Ethical Perspectives of Adopting

    
     Many people believe adoption is good for all over the world, Marilyn Monroe a huge American Icon was an orphan herself; President Ford was adopted and many presidents themselves adopted children. Even though people of great stature were at one time foster children, there are still people who disbelieve in adoption.
      Adoption raises many ethical questions such as if the parents willingly gave up the children, should the parents be able to get their children back if they have had their parental rights taken, are the potential adopting parents safe for the child, and wrongful adoption effecting families and family bonds. Children are always suppose to be in the best interest, though the ethics of adoption sometimes focus on everything else.
    Many judges have issues on deciding termination of a parents rights, as birthparents they believe to have the right to their child if they want; however, at times they could be more harmful to their children than anything. Some parents have their rights taken away due to incarceration, or potential incarceration or if they may be physically harmful to themselves or their children. "More adoptions take place each year than is commonly perceived or reported. The Institute estimates more than 135,000 annually, of which about 13,000 to 14,000 involve babies who are voluntarily relinquished domestically." (Smith) .  Many of the adopted children's parents had their rights revoked causing them to lose their children, and separate children from their attached parents. Leaving the children feeling empty and alone. This is where foster families and adoptive families have to step in and rebuild strong ties for these children. Though many people believe that the biological parents should maintain the right to have their child returned to them.
     "... one study of birthmothers in Britain, who ranged in age from 22 to 81, found that all but nine of the 262 respondents (about 3 percent) wanted basic information about their children."  Many mother's who put their children up for adoption are comforted in receiving information about their child and have a shorter grieving process after making the difficult decision of having their child adopted. Though issues remain with the amount of time parents have to regain their parental rights either after putting their child up for adoption or loosing their parental rights. This is a serious ethical issue for the child, and it is hardly addressed from their view. Children who have their parents ripped away unexpectedly are scared, hurt, and traumatized. When they finally have the chance to build bonds, usually better bonds with an adoptive family biological parents may try to fight in court to become part of their child's life again. This tears children in half  between the newly made bonds and their biological parents, this is traumatic for a child's state of mentality and the family dynamics of life, whether blood should be over caring and shapes how children review relationships later in life. They may start to cut relationships short and abruptly in life, they may do this with people, or their job, or their dreams.
     Adoptive parents should always have background checks and screenings before they are allowed to adopt for the safety of the child physically, and mentally. Most people ready for adoption are safe as far as their own backgrounds such as criminal, but the most important background check is about what they have develop in their minds of the child they wish to adopt.
      If a adoptive family wishes not to see children who are "unadoptable" then a flag should be made to the social worker to make sure only a small enclosed set of children may be chosen for the family to see. This is because some adoptive families do not wish to have children who have emotional or physical issues. It is important to have these issues clarified and the adoption agencies to know these parent's attentions if the child has an issue in their background. "..families be educated—through chances to talk with caseworkers, read materials, speak with experts who can interpret background information, and meet with families who have adopted children with similar challenges—so they understand the real life implications of past experiences and current needs" (Freundlich). Children need this to happen through the process to help keep from loosing family bonds after creating them. Many people whom find out a child they adopted has a drug withdrawal at birth or physical abuse with repercussions of deviance behavior give them back with their all. Not caring of the child's feelings and emotions when this happens and promotes children to have more attachment disorders than already. These ethics are now just being forced and these ethics are a necessity. Adopting parents will build bonds with these children even before the adoption process is over then all of a sudden break them.
    
Cited Works:
Smith, Susan "SAFEGUARDING THE RIGHTS AND WELL-BEING OF BIRTHPARENTS
          IN THE ADOPTION PROCESS" Donaldson Adoption Institute. 2007. 2013

Freundlich, Madelyn; Gerstenzang, Sarah "Ethics and Adoptive Family Recruitment" Adoptalk.       2004.