Poll- Open to all.. All frequent members of this forum please answerer?

Question

Okay, please read my question carefully and I'll try to word it carefully..

Who here thinks that the adoption/foster system needs no changes.. Who thinks it's fine and dandy.. that there AREN"T major problems.

This is simply a poll to see if there's anyone who does NOT feel that there needs to be dramatic changes to the foster OR adoption system

Feel free to explain your answer, but try to keep it fairly short and direct.. in a way this is a kind of simple yes or no question, so no need to get heated...

It's just a poll, and (hopefully, at least as far as I know) this kind of question is not a violation of Yahoo terms of agreement..

Answer 1

Yes, there needs to be changes in the adoption/foster system. The paperwork and the long waits are a horrible drain on the families involved. My son & daughter-in-law are a foster family, and are in the middle of adopting one of their foster kids. It has already been three months, and they were recently told that it could be another 8 months until the paperwork is finalized. They've had to put their lives on hold until it happens, having to put off moving to a better job market on the back burner. My daughter-in-law can't have children, so adoption is very important to them. That's why they got involved in the foster system, which was supposed to make things go smoother and simpler. HA! Yeah, the system needs some major help. <*)))><

Answer 2

Since I'm now not only a "frequent member", but an Adoption celebrity, I knew you'd all miss me if I didn't answer here.

I think the adoption/foster care system are in a terrible state of disrepair. At first I applied to them in an attempt to get a child. They told me that because of my lengthily criminal record and the fact that I would be a single parent, I would never be able to adopt. That's when I turned to to the great Country of Mexico, where all my adoption needs were met with open arms.

Answer 3

I believe the whole system needs to be overhauled.

I believe it should start with Law Enforcement and mandate that when there is a First Contact with families in crisis that interventions start....  The police should contact an "organizer" a person who is ONLY interested in helping that family find the services, supports and assistance they specifically need...

Start at the first sign...not as a threat--and not as a bat to abuse those who struggle...  Rather than have the police be in contact with the same families in crisis 11 times and do nothing more then threaten to have the kids taken....

The money we use to lock up drug dealers and those who want to die from drug abuse should be directed to families in crisis...

I don't believe in more PROGRAMS because they don't work. I believe in metoring--or working side by side with parents interested in overcoming whatever the issue causing the crisis might be...  Checks and Free food don't help solve anything....

There will still be those families that can't make it---but, having a closer, directly supportive intervention early on could make all the difference in the world.

I also believe that rather then drug testing new-borns and then demanding young parents make it to drug class 3 times a week--and pee twice there should be one-on-one direct support provided. The mother should not be required to make it to 6 appointments and parent a new born at the same time....  that is setting someone up for failure and no matter how you look at it--that hurts the child... I would rather see a person supporting that family--directly and not demanding the mother to be under so much stress--in many cases drug abuse is self-medicating and some form of stress is in the root of the problem.

....thats just a start don't get me going...

***15 of 24 "Consecutive" months....

Answer 4

Yes, I agree that dramatic changes are needed.

The changes that I would most like to see are the ones that involve granting full access to important information, especially medical histories and birth certificates. I think those changes, in particular, are urgent.

The corrupt practices in both systems may take a bit longer to reform than simply opening up the adoptees’ information, and I definitely would like to see everything overhauled soon - but granting access to important documents and opening up records could be done almost immediately, and serve as a springboard for future reforms.

Answer 5

Yes, the system need to change, in a BIG way.

Answer 6

"Who here thinks that the adoption/foster system needs no changes.." NOT ME

"Who thinks it's fine and dandy.. that there AREN"T major problems. ." NOT ME

EXPLANATION:

I think we need to overhaul the whole system.  Analyze the issues, find some best solutions, and fix it as much as possible.  Whether we like it or not, there will always be children who need foster homes or forever homes not with their birth parents.

ADDITION:

We as a country should put our children *our future leaders* FIRST.

Answer 7

I definitely think there should be some reform. i know perfect parents that have adopted overseas because it is too complicated and expensive to adopt out of the foster care system here in the US. It also scares people to think the bio parent can come back and get the child.

Answer 8

Yes, the both the foster and adoption system need changes.

Answer 9

th entire system of adoption & foster care needs to be stripped to nothing and completly rebuilt. As it is now it does nothing but harm to the defenseless members of our society

Answer 10

Sorry, I lost interest.  Can you shorten it.

Answer 11

Yes, I believe there are many changes needed to be made in foster care and adoptions.  More sensitivity to the immediate and long term needs of children, more accountability from clients and professionals alike, swifter resolution of family preservation methods, systematic voluntary access to birth records, complete access to full medical histories for adoptees, ways to showcase caring and ethical agencies and professionals,  more formalized parenting education provided to school children/young adults, more effective and enforceable financial accountability from men who father children, safer and more reliable birth control, and, more effective methods of identifying a subgroup of birthmothers who are at risk for not seeking out needed adoption services and may resort to abandonment or infanticide.

Answer 12

I think that the adoption/foster system DOES need some changes.

Answer 13

Yes, I think somethings need to be revamped, like the government should but out a little more, put a little less red tape up for those families who really want to adopt.

Answer 14

Yes it needs help.  The only thing I know about the foster system is this:

Many people in my area are taking in foster children as a means of income only.  They have no parenting skills and don't give a d**n about the children.

Small rural towns in my state are hurting, schools are closing and there isn't a future at all.  Foster kids are being used as a means to keep rural schools open.  If the numbers are there, they remain open.   Again, this is misuse of the system and a terrible injustice for the kids.

Answer 15

Yes, I do feel that major changes need to be made in foster care and adoption.

