Adoption system concerns?

Question

NC just concluded the trial of Lynn Paddock, who's case (among others*) has raised several questions about adoption incentives:

http://www.charlotte.com/breaking_news/story/692245.html

*There have recently been other similar cases such as the Barreto Case, the Shirley Allen Case and the Judith Leekin Case.

Adoption incentives were created to encourage adoption. Are they helping or hurting the children they are supposed to be supporting? How can we help prevent cases like these? What are your thoughts/ideas?

Answer 1

This is another example of how the system is flawed. Lack of education, ignorance and compassion is failing children and our country as a whole.

This doesn't shock nor surprise me. A lot more abuse is/has been going on for the sake of the almighty dollar than our society wants to hear or look at.

All the selfish people adopting IA babies don't get that if our great country has so many flaws than how would it be possible for some of the poorest nations to have their ethics in order especially when human rights organization are spelling out the atrocities that are happening to child due to them "waiting and hoping for babies and young children".

Answer 2

I find it odd that the boy was obviously hit and not removed from the home immediately!?! Corporal Punishment should result in the immediate removal of the child.

I can't say enough about the 'incentives' that have been given to our child. We would not be able to care for him without them. He receives medicaid, WIC, and a quarterly stipend of 100.00. Not much, and not nearly what we spend on him, but enough so that we can care for him comfortably.

I think the real problem is with the number of children in the system and caseworker overload. My own caseworker sees 52 children and visits every month, plus paperwork, court hearings, staff meetings, trying to reach and make plans for first parents who haven't yet had TPR. Every visit to my house is done with 2 weeks notice. Disgusting, but there are many things I can clean up and let heal within a 2 week period. The caseworker spends less than 20 minutes in my home, and never looks in any rooms. It would be very possible for me to be a total maniac and for her to never know about it. I think there need to be some unscheduled visits, more time spent with the child and the a parents, more time spent on background info. Our 3 friends told wonderful tales of what great parents we would be...and we have never been arrested. No one called our friends, no one followed up with anyone else....the form was mailed and they responded...but it could have been anyone, including us, filling out those forms.

There are many wonderful caseworkers, but there are far too many who *seem* that they couldn't care less about the child. They show no interest in the child and in us and our parenting. While that doesn't make them bad people, it does make them bad advocates for the children.

I am wholeheartedly against payoffs for completed adoptions ...payoffs to the organization, to the social worker, etc. Not only does that make the agency and the social worker more likely to overlook problems....it also makes them far less likely to push for the child to remain in the care of the state until his bio mother can get well. While I am not FOR a child living perpetually in foster care, I think that financial incentives to an agency for completed adoptions is a slap in the face to both bio parents and to ethical guidelines. Seems like 15,000 for the agency upon completed adoption would be better spent helping bio moms with parenting issues or drug counseling or therapy, etc.

EDIT: to Sassy's thought on waiting for incentives. This is a good idea and most states have this procedure. We have 2,000 available to us per year for therapy if our child needs it, and up to 10,000 in medical or education needs. But it is not actually given to us at all...if proven to be needed, it would be paid directly to the service, not to us. I think that is far better than a monthly check to parents.

Answer 3

I read a blog that is pretty interesting.  http://73adoptee.blogspot.com/

Scroll down and read the blog-and the comments-about media bias in adoption reporting.  It brings up a great point.

Answer 4

I don't believe we should be giving "incentives" to parents who adopt mentally impaired or otherwise unhealthy children; however, and this is a big however, there are some families out there that take VERY good care of the children that they have adopted or otherwise taken into their homes and those men and women deserve some sort of award.  There is a family that has adopted and fostered ALOT of mentally impaired children, and the wife homeschools all of these children so that she can be sure to adjust teaching to each child specifically.  Her and her husband take in children that NOONE will take and they care for them, either until the child dies (which happens with some of the children with more severe diseases and impairments.  Not because they don't take good care of them) or until they themselves die.  She is even worried about what will happen to these children when she and her husband pass.  She is worried they will be swept up into the system and lost.  Her family does not have tons of money to be doing this, but she believes in what she is doing so much that she and her husband go without and provide everything these children need.  Families like this deserve every penny of incentive that they get.  That is a rare quality that this family has and most don't have this.  That's all I really got for now. LoL.  I know I rant sometimes.

Answer 5

Here are 2 more horrifying stories about how the system had to many red flags, but moved to slow.

I wish there were a fail proof way to weed out the bad.

I don't think $ should be given as an incentive.

I think that medicaid is more than generous enough for parents with children who have special needs.

Answer 6

Wow!! That is incredibly sad. I think there should be a limit to how many children a family can adopt. Most of these children have issues that need one-on-one attention and a family with 7 or 8 children in it isn't going to be able to do that.

Maybe if the incentives came after a few years after adoption and a good review of the child's progress.

Answer 7

Dear MamaKate,

I'm afraid whenever money is the incentive instead of the best interests of the child, the child will always loose.