Why Should I Support Your Adoption?

James 1:27
Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

 

Why Should I be supportive of your adoption? If you need my money you probably don’t need another kid! Why is everyone adopting kids for other countries when this one is full of kids who need loving homes? Oh look another trendy couple adopting international because it’s the trendy thing to do!  If you adopt from foster care you better sleep with one eye open.  If older Kids are in foster homes they don’t really need adopted.

If you have ever had any of these thoughts you are just like me and you should read this post. Throughout our short adoption journey I have learned so many facts that have changed my closed mind to all these myths.  I am going to dispel as many adoption assumptions as I can. (You know what they say about assuming)

International Adoption Facts

In many countries children age out of the orphanages at very young ages. In China most kids age out at age 14 for more info on this please read this article http://www.lwbcommunity.org/adoption-of-older-children

“Russia has over 700,000 orphans with only about 25% of them housed. By age 15 or 16 a Russian orphan will age-out of the orphanage system. They are sent back into the streets with about $30 and nothing else. Of course, due to poor conditions in the orphanages many of these kids run away long before they age out. More than half of these kids end up in jail or prostitution. A Russian orphan will have his passport stamped 'Orphan'. People do not want to hire orphans and do not want them marrying their children. They are considered outcasts. Many boys will join the military but because of their orphan status will get the most dangerous jobs. Only one out of 10 orphans will make to their 21st birthday. Most can't get jobs and the cycle of orphans continues.”  Taken from Debbie Mumm, Parent and adoption Coach.

Children living in orphanages are very neglected and are not receiving the loving nurturing care that they need. Many orphanages are under funded and under staffed. Babies in orphanages will learn all to soon that if they cry they may not get their needs met and will eventually stop crying.

 As a mother all these statistics are heart breaking. As a Christ follower I am very challenged to do more and ask myself why the body of Christ is not doing more!?!?

 

Domestic (US) Adoption

“In 2012, more than 23,000 children in foster care aged out of the system.

These young men and women left foster care not because they were reunited with their families or adopted, but simply because they were too old to remain in care.

Of the 397,000 children in foster care currently, over 20,000 have a case goal of emancipation.

The percentage of youth that age out of foster care has increased. In 2000, the percentage of exits due to aging out was 7 percent. In 2012, 10 percent of the children who exited foster care aged out.

Without family or any other dependable adults to rely on for assistance, these young people are at high risk of homelessness, joblessness, illness, incarceration, welfare dependency, early childbearing, and sexual and physical victimization.

According to various studies across the country of young people who have aged out of foster care without a permanent family:

• 12-30 percent struggled with homelessness

• 40-63 percent did not complete high school

• 25-55 percent were unemployed; those employed had average earnings below the poverty level, and only 38 percent of those employed were still working after one year

• 30-62 percent had trouble accessing health care due to inadequate finances or lack of insurance

• 32-40 percent were forced to rely on some form of public assistance and 50 percent experienced extreme financial hardship

• 31-42 percent had been arrested

• 18-26 percent were incarcerated

• 40-60 percent of the young women were pregnant within 12-18 months of leaving foster care.”

Taken from Childrensrights.org http://www.childrensrights.org/issues-resources/foster-care/facts-about-aging-out/

 

“Special placement needs” is a category covering social, medical, physical, and developmental challenges. Children may be described to have special placement needs when they are:

• Older than age 5. (In Indiana this is age 2)
• Part of a sibling group that needs to be adopted together.
• Precious ones who have a history of trauma.
• Children with identified physical, developmental, or emotional delays/disabilities.

 Based on these Facts we should be supporting all friends and family who choose to adopt, wheter it is international or domestic. As the body of Christ lets do more!

Exodus 22:22

Do not take advantage of a widow or an orphan. If you do, and they cry out to me, I will certainly hear their cry.

Deut 10:17,18

For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes. He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the alien, giving him food and clothing.