Celebrating National Adoption Month!
By Syd Sukalski
It’s National Adoption Month! Let’s celebrate with a discussion of adoption, its history, importance, and benefits. But first, let us introduce ourselves. Adoption Choices of New York is an adoption agency that helps birth parents who are considering adoption through their adoption process, all the way from that first Google search of the New York adoption process to placing your baby for adoption. We even offer free counseling services after the adoption is complete. We want to help you have a great experience with adoption in NYC. To begin your adoption journey, take a look at our adoption agencies in NYC. Now, let’s start celebrating national adoption month!
What is Adoption?
Adoption, in its most basic description, is a legal process in which a child’s birth parents cannot raise their child, so that child legally transfers to that of another parent who is not one of the biological parents. There are several different types of adoption. These types include open adoption, semi-open, and closed, which maintain varying degrees of contact between the birth and adoptive parents of the child.
But adoption is a lot more than a legal agreement. Adoption can stand as a choice that people make for many reasons, including an inability to care for their child or an unstable home situation. No matter the case, adoption exists to build loving families and to create the best life possible for your child.
The History of Adoption
The 1851 Adoption of Children Act marked the beginning of modern adoption in the United States. This law took into account the welfare and interest of the child more so than the parents. It required that the adoptive parents possess the proper means and resources to care for their adopted child. In 1917, the state of Minnesota expanded on the notion of ensuring that children went to good homes by mandating that all adoptive parents must undergo a social investigation. Since the United States passed these and other laws regarding the interest of adopted children, the culture of adoption has become more about benefiting the child.
In the 1900s, the number of children adopted increased significantly, though, especially toward the beginning of the century, informal adoptions, which were non-legal adoptions of a child by members of their extended family, were still common. In those same years, before 1970, adoption numbers hit their apex, with 175,000 adoptions yearly. This statistic has declined since then. Even though approximately 1 in every 25 families adopts a child, the numbers are down to about 125,000 adoptions per year.
There is a lot more to adoption history, this has just been a summary, but if you are interested in adoption or are putting your baby up for adoption, we highly suggest doing some more research!
The Importance of Adoption
Adoption builds families. It enriches the lives of couples who can’t bear children and of unmarried adults who desire the wonderful experience of parenting and loving a child. Nor is it less than significant for the children. Adoption puts them in a home, in a family, which they may never have experienced before. Even the opportunity that adoption gives some children is staggering. One of the main reasons that birth parents consider adoption is that they can’t support their child and want to offer that child the best life possible. Adoption helps children into a loving, stable home, so they can have the best life available.
Benefits of Celebrating National Adoption Month!
In some way, adoption benefits everyone involved.
- For the birth parents, it might mean lots of things. An unplanned pregnancy can be scary. It can feel like your life has run right off of the tracks. You might not have the means or be in a situation where you can support a child right now. Adopting out your baby can relieve that feeling and give your life a new beginning.
- For the child, adoption means a good home, a loving family, and various opportunities that may not have presented themselves if the birth parents had tried to slog through life deeply in debt because they couldn’t support a child.
- For the adoptive parents, it means the thrill of parenting. It means enjoying a complete family. It means helping and supporting another person who needs you. It means getting to love your child.
Adoption is a noble and exciting experience, and Adoption Choices of New York is overjoyed to celebrate National Adoption Month with you!
If you are looking for more information on New York adoption plans or putting your baby up for adoption, Adoption Choices of New York wants to help. Call us, text us, or email us; we are here for you! No matter where you live in New York state, we want to help. We will travel to wherever you need to meet with you. Check out our adoption agencies in NYC and our adoption agencies in Albany to begin.
Adoption Choices of New York is available to assist with your adoption plan. Call us, text us, email us; we are here for you!
Contact Us 24/7: 800-505-8592 (Phone) | 518-478-8420 | Click to Email
Resources:
https://www.childwelfare.gov/topics/adoption/intro/
https://www.childwelfare.gov/topics/adoption/intro/history/
https://darkwing.uoregon.edu/~adoption/timeline.html
https://darkwing.uoregon.edu/~adoption/topics/adoptionhistbrief.htm
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Adoption-of-Children-Act