Answer 16

Yes the system needs major changes...

Answer 17

Yes, they both need to have changes - all with the focus on the child where it is supposed to be.

Answer 18

As an adoptee and potential adoptive parent....YES, YES, YES!  Adoption placement through foster care is far too subjective in selection.  Approved parents wait years for a placement because they are not marketed enough by their case worker or (as in my case) a personality clash with regional supervisors.  Direct care social workers are great and try very hard to provide children with the best possible solution.  Management (in my state) is too concerned about employment security.

Answer 19

Oh yes, there are definitely LOTS of changes needed to both the Foster care and Adoption systems.

Part of the problem (for sure not all) is that neither one of these actually are systems. In a few places, foster care works pretty well. In some places it is absolutely horrible. In some places everyone is well meaning, but horribly overworked. The current system does not serve many first families well, and it does not serve many foster and potential adoptive families well. And most importantly it doesn't serve children well. BIG, systematic reforms are needed.

See also my answer here:

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;...

And the adoption "system" needs to have all profit taken out of it -- immediately! And Adoptees deserve access to their records--OBC plus! That is just for starters, but since this is just a poll...

Answer 20

I think there should be minor changes, but i am speaking from my own experience. I have 5 cousins who were adoted into our family 3 of them were given up and they were adopted without any problems and it ran through smoothly with there birth parents getting councilling and having time to dedcide whether they had made the right decision. However the other 2 were removed from their parents because of cruelty issues, these two children were placed into our family and  we loved them as our own, however even though social Services knew of the cruelty issues they still made my aunty take them to see their birth parents twice a week!( i should add that it was on a supervised visit)!

I beleive these children should have been left to get on with new their lives every time they went to see their birth parents they would clam up and become with drawn, then they would seem to come out of their shell and they would have to go and see them again.

i think this is very unfair on the children it wasen't as if these people didn't know they were being cruel to them and social services had felt the need to remove them so i beleive parental rights should have been teminated straight away.

I should also add that they had another 5 children which were taken from them at birth and yet this 4 year old and 6 month old baby still had to endure visits 3 years on, with the youngest only ever remembering her fosters parents as mam and dad and the 4 year old constanly in fear of them. i think this process should be changed!

I should now add that they are now adopted and very happy in our family and we wouldn't be without them for the world, although this was also a long drawn out procedure with millions of paper work. they obviously knew we were a suitable family other wise they would not have been placed with my Aunty so why take so long?!

Answer 21

Yes.. it does need reform.

Cause playing russian roulette with peoples lives as Biz says is wrong.

Foster care and adoption should not just help the "lucky" ones.

Answer 22

I'm not fully informed about the system but from my understanding, everything in the world needs changes or improvements for the better.

Answer 23

Yes, foster care needs changes.  A LOT of them.

Yes, adoption needs changes.  A LOT of them.

Haven't had enough coffee yet to be able to expound, but you did say it's just a poll, so I felt awake enough to answer.  LOL

Answer 24

Of course there are major problems as with any government run agency.

Answer 25

My answer is obvious. No need to repeat myself.

Answer 26

I know many people who were in long term foster situations.

All were abused at some point. All of the girls were sexually abused as were a few of the boys. All of them were mentally and emotionally abused. Financial abuse was rampant as well... no you can not have new socks, I just bought a new car. Physical abuse was there, it is harder to hide though so the bruises and cuts were well placed to avoid detection, think along the lines of smacking a developing girl in the chest or a boy between the legs or a punch to the back of the head.

Foster care is a mess across the board. Does it need to be changed? FOOK YAH!

Answer 27

Yes, I think the foster and adoption systems as they are currently run in the US needs major changes.

Answer 28

happy story here, great life due to adoption, couldnt have asked for anything more.

but as you see that is not always the case. it needs refromed, drastically

they are right, it shouldnt work out well for a select few 'lucky' ones like me. it should work out for all of them. there will be the few bad ones, there always are, but it should never have gotten to the point where it is. never.

Answer 29

As a foster to adopt mother - the system (at least in our case) sucks butt big time.  Our child has been in the system since he was 1 1/2 years old, was sent home 2 1/2 years ago and was pulled out once again.  It took 1 1/4 year to terminate the parental rights of his parents (who in my eyes) deserve it.  They refused everything the judge asked of them, still continued to use and get high.  I have written my senator / govenor...etc...and nothing is being done.  So, what ever happened to the 15 out of 22 months rule?????  It's called Child Protective Services not Parent Protective Services.  Now, do get me wrong - I have sent Children home back to their bio parents and yes it was hard...but these parents obviously loved their children enough to get clean / do what needed to be done and I have the upmost respect for each and every one of them!

by the way - my child is 6 1/2 years old!!!!!!!!

Answer 30

My experience is mostly with the foster care system.  And, based on that experience, I do not believe dramatic changes are needed for the foster system.  Yes, there could there be improvements, and yes, there are cases when things go wrong.  But, in our experience, the system worked well and in the best interests of the children involved.  I likewise know several people who are foster parents or who adopted through the foster system, and they all have similar experience.  In all of these cases, the kids are much better off (the bio-parents were abusive, neglectful, drug users, or worse).  Revamping the system might drive such people away at a time when there is a profound shortage of foster and adoptive parents for foster children.

While I have no personal experience of the private adoption system, I would like to see some reform based on what I have read here and elsewhere.  Profit making agencies and lawyers, coercive practices, fathers rights, open records, etc are all issues that should be discussed.  However, I will say that every private adoption I know of personally, none of the issues listed ARE issues, and so I don't know how pervasive these problems really are.

Answer 31

It is not okay as is.  There are major problems.