 |
|
| Author |
Message |
| Admin Techie Joined Feb 7, 2002 42 posts |
 Question of the month: February, 2008 |
Posted Feb 3, 2008; 9:40 am |
|
This month's online poll:
Do you think it's a healthy trend for singles to adopt children?
Everyone can vote in this poll, even if you're not registered at MB Forum. |
|
|
|
| lornewel Member Joined May 11, 2004 553 posts Location: Abbotsford |
| |
Posted Feb 3, 2008; 11:41 am |
|
I voted "yes" on this one, but just barely. I am the administrator of a BC licensed adoption agency which has been in existence for over 20 years. In that role, I get exposed to the pros and cons of various aspects of adoption more than most people would. I would have overwhelming voted for "it depends" if that had been a choice on the poll.
When our ministry/agency first began, there was no provision in BC for becoming a licensed agency. We existed to provide information and options to women facing untimely pregnancies. In a minority of cases, adoption was their choice and we helped them to facilitate "private" adoptions with couples we had helped to "screeen" and prepare. We would only consider legally married persons. Here are some of the reasons:
 The birth mothers were almost always single and wanted a "regular" home for their children, and that included a stable male/female marriage. And they were the ones making the choice of which family. In over 20 years no birth mther has asked us for a single parent to adopt her child.
Literature in the field indicates that, all other things being equal, [an important qualifer] children do better in a home with more than one caregiver and with both male and female parents.
There were more than enough legally married couples to meet the need of the children with which we dealt.
For our adoptions of locally born children, we still have the same policy, and there is no shortage of couples legally married for over 2 years from which to choose.
However, 11 years ago, the laws in BC changed and we became a licensed adoption agency also able to facilitate intercountry adoptions. Now those account for 75 - 80 % of the children adopted through our agency (and most other BC agencies.) There are a few countries which permit single persons (mostly females) to adopt. We have assisted quite a few singles to adopt children from other countries. As with our domestic adoptions, the best interest of the child is supposed to prevail in all decisions. In the worldwide context, where hundreds of thousands of children are homeless, the home of an appropriate single parent overwhelmingly wins the best interest test over "no home" or an institution. They literally save kids' lives or, at the least, save many of them from a future of sexual exploitation, crime, hunger, and poverty.
There are not enough married people (nor single) coming forward to adopt all the children who would benefit from being raised in a family. Hence my "yes" vote. |
|
|
|
| Guest |
| |
Posted Feb 4, 2008; 8:58 pm |
|
| My only concern would be couples who have to wait so long to get children, will have to wait even longer if singles are also adopting. I guess this means that I feel the best family scenario would be a father & mother with children. |
|
|
|
|
|
