I see many complaints about the Adoption industry, but is it a supply problem or a demand problem?

Question

I have heard the complaints that adoption industry goes after white babies because that is what people want or that they go after single mothers to get the babies. Thinngs need to change with some of the policies and procedures of the adoption industry, Im sure. However, can all the blame be placed on them when they are following the law of supply and demand (think basic economics class)? If the supply of "desirable" children is low, but demand is high, then the industry will "produce" more products. I understand that the product here is children and it may seem cruel and cold to speak about them like jeans or cars, but unfortunately they are probably thought like that by both the industry side (supply) and the parent side (demand). Now if the adoption industry changes and doesnt seek after desirable babies, what would happen? Less desirable babies would still not get adopted, industry would lose money and eventually close, foster children population would rise.

Answer 1

I agree that the "demand" side is just as much at fault for part of the broken system.  But, reality check, many people don't look at it as them wanting the perfect child, but simply wanting a child that is a reflection of themselves as a birth child would.  They don't see themselves as being selfish or unreasonable.  And I for one don't believe they are being selfish and unreasonable.  They are looking for the birth child they cannot have.  And facts are facts.  More caucasions adopt than any other race. Less caucasions give up children for adoption than minority races.   If you look at families who have mixed race adopted children and who are adopting older children, a lot of those folks are adopting to help a needy child.  They aren't pining and grieving for that child they can never have.  There are a lot less of those people out there.  Hence, the demand for white healthy babies.

I also don't believe that most of these couples looking for a white healthy baby would even consider adopting a baby that was coerced away from it's mother if they knew.  They just want the experience of loving a child from birth on.  I don't blame them in the least.  The only people to blame are those who do the coercing.  It should be illegal and carry very stiff penalties when proven to be true.  Regardless, of the demand for white healthy babies, no one should feel the need to supply it.  Not a mother making a difficult decision.  Not a social worker trying to match childless couples.  And certainly not an agency or attorney who will make a profit from providing it.

So, in my opinion, that is where reform should begin.  Take the money out of the adoption and many other pieces of that puzzle will simply fall into place within a few years.  Close down all agencies and attorney's that do adoptions and make then all go through the government process with no birth moms getting money and no adoptive parents paying money.  Things would change very quickly in the industry.

Answer 2

The problem is that people think of human beings in terms of supply and demand.  How sad.

Answer 3

Yes, it is in my opinion a demand issue.  There are people (not all but many) who feel entitled to parent and will pay top dollar to do so.  It drives the market just like demand drives many markets in our economy.  It's just too bad that the "product" is actual human beings who come from actual people.

But honestly, when people are being told by adoption workers not to ask where their money is going in fees because it will make them look poor and hurt their chances of adopting, and they actually listen...well...there's something corrupt going on on both sides.

People need to go back to focusing on adoption being about a child needing a home and NOT about people needing to parent.

Answer 4

Yes, of course it's supply and demand MrMyers.

The heavy 'surplus' of healthy white infants from the Baby Scoop Era (http://www.babyscoopera.com) has dried up with the acceptance of single mothers raising their children (without husbands), accessible birth control, and abortion.

Couple this short crop with the large numbers of older, infertile potential adopters, and you have a major shortage!  

Granted, there are thousands of infants and children available for adoption in foster care, but those children are not usually desired by the aforementioned couples.  The latest statistic I read on the numbers is 1:90 (white infant to potential adopters).

So, how to combat the problem?  Convince white women that they are not worthy of raising their own children, con them into believing a couple with a 4BR 2BA home in the suburbs is better than ANYTHING they can offer their own child.  

The industry hides behind their 'non-profit' status.  Many don't  understand that NP just means a business just can't SHOW a profit.  So the 'profit' is redistributed as employee salaries and bonuses.  And the provider of this valued product--she gets NOTHING.

Your question:

"Now if the adoption industry changes and doesnt seek after desirable babies, what would happen?"

Infertile couples will have to accept their infertility, just as they did for thousands of years BEFORE adoption became the rage in 1940s US.  Unplanned for children were KEPT, and raised in their own families--imagine that!!

Answer 5

The problem is not the mothers giving the children for adoption or the parents who are adopting the children. Its all the people in between- the agencies, the social workers, the social workers supervisor, child protective agency, all of them think they know what is best - but none of them seem to agree on what is best for the child.

Also I have never in my life met a couple of black parents who had adopted a white child ever.  This can't really be right now can it. I am sure there are many wonderful black families that would adopt a white child if given the opportunity. But they arent given it.

Answer 6

The demand issue is moot.  Those (like me) who cannot conceive have choices to either:

1.  wait for white baby and go trolling and support agencies that may not be reputable

2.  not have kids

3.  adopt waiting children.

We chose number 3 as it was the most ethical for us, but we had to grieve not having our own kids.  People who want number 1, well they may have to start grieving adn looking at other options.

Answer 7

I tried to find the right words to put my thoughts into words for an answer, but I kept coming back to this one thought.....

Children are NOT commodities, so I have a hard time accepting the supply/demand analogy.  While I do understand the point that you are making with the industry, I cannot validate an answer for myself because the children are not commodities to be bought and sold due to supply & demand.  It's sort of like the adoptees who hate referring to adoptions as "expensive".

Answer 8

Mr. Meyers:

supply?  there's not enough supply based on how many young kids (without education or a way to support themselves) are filling up the welfare roles.  The stigma of single parenthood has been removed; one child is an error of judgement one night or a faulty rubber but having several kids without the ability to support them?

We have so many kids in foster care -- what if they were adopted at birth?  I don't blame parents for wanting infants so that they can bond with them (i was only 6 weeks old) and i think that's good for everyone involved.  Kids that have been emotionally, physically or sexually abused will have many issues to contend with that are far and above what most parents are equipped to deal with in an effort to have a family.  I don't necessarily think they're wrong to feel that way either.

someday, i'd love to get a graph that charts births under 18, graduation rates, welfare/poverty rates and repeated birth rates.

Answer 9

The problem is in thinking of giving families to children who need them as a supply and demand problem.  I'm not a product.  My mother is not a machine.  You just can't apply these things to people and not expect tragedy to result.  Nobody has an obligation to "supply" another family with a child and nobody has an obligation to take in a "surplus" kid they don't want.

But I think if we must frame it in these terms, it's a demand problem.  If there were no demand for healthy white newborns, agencies would not resort to the tactics some do to obtain them.  The agencies WON'T change on their own--not as long as it is profitable for them to stay the same.  

Perhaps if there were less demand, PAPs would "settle" for a less desirable "product" and discover they could have a perfectly happy family with an older, different race, or special needs child.  Maybe adoptions would go back to being under the aegis of the state (mine was), or we would do something similar to adoption but call it a form of permanent guardianship instead.  

Maybe we'd decide children deserve to have forever families without having to surrender their identities.

Answer 10

I do think the supply (adoptive parents) are stepping up.  The adoptive parents are starting to ask more questions themselves.  Enough of us have wisened them up.  There are enough adoptee blogs out there.  There are enough natural parent blogs out there.  They are listening to us.  We just have to keep at it.  There are enough horror stories out there about scamming agencies.  They are beginning to see the light.  They are demanding changes.  I have seen quite a few and have become friends with quite a few.