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The Real Adoption Story
By Shay Bilchik, President and CEO, Child Welfare League of America
(ARA) - Americans have varying views and beliefs about adoption, many formed by media coverage of adoption by celebrities or that rare case of birthparents fighting to overturn an adoptive placement. Articles in local newspapers lead some to think that the only way to adopt is to travel to China, South America or some other foreign country rather than seeking a child from their public child welfare agency. Controversy over whether or not gay parents should be allowed to adopt has also created a significant amount of media attention. This media attention has created a greater awareness of adoption, but also many misconceptions. Perhaps I can shed some additional light on adoption, particularly about the adoption of children who are in the child welfare system by gay parents.
Certain realities exist which underscore attempts by State child welfare practitioners to secure a permanent family for the 523,000 children in foster care, either through reunification with the child's family or adoption. In 2003 119,000 of these children had a goal of adoption, with 68,000 of those being legally available for adoption. Of those about 62% would be adopted by their foster parent(s), 23% would be adopted by relatives, with 15% (10,200) in need of a matched home - a new lifelong home in which to grow to adulthood. Although States are currently placing about 50,000 children a year in adoptive homes, many more homes are needed.
We must work together to assure that every child has a family, particularly those 10,200 children without relatives or foster parents willing to adopt them. And in order to achieve this we must begin opening doors to adoptive parents who have not historically been considered as possible future families for our kids. There was a time when single parents, parents of modest means, those who did not own their home, those where both parents worked, transracial couples, parents who were of a different ethnicity or race than the child; were not considered appropriate adoptive parents. Those times are passing, but challenges still exist to overcome other long held beliefs about what an appropriate adoptive home might look like. Today we know, for example, that there is reluctance, a discrimination if you will, toward adoptive placement with Gay men and Lesbians.
In truth, all applicants should have an equal opportunity to apply for the adoption of children and should receive fair and equal treatment and consideration of their qualifications as adoptive parents, consistent with state and federal laws. We cannot afford to systematically exclude any group of people from an already stretched and limited pool of prospective parents. It isn't fair to the child who longs for the stability and love that home will provide or to the potential adoptive parent.
Until recently most States were able to make placements based on what was in the best interest of each specific child. Some children do best with a single parent, others need siblings, still others need the structure and stability of a strong faith based home - it all depends on the child's needs.
A growing body of knowledge demonstrates that children who grow up with one or two gay or lesbian parents fare as well in emotional, cognitive, social, and sexual functioning as do children whose parents are heterosexual. No studies have found risks to or disadvantages for children growing up in families with one or more gay parents, compared to children growing up with heterosexual parents.
We know that Gay persons make good parents. We also know that they are parenting. We know that there are at least 600,000 same sex couples in the United States (US Census, 2000). More than 30% of these couples have at least one child, and over half of that 30% have two or more, therefore same sex parents are rearing at least 200,000 children. A 1995 National health and Social Life Survey found that up to nine million children in American have gay or lesbian parents.
The overwhelming scientific evidence that gay and lesbian adults are capable of raising healthy, well-adjusted children has lead CWLA to affirm in a written, formal policy statement that gay, lesbian, and bi-sexual parents are as well suited to raise children as their heterosexual counterparts, and that it will oppose attempts, through either the legislative or judicial process, to restrict their ability to provide the loving and permanent homes children in care so desperately need.
So, once again, we need to look at realities. There are not enough homes. Would it not be wonderful if all of the 10, 200 children in need of a matched home were adopted? To do so will take all of us coming together to provide homes for them, including same sex couples. In doing so, we will substitute the hopelessness that so many of these children experience in their lives with a brighter future. They deserve no less.
Courtesy of ARA Content
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