Adoption: Would you do it? Why? Why not?

[SummerChild]

It seems that many African-American children are languishing going from foster home to foster home or orphanages. As educated people, we will probably have more income than many of our counterparts in the community.

Would you consider adopting a child? Even if you had children naturally already?

Does anyone know the qualifications for adopting? Is there any government/financial assistance after the adoption process is completed?

SC

[Special1920]

My husband and I are now considering this. We live in Chicago, what we can't agree on is age. I do not want a newborn, he does.

[carnation]

To anyone considering adoption, God bless you. We need many. many more adoptive parents.

If you adopt a special-needs chld from the public sector, there are often subsidies available that will continue until the child reaches majority. You wouldn't get them with a newborn unless s/he had handicaps but you can get them, say, with a relatively young sibling group.

For an idea of the children who wait for homes, go to www.adoptuskids.com and type in what you're looking for in a child!

[BirthaBlue4]

I went to the site and had to leave. I hate to see children in bad situations, they did nothing to deserve them. I'd love to adopt a child or a set of siblings, probably siblings since they're harder to place. I also want to give birth to more children. Whatever happens depends on who I end up marrying. I'd like to get older kids, up to, say, 12. They need a home more.

[1browngirl]

When I get married, I would love to adopt a child/children even if I already have my own children. Why not? If I am capable of providing a nurturing and loving home to another child who otherwise would not get that chance, then I'd do it.

[Senusret I]

I am definitely going to adopt....I would like natural children, too, but I feel obligated to adopt as well. Those kids need love, too!

[abaici]

I always wanted to adopt. I almost caused my mother to have a heart attack when I told her I wanted to adopt. There are just sooo many children without homes. But, I'm not married (yet!), so me and the hubby will discuss that later.

[Prissfit1908]

I would definitely adopt. There are so many children, particulalrly black children, who are in dire need of good, nurturing homes. Even though I am single and childless, I have already looked into the process of adopting a child in the next few years.

I have considered that this could have implications in the romance department, but I would not want to be with a man who was not open to adoption anyway. The one thing I could NOT EVER do is be a foster parent, though. I know me and I would become incredibly attached to a child that I would be caring for. I can't imagine falling in love with a child only to have him or her taken away from me again.

[mariet58]

It pleases me to see that many of you would consider adopting children. As an adoption worker with a caseload of African American children ranging in age from age 4 to 17 years, it is disheartening to see these children wait for a long time for an adoptive home. Fortunately, many African Americans both single and married are choosing to add to their family by adopting. As Madame moderator indicated there are subsidies available for many of the children. In Ohio, there is also Post Adoption Special Services Subsidies(PASSS) available to provide services for children already adopted who continue to have challenges in their lives. Check out the various websites across the country and contact those adoption worker to inquire about the many waiting children. Best wishes with your adoption endeavors.

[Steeltrap]

I would be interested in adopting ONLY if I get married. I was not emotionally close to my Dad, but I believe in the value of fathers in a child's life.

Adoption would work well for me going forward if I marry. I turn 40 later this year and probably am a reproductive risk. No, I don't want to take fertility drugs because of the probability of multiple births and it's very expensive to raise a child.

If I do get married, I want a girl and would much prefer that she's 3 years of age or younger. Then again, the now non-existent husbandperson may want a boy. So we may have to get two kids.

[Sistermadly]

I used to think that I never wanted to be a parent, but I've since decided that what I never wanted to do was give birth.

There was an article in the most recent Essence Magazine about a couple and their ordeal with adopting a child from Africa. I'd consider an international adoption of a child from Africa, especially if that child were healthy.

[AKA2D '91]

LMAO!!!

[*ClassyKeshia*]

I would definetly adopt a child!! I think that it is a great idea to want to adopt a child/children. Personally i would like to adopt a child because I know that i would be able to provide them with a much better llife filled with love, care etc. Many children are in situations that only God knows what urges their parents/guardians to actually continue to have them in those negative situations. It really hurts my heart to know that people have children and for some strange reason, they dont take care of them in a proper manner. I am just happy that their are people who would take them in as their own.

[KSUViolet06]

I would in a heartbeat and actually plan to once I am done with school and am ready to start my family. There are so so so many Black children in the US child welfare systems (of all ages) that need a good loving home.

I've actually already thought of the type of child I want. Black boys spend the longest amount of time in the system waiting to be adopted, so I definitely would want to adopt a boy maybe 5 years old or younger.

[Little32]

Adoption is a possibility that I have considered, though I have not decided whether I want kids yet. If I adopted, I would choose an older child, probably older than 5 because then I wouldn't have to potty train .

Another thing that I have considered, for down the line, is possibly being a foster parent. At that point, I would probably want to be a foster parent to children older than 12.

If I ever did adopt, I would adopt from within the country, because there are lots of children here who need homes too.