Unit V Journal/Unit V Assignment

Running Head: ADOPTION 1

Adoption

Jovan Maires

Columbia Southern University

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ADOPTION 2

Adoption

Adoption has been an activity that has been ongoing over the past few years. It is meant

to help the children who are from worse conditions receive care and have a chance to live with a

family again. Children may, on the other hand, are subjected to another family that they are not

used to, or the new family may find it hard to live with another person who is not related to them

by blood. The adoption agencies are developing education programs to create awareness for

people who want to adopt children that even children with disabilities and those who are ill can

be adopted. For example, the pre-placement education and preparation curriculum (PREP), this

is a session for educating people prior to adoption. After the training, the parents are seen to

develop a positive attitude towards the adoption of children who are physically and mentally

challenged (Edelstein et al., 2017). The controversy of adoption is that some people think of

adoption as illegal and unethical.

In contrast, others think of it as a chance for children to be accepted into loving families,

and some have problems with the type of families the children are brought to, such as LGBT

families. The positive side is that the children are brought to families where they have access to

basic needs such as shelter and education. The negative side is that the adoption process id

expensive. Adoption of children should be considered across all nations to help ensure that

children who are disadvantaged in any way, for example, those that lack families, get better

families, and proper development environment.

Literature Review

Children who live in foster care face many developmental challenges compared to those

that are adopted from the place. Even though the adopted children from foster care do not fare

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that well, they otherwise receive better conditions than those that stay in the facility. Also,

comparing the children adopted from foster care and those that live with their birth parents, the

ones who live with their biological parents fare well. The comparison is done based on health

outcomes, cognitive, social psychological wellbeing.

A Brief History

Adoption was not a common thing as it is i da d. T da , e 130,000 children

are being adopted every year in the U.S. (WebAdmin., 2017). The action is meant to help the

children as well as the birth parents who cannot be able to support the lives of their biological

children. The adoptive parents are like volunteers who offer to help the children live in better

conditions (Neil, 2017). In ancient times, the view on adoption was different from how it is

viewed today. In the past, adoption was a benefit for adults. For example, kings could adopt

young males to serve as heirs if they did not have males by birth. Also, some other people

adopted children so that they could do chores around the home. For example, keeping the

compound clean, watering plants, and other activities (WebAdmin., 2017). Nowadays, children

are the benefiters from adoption. Parents adopt children so that they can educate them, and above

all, give them the love and care that any parent should give a child.

In Massachusetts, United States, the first law was passed in the year 1851, to protect the

children. The law stated that the adoptive parents needed to obtain informed consent with the

biological parents, and also they should have the capability to raise a child. In the year 1909,

President Theodore Roosevelt mentioned that children needed to stay in homes and not

orphanages (WebAdmin., 2017). After that, many laws were passed regarding adoption.

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Nowadays, children are put in foster homes where foster parents care for them, and if they

eventually do not return to their homes, they are adopted.

Controversy

I da d, ad ha bee acce ed b a a a ea f a g he children

in need. The problem arises when same-sex parents are brought into the picture. First, the issue

of same-sex marriage has been controversial, and only a few countries have legalized the act

(Tasker & Bellamy, 2019). Some people are for the legalization of same-sex parents to have a

right to adopt children while others are against.

Pros Side

Legalizing same-sex adoption of children will offer the parents a chance to raise children.

The children, on the other hand, will have the opportunity to develop in a loving family (*,

2019). Given that same-sex parents cannot bear children, it will be a great way of giving them a

chance to have children of their own through adoption. Also, the children in foster care can have

an opportunity to live in a family.

Cons Side

The problem that arises with children adopted with same-sex parents is that they

experience psychological issues. It may be challenging to train a child that marriage is of two

sexes while they see that their parents are of the same sex. Also, the children may be bullied at

school because of the way their parents are (*, 2019). Such events cause psychological problems

to the children.

Conclusion

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Adoption is an issue that has gained acceptance and acknowledgment over the years.

Also, parents that adopt children have learned that it is not only a benefit to them but to the

children as well. Also, people who adopt children should have a clear intention and not the

intention to traffic the children. People should learn that, for them to become who they are, it is

because their parents took good care of them. Therefore, there is a need to support the younger

generation, especially those that are in orphanages, to develop in a home of love. Research has

shown that factors that need to be considered most are same-sex parents and international

adoption. It should be made clear as to whether same-sex families will have a negative impact on

the children and if they should be legally allowed to adopt children.

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References

Edelstein, S. B., Gonzalez, A., Langley, A. K., Waterman, J., Paasivirta, M., & Paczkowski, E.

(2017). Preparing and partnering with families to support the adoption of children from

foster care. Adoption Quarterly, 20(1), 119-133.

Neil, E. (2017). Helping birth parents in adoption. A literature review of birth parent support

services, including supporting post adoption contact. An expertise for the German

Research Center on Adoption (EFZA). München: Deutsches Jugendinstitut eV.

Tasker, F., & Bellamy, C. (2019). Adoption by same-sex couples--reaffirming evidence: could

more children be placed?. Family Law.

WebAdmin. (2017, December 8). A Brief History of Adoption. Retrieved from

https://achildsdream.org/brief-history-adoption/

*, N. (2019, June 7). Same Sex Adoption: Weighing the Pros and Cons. Retrieved from

https://www.adoptionchoicesofnevada.org/same-sex-adoption-weighing-the-pros-and-

cons/

Comment Summary Page 1

1. I'd like you to come up with a title that directly reflects your main idea or thesis. What's the debate? Why is it important?

Page 2 2. I don't feel you have adequately defined either the problem or the solution. I don't think anyone argues that all

adoption is bad. The debate I thought you were going to focus on is foreign adoption. How many children are adopted overseas by Americans? Why do some see this as a problem?

3. Again, I don't there is any debate over adoption of Americans by Americans, unless it is adoption across ethnic groups. The lively debate is over foreign adoptions.

Page 3 4. Does this include foreign adoptions? 5. You seem to be writing an informative essay rather than an argument, as the assignment asks.

Page 4 6. I would avoid the phrases, "pros side" and "cons side." You can use opponents, proponents, critics, supporters.

etc. Now that we have same sex marriage, this issue seem archaic. 7. I can tell you now that the research shows that there is no validity to this argument.

Page 5 8. Here, too, you are outlining a series of truisms but not a debate or your position in that debate.