Cultures around the world have practiced adoption for many, many years. There is something very special and unique about the idea of making them a part of your family. While the custom of adoption still happens today, in many countries, it looks vastly different than it did hundreds of years ago.
This is especially true in the United States, where the process of adopting a baby from another country can quickly become very long, complex, and expensive. There are drawn-out processes that parents have to go through to be approved for adoption. Also, not every country is open about having children from their cultures adopted by Americans or people of other nationalities.
While many adoption agencies focus on in-country adoptions, even here in the United States, adoptions from other countries remain the most sought-after. Whether parents are interested in adopting from Africa to the USA or any other country, multiple agencies can assist with the process. These experts can help parents attain adoption eligibility and help them through the various steps of the adoption process.
Life is a series of events that tell a story while simultaneously shaping an individual character. One’s past undoubtable will affect one’s future, to this end many parents are dedicated to provide their children with the necessary tools to thrive in this world. In fact, there are so many called to the responsibilities of parenting that around 2-4% of all families have adopted a child; chances are you know several people who have been adopted in your everyday life.
Life’s Turns
There are a number of reasons why a child could be orphaned. In some cases a young parent does not feel confident that they can meet all of the child’s needs. In other cases the parents may be deceased, leaving the child without any guardians. The circumstances go on infinitely, yet whatever the reason it is never the fault of the child themselves. Of all adoptions in the United States, around 38% are private domestic adoptions while 37% are Foster Care adoptions — the remaining 25% are international adoptions.
Adoption in America
Recent findings from an adoption home study helps shed some light on adoption throughout the United States. Studies show that of those who adopted in the United States, 70.2% were married families while 22.7% were single females. Only 1.6% and 5.5% of adoptions are to unmarried couples and single males respectively. Although around 86% of foster families attempt to provide an adopted child with a permanent home, in some cases these living arrangements do not work out and there are cases of children bouncing from one home to another throughout the years. According to the adoption home study, as many as 45% of adopted children lived previously with their birth family before being adopted; in these cases many parents believe that they are incapable of suitably caring for the child. Parents of adopted children typically express their love for their adopted children as their own with up to 87% stating that they would definitely make the same decision to adopt knowing what they know now about their child according to an adoption home study. Furthermore, over 90% of adopted children ages 5 and older have positive feelings regarding their adoption.
Finding a Suitable Adoption Program
Many birth parents take it upon themselves to be immediately involved in the adoption of their child to a foster family, in this regard there are adoption services that will work with birth parents to ensure that their child will have a happy and loved life. This parental sentiment is due in no small part to the 397,122 children in the United States who live without permanent families in the foster care system; while 101,666 of these children are eligible for adoption, nearly 32% will wait for over three years in foster care before being adopted. Since it takes roughly three years for a child to be adopted, around 55% of these children have had three or more placements — by constantly moving the children are forced to miss out on relationships with peers and to fall behind educationally. By choosing to adopt or by taking part in the adoption future of your birth children, you can help take an innocent child from uncertainty and provide a home for them. Contact an adoption program in your area to help change a child’s life.
