Adopting a child is very hard, and that needs to change
Morgan Sullivan | Staff Writer
In theory, the adoption process is a good one. Agencies want to make sure children are being put into homes that are capable and willing to care for a child. You can’t simply walk into an adoption agency and expect to walk out with a baby the same day. It’s not like adopting a puppy.
However, these rigorous processes aren’t replicated when two individuals have their own children. There are no assessments to make sure the mother is financially stable.
There are no home studies to be sure that the baby will be in a safe environment.
No background checks, no minimum age requirement, nothing but nine months and a trip to the hospital.
This is not to say that those choosing to have children of their own are not suitable for their job, but just as many adoptive parents are loving and nurturing while many biological parents depart from their responsibilities.
If someone is willing to go through the strenuous and stressful process of adoption, agencies should find a way to streamline the process. The average waiting period to adopt a healthy child is two to seven years according to the National Adoption Center, and although paperwork does take time, this seems a bit extreme.
Many families look into adoption even though pregnancy is still a viable option. For these families, the waiting period and the monetary impact might sway them to have their own children.
After all, natural conception is free, and the process is usually far quicker than applying to adopt through an agency.
The NAC’s website claims that there are over 100,000 children in the United States waiting to be adopted. It would be difficult to determine how many from other countries are trying to do the same. This problem isn’t hard to envision when those willing are often left in limbo for up to seven years.
“Shopping” for adoptable children is another partly cruel element of the process that should be re-examined, and not only by agencies, but by those looking to build their family too.
Prospective parents can indicate what race or gender of child they would prefer, and if they would be willing to adopt a child with special needs. Just as adoption agencies often practice an over-selective process, so do those looking to bring a child in.
Although adopting a child with special needs is not a decision to take lightly, it is an unfair set of specifics parents choosing to adopt have.
When children are born, the mother doesn’t get to handpick traits she wishes the child could have. Becoming a parent shouldn’t feel like your high school make-a-baby project. Taking in another child as your own is a selfless act, but picking and choosing between children based on purely physical traits is vindictive.
A mother and father would love their child despite everything if it were their own. Shouldn’t the same apply when trying to save an orphan?
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