Open Adoption Essay

Submitted By Courtahoffman
Words: 1174
Pages: 5

Hoffman 1
Courtney Hoffman
Mr. Karwatsky
Freshman Seminar Pd.1
14 January 2013
Adoption
People always think to themselves “Is adoption a good or bad thing?”. Adoption is a very serious matter. Children are adopted at all different ages whether it’s young or old. Adoption takes a toll on kids who are adopted and the parents that are adopting them. Most children are very anxious to be adopted, but in some cases the child or young adult doesn’t like the foster parents. There are some cases were the child or young adult doesn’t know they were adopted. Most people believe that by mid childhood the children should know they were adopted, but a lot of the time the foster parents don’t tell the children. People believe that not telling the children they are adopted is not a good thing. It’s a huge impact on the child’s life if you tell them they’re adopted by the time they reach their teenage years. A lot of kids will ask the same questions. Who are my real parents? Why did the put me up for adoption? Do I have any other siblings? A lot of things are going through their minds. Some children may feel abandoned, and that they have no one, and that they can trust anyone no longer. A lot of children are forced to be put up for adoption. Some parents could be abusive to their children and the CYS will take the children away from them. A lot of times parents are able to get their kids back if they go through counseling treatments so they understand abusing their children is not right. Adoptive parents play the same role biological parents would. Some parent feel that they cannot
Hoffman 2 take care of and unplanned child. Some parent just unable to provide for their child so they put them up for adoption. Sometimes children who are legally free to be adopted, but are desperately waiting for parents. There are three different forms of adoption, open adoption, closed adoption and semi-open adoption. Open adoption is when you are able to see the child you gave up for adoption, either with pictures, emails, or even in person every six months to a year. Open adoption means you are close with the adoptive parents. With an open adoption you are able to close the adoption at any time, but after you make your decision about the closure you are unable to hear from the adopted parents at all. Closed adoption is when you never see the child, no emails, pictures, after you give the baby up you never hear about it again. The most common adoption in the U.S is the closed adoptions. Semi-open adoption is when you get a picture or two every couple years. With semi-open adoption you don’t hear much about the child, but you get a couple picture. The semi-open adoption you at least get to hear from the adopted parents. Statistics show that the rate of adoption has grown since the 1900s. In 1944, about 50,000 adoptions took place in the U.S. The greatest known number of adoptions took place in 1970 when 175,000 children were adopted. Some researchers show that open adoption is increasing in the United States. Some children who leave their homes at an older age sometimes remember their parents. To some adopted children depending on the move from their real birth home to their adoptive home they may suffer adjustment problems. When adopted children get older they try finding their biological parents, but sometimes that is really hard if they went through a closed adoption. Of course, having an
Hoffman 3 open adoption finding biological parents is much easier because all through childhood they talked and seen their biological parents. Some adopted children go through rough times knowing they are adopted. Some children go to therapy, counseling, even teachers at school help them about their thoughts. Therapist, counselors and teachers help the children approach their adoption with a positive, normal outlook. These kinds of people have to help these children with their adoption question to help them understand why they are where they