Did you know there was a fight? If you are in the adoption community, you are probably aware that lately there have been numerous articles, documentaries and commentaries dealing with abuses in adoption. It seems as if the whole idea of adoption is under fire. In just a few decades adoption has gone from being a way for childless couples to have children to helping children who are stuck in foster care or institutions, and for some reason, this second ideology is unacceptable to many.
While no one can dismiss that there are abuses in adoption as with any social undertaking (welfare, long-term care, prisons), the idea that more than 13,000,000 children living in institutions could be better served through giving money to provide the country with a type of welfare is absurd. Children are orphaned for many reasons and therefore the solution to the astronomical number of orphans needs to include numerous options including adoption.
An an advocate for adoption, I don't believe that adoption is the answer for all situations, nor would I urge all couples to adopt. I support programs that provide relief for those in poverty. I also support programs which go into orphanages and provide for those who will never be adopted. I don't pretend to know what is best for all children considered orphaned; however, I do know that every child deserves the chance to know the love of a family. Every child deserves the chance to be held, sung to, told that they are "loved to the moon," and given the chance to dream.
So, how should we answer those who are now casting adoption as an evil at worst and a misguided sense of charity at best? We share our story. We tell them of the son who said "thank you momma" every night because he was taken outside to see the stars. We tell them of the smile we got when our child had the strength to pedal a bike by himself. We tell them of the note written at thanksgiving which simply stated, "thank you for saving me." And at the end of the day, we don't really need to give an answer to anyone besides the one who made us.
Be The One
