Do you think that APs should also be advocates for adoption reform?

Question

APs= Adoptive Parents

Answer 1

Its a follow your heart issue I suppose.  However, being a birthmother in a state that once again failed to pass legislation that would allow adult adoptees access to birth records I can't help but feel its the adoptive parents that the laws are trying to comfort.

Birthmothers never forget.

Answer 2

Yes, because the system does need to be reformed and part of that need lay in things that effect the adoptive parents as well.

Answer 3

I would hope so. If I knew my child would be treated as a second hand citizen by his own state when he was an adult, I'd be front and center contacting my state legislators to make a change.

Answer 4

Yes.  I am friends with some who are.  They have helped with legislation to reopen adoption records in our state.  But, when it comes to issues that are solely adoptee's issues, such as equal access,  I believe AP's (along with anyone else who isn't adopted) should be speaking as AP's and not speaking for the adoptees.  So often, adoptees are seen as perpetual children.  Even in the media, when adoptees are fighting for our rights as equal adult citizens, papers will write articles that state comments such as, "New Law Would Give Adopted Children Their Original Birth Certificates."  Adoptees need to be seen as the adults we are, not needing mommy and daddy to speak for us.  But, legislators (and the general public) are interested in what other so-called "triad" members think about reforms.

Answer 5

Yes, Absolutely.. I'm sure there are few who WOULDN'T want to work for reform, once they've been educated about the "issues" and understand..

Also, AP's and Pap's get "screwed" (sorry to use such hard language, can't think of a more fitting word) by the system ALMOST as much as Bparents and adoptees do.. Messed up beurocracies, ill-thought-out laws victimize EVERYONE, not just one group of people..

Answer 6

These are our sons and daughters. Why shouldn't APs be involved?

Answer 7

Yes, we should.

Answer 8

Parents who adopted from my oldest son's country formed a foundation together . The woman who ran the adoption agency stopped doing adoptions and now runs the foundation.  She doesn't take a salary, but the foundation pays her airfare.

The foundation supports an orphanage for HIV positive children and children who need temporary care due to medical conditions their parents can't handle.  They run a school for children from the village and provide occupational training for teenagers.  They teach sustainable agriculture to villagers and run a cooperative farm for those who can't afford land. Proceeds from the farm co-op are shared out for villagers to make improvements to their homes. They provide micro loans.  They assist in building rain water collection devices because where this village is, there's a lot of arsenic in the water.

So if you're talking about becoming active in Guatemala, those are the kinds of things that adoptive parents can do. You can help to make a better life for the people there, so that less children end up in orphanages.

Answer 9

Some of us are and work very hard to add our input where we can....

I believe that AP's have great power to make changes and that it is an obligation we have to add our insight in any way we possibly can to see reform....  

It is the AP's who parent the children and should make it their responsibility to see how the current system affects the children we parent....  If we see something that needs to be reformed for the benefit of adopted children then it should be our obligation to seek reform.

I believe however that the AP's role in seeking reform should apply only to those issues we see that can make a more positive life for adopted children...

I don't believe AP's should have their fingers into those issues that have to do with adoption placement laws...  I believe that we need to be careful and not become overly involved with issues we may have a conflict of interest...

AP's of Foster Children I believe have a great obligation to seek changes in the system that affect our children before they are adopted... and that as the AP's of foster children we should accept an obligation to advocate changes for those children still waiting to be adopted and Speak for the children as there are FEW voices in this area and if we do not speak up who will?

I also believe that our first priority is being the best AP's we can be, and that our primary concern is parenting... However where we see something that might make the system better we should speak out....

For me the Adoption Reform that I am obligated to advocate for has more to do with Post Placement support for adopted special needs foster children...which means my advocacy is focused more on Education, mental health services and adoptive family preservation services....

My attentions need to be directed to those specific things that make it possible for more families to adopt some of the 120,000 US Waiting children and those issues that make it possible to prevent Disruptions or Dissolution's of adoption placements....

I believe that the AP's should and can advocate for reform of many adoption issues... However, I have not seen as many AP's speak out or become advocates for reform in other methods of adoption..... Maybe just because those are not the methods we used therefore I know less about the matters.

I personally have advocated for Open Records since the 1980's as the mother of children with an adopted father and for my children's rights to know their history as well! I believe that every adopted person should have access to their family information when they become adults.

I turned in several hundred signatures when Oregon placed the open record initiative on the voters ballot... Something I am proud of and something that did result in my biological children not only obtain their family history--but, another set of grandparents to take joy in their lives and another aunt and cousin to be family with.....

Answer 10

I think so, but I also will be volunteering for children in foster care, a PTA member and raising my children.  Will I assist in signing petitions and such, sure.  Will I be a regular volunteer and protester, not at first, that's for sure.

Answer 11

Right on Laurie DB - you've stated it much better than I could.  I'm on the outside of the triad - but will stand with you in your fight.  Constitutional rights violations have to be dealt with.  

Who better than people within the triad and understand in more depth (than those of us looking in) the parts of adoption that need to be abolished or reformed to lead the way.

Answer 12

My amom is, and I believe all should be.

I don't know how much "help" an american can do to change the guatemalan system so to speak. But I can see AP's of Guatemalan born children could do grassroots things to help the well being of socitey.

I've been to S. America and the poverty is insain there. As I'm sure you know. I can see how establishing programs to help communittees w/ agriculture and getting basic needs to children in schools there like tooth brushes, clothing, nutritional education etc. could be an improvement and a way to help their society if the govt. doesn't listen. That IS a way to work with adoption reform because many people in 3rd world countries surrender due to poverty. But helping improve the poverty in their country, it will lessen adoptions in my opinion.