their |
| exactly what 99% are: only myths. The ?poor little | | | | baby or child. |
| adopted child? in reality is usually a well-fed, loved, | | | | Yet, for all concerned, the past is like a cancelled |
| delightful child who has been given opportunities that | | | | check you can?t keep spending it. Whether adopted |
| exceed what many ?non-adopted? children receive. | | | | or not, here and now is where we are living! How |
| The adopted child has been spared from living under | | | | fortunate we are that adoption exists so dreams of |
| circumstances where he is not wanted, or where, | | | | being part of a family can be a delightful reality for all. |
| although wanted, the parents couldn?t take care of | | | | |