March 23, 2014

Adoption News Round-Up

Here’s a look at some of the interesting news happening in the adoption world this week!

NBC, who received a great deal of press when they shared their investigation on adoption re-homing, has come out with another interesting article detailing the “wild ride” that is adoption, and how many adoptive parents don’t receive adequate support for the sorts of challenges they face along the way. The article focuses on the special challenges that international adoptions present, but is a powerful and illuminating read for anyone involved in the adoption world.

This is inspiring! A group of adoptees in South Korea who say they were placed because their mothers couldn’t raise them, have joined forces in a new effort to make single motherhood less taboo. “Ninety percent of South Korean children adopted internationally are born to unwed mothers, for whom it is taboo and financially difficult to raise children. Domestic adoption is uncommon in South Korea, as Confucian values make many families reluctant to raise a child from outside their bloodline.” No one should ever be forced to place their child for adoption if they don’t want to. We love that these adoptees are banding together to keep families together and to support women who very much need and deserve it.

The Russian adoption ban is having a drastic affect on foreign adoptions, which are now at a 21-year low. It’s so sad to think of all those children missing out on being with families who would love and take care of them.

This birth mother wrote a beautiful article for Cosmopolitan about how she “placed her child for adoption, but didn’t give her up.” Her experience was such a positive one, that she now runs a retreat for birth mothers, and is actively working to change the negative stigmas birth mothers often face.

The pain of having to endure a forced adoption is one that never goes away. This is a time in adoption history that is especially difficult, and we commend Jo Fraser for bravely telling her story.

Doorway is an organization that provides support for the marginalized and homeless, and recently they launched a women’s group where women could come and express their feelings among like-minded and supportive people. The issue of adoption recently came up, and the organizers were shocked at the profound discussion that followed, one that is insightful for mothers from all walks of life — not just adoptive mothers. This blog post shares some of the things discussed and provides some good food for thought for all us. Maybe it will inspire you and other women you know to start a similar group — it could be very inspiring!