Sunday, September 4, 2011


For the first post, each group will learn some information about each person’s family of origin. This should aid each group in beginning to imagine their respective adoptee. While some of the information may at first appear to be unrelated to our subject of study, life-span issues for individuals with disabilities, fear not. It will all make sense as we move through the semester.

Hunter Arias – Week One

In a small, secluded corner of a downtown block, a 15 year-old girl wonders what she should do next. The pregnancy test came back positive, and she knows her father will yell and scream and curse if he finds out. Worse than that, she thinks he might try to hurt Pedro again. After the last time her father came after her boyfriend with a knife, she’s not sure what would happen if her father knew this. She long ago decided to keep the baby – now that she had her Quinceañera, she had a whole new set of expectations for herself. Still, it wouldn’t be easy. She would have to hide the baby from everyone and find a way to give it up for adoption. She couldn’t imagine giving away her baby to someone she didn’t know. Would they be good parents? Would they love the baby like she would? Would her baby be OK? As she sat there on the corner, all of these thoughts were racing through her mind. 

Questions:
  
What is a quinceañera? Why was it important to this girl? 

     Explore the system of adoption in Virginia. What is the relationship between the foster care system and the adoption system? Provide demographic information regarding how many children each year are up for adoption, their ages, how they come into the foster care/adoption system, and the challenges inherent in adopting. What resources exist to assist parents interested in adopting? Make a graph that shows the numbers of children in the system according to their ages and ethnicity. Which children are most difficult to place in adoptive and/or foster homes?

Discuss the reasons someone would adopt a child. What mechanisms are in place for agencies to determine who is allowed to adopt? What are the psychological challenges of adoption for the adoptive parents?
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5 comments:

  1. Group 1September 8, 2011 at 1:41 PM

    According to Dale Hoyt Palfrey, a quinceañera is a celebration, originating in Mexico, for the Spanish culture when a young girl turns 15 years of age and is now considered transitioning into womanhood. From the American perspective it is seen as a Sweet Sixteen celebration mixed with a debutante’s “coming out ball”. The quinceañera is a way of acknowledging that the now young woman is of marriageable age. It is important to Hunter’s mother because she just came into womanhood and had big goals and dreams for herself and now she is forced to put them aside in order to prepare for this child.
    The foster care system is temporary solution and provides food, clothing and shelter until a permanent family can legally adopt the child or the child becomes an adult of legal age. When in foster care the county has legal custody of the child and makes all executive decisions about their health care and schooling. Therefore, foster care may be seen as the first step into adoption, which is the more permanent and legal solution.
    Adoption agencies, adoption lawyers, orphanages, children group homes, foster homes, the general Internet are some of the resources that exist to help assist prospective parents interested in adopting.
    The children who are most difficult to place in adoptive and/or foster homes would be: children with special needs, children who have behavioral problems, teens, and international children.
    Reasons someone would adopt a child (Deciding to Adopt):
    - Can’t physically produce their own children (sterile/ infertile)
    - Help a child who is less fortunate
    - They lost a baby of their own and scared to get pregnant on their own again
    - Want to be parents
    - for international adoption they want a child from a specific country/ ethnicity

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  2. Group 1September 9, 2011 at 12:15 PM

    Child Welfare Information Gateway stated that some mechanisms for agencies to determine who is allowed to adopt are the following:
    - Background check, age, birth certificate
    - People with disabilities can adopt, and their rights are protected by the Americans with Disabilities Act.
    - In Virginia- There is not an income requirement or restrictions on the type of home you live in. You must be at least 21 years old, have adequate space in your home for a child and be able to financially provide for a child. Both married and single parents can adopt.
    - For infant adoptions in Virginia: Infant adoptions are done through a voluntary placement with a birthmother. For this reason infant adoptions are facilitated through an adoption agency or an adoption attorney.


    Some of the psychological challenges of adoption for the adoptive parents are:
    - They might worry that their child later in life will want to find or know more about their biological parents
    - They might be concerned that they will never look at them as their “real” parents
    - They might worry that the child will never form a close bond to them
    - School wise they child might get made fun of
    - If open adoption, can cause a lot of issues concerning which set of parents to trust/listen to
    - Emotional issues if different race than adoptive parents

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  3. Group 1September 9, 2011 at 12:21 PM

    *Our graph was done in excel and we emailed it to Professor C because we could not figure out how to upload it on here. If you are interested please contact us and we will gladly pass it along.

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  4. Group 1September 9, 2011 at 12:21 PM

    Child Welfare Information Gateway (2009). Who May Adopt, Be Adopted, or Place a Child for Adoption?: Summary of State Laws. Retrieved from http://www.childwelfare.gov/systemwide/laws_policies/statutes/parties.cfm
    Deciding to Adopt. Retrieved from http://international.adoption.com/foreign/deciding-to-adopt.html
    Palfrey. D. (July 1, 1997). La Quinceanera: A celebration of budding womanhood. Retrieved from http://www.mexconnect.com/articles/3192-la-quinceañera-a-celebration-of-budding-womanhood

    ReplyDelete
  5. Group 1September 9, 2011 at 12:22 PM

    U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2011). Race/Ethnicity of Public Agency Children Adopted (Data Set). Retrieved from http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cb/stats_research/afcars/statistics/race_tbl2_2010.pdf
    U.S. Department of Health and Human Services ( 2008-2011). State- by- State Adoption and Foster Care Statistics Age and Race (Data Set). http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cb/stats_research/index.htm

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