Why the reluctance to improve adoption? ?

Broadway fanatic

"Do some people really believe no improvements are needed in adoptions today?"

Yes.
When I first heard that people were anti- adoption I was confused. How could anyone be against something so loving? Adoption was just another way of raising a family! How could people be against it?

Well the more I read the more I learned, and I now realize that the system needs reform, like making open adoptions legally enforceable. So I think a lot of people who don't realize it needs reform are uneducated. Keep educating them and making your voices heard and eventually they'll learn.

almost human

God, I hate to say this, but

I REALLY hate to say this...

But I think they fear there will be fewer babies available.
They'd rather have more babies be easier to get, than to have to go through the rigor that ethical adoptions would mandate.

The moon just covered the sun forever.
Somebody please tell me the world is not this messed up.

Heather B

Great question.

Didn't they try that with the Model State Adoption Act (1978) (The first comprehensive Adoption Law written under Federal sponsorship)

That Act was scuppered by the adoption agencies with their distortions, fabrications and misinformation, which have been highly effective. They have been resisting change or improvements ever since.

They even have paid lobbyists to fight any legislation for change in adoption that doesn't suit their business. Makes no sense to me, and has little to do with the best interests of children lol

monkeykitty83

I'm not sure people are so much reluctant, as unaware of the changes that need to be made. While it seems obvious to people closely involved with adoption, I don't think the general public has nearly the awareness level about the issues that you're suggesting.

Another biggie... people may not agree that the changes proposed will make things better. People do have differing opinions about what "improvement" means.

I think the issue here is mainly that people have differing levels of awareness about adoption. People need to be educated about the broken aspects of the system. Most people think of adoption as a wholly positive thing.

Corn is not dog food! No wheat!

The people who notice the bad parts of adoption are the adoptees and the mothers who've placed a child for adoption. And that's only after the abject trauma of the adoption process.
It seems so great, you see. A baby getting a "better life" with an adoptive family. It's only after the paperwork is finalized, after the mother has time to recover, after the child is left wondering, that the problems start cropping up.

So, mothers seek their babies, and babies seek their mothers, and are blocked by the system. They don't have a lot of money to fight, therefore no "voice" to be heard by politicians and others who could change the laws.

On the other hand, adoption agencies, lawyers, even the adoptive parents have piles of money to push through laws that keep the system flawed.

That combined with the crushing need of foster care, and the entire child welfare/judicial system back up, and there's just not enough hours in the day, and not enough money to spend for "the little guy" to be heard.

Sad really.

Laurel J

Any change--any change at all--will, in a lot of peoples' minds, cause the already dwindling supply of healthy white infants to dry up completely. That's always the excuse. Want open adoptions, open records, ethics in international adoption? Women will stop relinquishing! Shut up! I want a baby--I mean, think of all the abortions! Think of all the starving orphans!

Cool Hal

Three reasons

1. Money
2. Money
3. Money

Says it all really - You pay thousands of dollars to someone and take a human being away - slavery alive and well in 2008....

Anha S

I do think that theres an awful lot of people out there who think things are just peachy as they are, either because of being ignorant of the whole thing, or its benefitting them in some way as it is.

I can't see people overlooking the unicorn and posie vomit that is the view of adoption that is presented to the world. And I dont think the agencies will give up their hot tickets. After all, they make loads of money off of the sale of babies.

Not Adopted

They fear reduced revenue.

Lillie

Ignorance to the ugly dark side of adoption, and reluctance to hear anything about it when it is presented. I'd start there.

Then I'd more on to a fear of the baby-well drying up. Even though there will always be children in foster care, and orphans and foundlings and...you get the picture. But regardless of the kids who really NEED homes, the people who really make money off adoption don't make money off those kids. They make money off baybees. Shiny, cute, chubby, cherubic, rosy little cheeks, poopy little diapers, baybees. Reform adoption and that allllll goes away.

We can't have "birthmothers" coming back and taking the kids!! We can't have kids going back to their "birthmothers"! The horror! The travesty!!!!

You get the picture.

Bouvier

As with "anything", change takes time. Old mind sets, and ignorance can cloud what appears to be even the most intelligent minds at times. I think it's up to the adoption community to keep advocating change, to shed light on the successful stories, and not allow the media to only highlight the horrors of adoption. The positives out weigh the negatives by far!

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