Has U.S. adoption changed for the better...?

Question

Has U.S. adoption changed for the better or worse since the 1970's?

Answer 1

I think the stigma of being an adopted child or having had given up your child for adoption is better (it has lessened) but I am not sure if adoption itself has gotten any better or worse.  

I think better in some regards and worse in some.

Answer 2

Great question - hard to answer!

Yes and no.

One way that the adoption has changed for the better is that there are fewer of them.  Before 1973 19.3% of white women and 1.5% of black women who experienced unplanned pregnancies "voluntarily" gave their babies away to adoption.  By 1995 it was down to 1.7% for white women and "near 0%" for black women.  I have not been able to find statistics after 1995.  With the soaring divorce rate, I think that women recognize that a 2-parent family is not longer the norm and no longer feel compelled to give their children away for that reason.  Also, the economic discrimination against grandparents who “give harbor to a bastard” and against solo parents has decreased significantly.

Many of the "shame" homes where young women were hidden away have been closed or been converted into transitional housing to support young mothers who need help learning to parent their babies and completing their education.  (Note that "shame" homes still exist and are still used to bully young women into giving their children away.)  Families who saw the devastating effects of adoption on natural mothers and fathers in the Baby Scoop Era (50's, 60's, and 70's) are now rejecting adoption outright as a solution to an unplanned pregnancy in their families.  Instead, they are supporting their children's desire to parent and helping them to become good parents and financially self sufficient.  One good thing that the government has done is to support Kinship Care programs where a relative is given temporary support to help the parent get on his/her feet thereby avoiding the need for social services interference.  I know dozens of families who are doing this very successfully.  I think that one demographic that is driving this is smaller families.  One of my friends who has a Kinship Care agreement with her daughter and grandson said to me "This might be my only grandchild.  I will move heaven and earth not to lose him.

And now that adoptees of the Baby Scoop Era are speaking out about the legal discrimination that they face and their feelings about adoption, people are becoming more aware that adoption is not all rosy for the adoptees either.  A friend who rejected adoption as a solution for her son's daughter was expressing frustration over people who suggested that her granddaughter was better off being adopted.  She said to me, "Imagine how she would feel as a teenager knowing that she had been rejected from a family that was perfectly capable of raising her?"  Gosh, a grandma who "gets it"!  Now THAT is a change for the better.

I think that adoption has changed for the worse in that the industry is unregulated and states are able to make their own laws.  Some states are proudly "adoption friendly" as part of their political and social agendas.  In those states, "birth" parents are truly exploited and are treated like breeders for anyone who can come up with the dollars to pay an agency, facilitator, or lawyer.

Because the rates of adoption have deceased dramatically, the tactics used by the baby marketers and the "networking" adoptive parents to find adoptable infants have turned truly ugly.  Baby brokers disguise themselves as “social workers” and “counselors” to advise (brainwash) young people about the supposed win/win/win of adoption.  Walking up to a young pregnant stranger in a grocery store and handing her an adoption networking card, is just plain harassment and should be reported to the police.  Adoptive parents and adoption agencies are pushing their way into high schools so they can “educate” young people about adoption being the “loving option”.

Adoption is glorified as a tactic to lure more young women into making a "loving choice" thereby increasing the number of marketable babies.  The US public, being the consumers that we are, falls for it hook, line, and sinker.  Then when we hear about the negative aspects of adoption, we are unbelieving and deny it until we are touched by those negative aspects ourselves.

Ending on a good change in the US - Adoption is not all hush-hush as it was before and adoptive parents albeit begrudgingly are accepting that the natural family does have a place in their children's lives.  Also, foster to adopt programs, although not perfect, have provided older children with permanent loving homes.  I think (hope) that there is growing recognition that natural families who are neglectful and abusive should not be given third, fourth, and fifth chances at cleaning up their acts.

Answer 3

I cannot speak statistically to this, but I do personally feel that a lot of things have changed for the better in adoption since the 70's.  I think the fact that adoptees are not afraid to push for adoption reform is a huge testimony to the changes.  I remember kids in school who were "embarrassed" if anyone knew they had been adopted.  Adoption used to be "hush hush" in families.  I believe that the amount of adoptive families who include the bio family in their life thru an open adoption is a huge step from being a "hush hush" situation years ago.  I think the fact that adoptees are willing and able to push for reform shows a lot of positive change in the system also.  Do we need more?  Absolutely, but I do believe that we are on the right track.

Answer 4

its not letting me post my answer...this is a test

    Thats an incredibly tough question. While many things like "unwed mothers home and forced surrenders" have "lessened" ( notice I didn't say "ended" ) other factors of corruption have evolved and stuck their foot into the industries door.

    Georgia Tann isn't running her baby factory business anymore, but Gladney and LDS certainly have their fair share of infant delivery going on too.

    I think there have been ends to things that should be ended. Drugging of infants in "homes" waiting the 6 week period to see if they'd "live" or not because decades ago the infants were drugged for the initial separation to keep them quiet in the "baby factories" before they were adopted. Making it less stressful on the detached nurses feeding and them...somewhat. For more info on the drugging please google "lizard chronicles harlows monkey"

    Private adoptions still drive the industry, profiting off of children is still in existance. Social stigma around bastardy has lessened, they no longer ( to my knowledge ) stamp "illegitimate" across our original birth certificates. Girls are STILL being hidden away in unwed mothers homes and forced to surrender, there is more financial assistance from the states than there was in the 70's so it IS more possible for a single mother to raise her child now than then.

Answer 5

I believe that there is a lot more regulation and control in the more recent years.  Apparently, from what I have read here and in magazines/online, the process in the 70s had fewer background checks.  This seems to have led to people that shouldn't have been trusted with a child being allowed to adopt.

Also, based primarily on articles I have read as a result of postings to this site, there was far less concern given to the birth parents.

I still support adoption with all of my heart.  I understand that the system is still not perfect, but I believe it is better than it used to be.  

I feel sorry for those peope that come here and tell of horror stories.  I hope that the factors that contributed to these things happening have been removed through better control within the adoption process.  I pray that they can somehow overcome the hurt that they feel, but sometimes it is just too deep.  In those cases, I hope that they can learn to live with it and not let it rule their lives.  I don't know if that is possible, but I have to hope it is, because the alternative is just too depressing.

Answer 6

It has and it  hasn't.  International adoption will have some changes happening soon.  Its needed.  Domestic adoption is still rife with coercion and lies.  It is based on money.  They have just gotten better at hiding it.  I have noticed that it is the agencies associated with the National Council for Adoption.  LDS Social Services and Bethany have all gotten some serious heat rounds.  Bethany got busted in the adoption of the Korean baby.   The adoptive mother in that case killed that baby.  LDS is known for its unethical practices.

Answer 7

Not really.

In 1970, could you imagine a day that a black man would be running for President?  Or that g**s would be marrying, and celebrated on television shows where they advise straight men how to dress?

How has American adoption changed since then?  Records are still closed in a large majority of states, most adopted kids are still in the dark about who they are and where they come from.  And adult adoptees are written off as 'angry' or 'bitter' for speaking up about what's wrong with adoption.

How long will it take for the next crop of adoptees join us in our 'beefs' about being an adopted child in America.  At least they won't have to stumble around in the dark like we have--it will all be there on the web for them to read.