The Good Work of Adoption
by Charles "Chuck" Johnson
There are more than 100,000 children in U.S. foster care waiting to be adopted and millions of children globally who need a family.
Research shows most women who make adoption plans for their children are satisfied with their decision; that most adopted people have fulfilling lives, despite the undeniable losses involved in adoption; that most adoptive parents provide safe, nurturing, healing homes; that children intrinsically need stable, permanent, loving families; and that negative outcomes are quite rare in adoption.
Yet many perceive the noble institution of adoption to be in jeopardy.
Some falsely believe that adoption is failing children, birth parents, and adoptive families. In fact, negative outcomes are the rare exception—not the norm. Unfortunately, these attitudes often shape the national discussion about adoption as well as what policies and legislation will be implemented.
I once called a reporter hoping to pitch a positive adoption story during National Adoption Month. He respectfully declined, sharing that reporters do not report on the planes that land. This is why the National Council for Adoption is committed to ensuring that accurate information about all adoption types is available for prospective birth and adoptive families, as well as for adopted persons, to access.
We cannot ignore negative outcomes and must look for ways to ensure that adoption secures the child’s best interest in every instance.
But the good work of adoption is too seldom reported. Experts estimate that 100 million Americans have either been personally touched by adoption within their families or know someone who is or has adopted. There are about two million children in the U.S. under the age of 21 living in their permanent families because of adoption.
These are the faces of adoption whose stories must be remembered as they go about living their lives, contributing their unique talents to society, safe and secure in their loving, permanent families.
Charles Johnson is president of the National Council for Adoption. For more information visit: www.adoptioncouncil.org