Adoption is the social, emotional and legal process in which children is not raised by their own parents but become a full and legal member of another family. Adoption touches lives of many people in different ways depending upon their role. Legal adoption permanently transfers all rights and responsibilities to the adoptive parents. This new approach became common in Europe and United States at the time of First World War when there was increase in illegitimate birth and children were orphaned. The first modern adoption was passed in United States where judges concentrated more on whether the family who is adopting has ‘sufficient ability to bring up the child’. In Great Britain, adoption wasn’t legally permitted until 1926. Adoption of minors is a very new process in France, dating from 1923.

The frequency of adoptions increased after Second World War. Since the mid-twentieth century, thousands of children from South Korea, Peru, and Eastern Europe were adopted by American and Western European parents. The most adopted persons were boys and many were adults due to political or religious consideration and therefore, no attention was paid to their welfare. Single parent adoptions came to existence by different agencies and in some countries, adoption by same-sex couples also increased drastically.

There was a survey conducted by Evan Donaldson Institute. Nearly one-third of the surveyed population believes that adopted children is less well-adjusted, have more medical issues, and are drug addict. 40-45% of the population thinks that adoptees are more likely to have trouble at school. At the same survey, adopted parents were described as ‘lucky, advantaged and unselfish’.
The majority of people get to know about adoption through friends, family and news media. News media gives 72% positive impression to the adoptive parents.

There is an eligibility criterion for parents to adopt a child.
• The parents must be physically, mentally and emotionally stable. They should be financially capable of raising a child with proper care and education. They shouldn’t have any life threatening medical condition.
• Consent of both the adoptive parents shall be required.
• Single female can adopt a child irrespective of any gender.
• Single male isn’t eligible to adopt a girl child.
• No child is given in adoption to couples unless they are married for two years.
• Minimum age difference between child and adoptive parents must be twenty five years.
• Couples with three or more children aren’t eligible for adoption.
In foster care, negative perceptions of children results in the belief that such children are so troubled that it would be impossible to adopt them and that they can never adjust in ‘normal’ families.

In some countries, such as United States, ‘Homecoming Day’ is the day when adoptee officially unites with their new adoptive families, although the date may be different from date on which the legal adoption becomes final. Homecoming day is also known as Family Day or Adoption Day.
People chose to adopt for many reasons, and the process can take maximum time once it begins.
However, with education, hard work, legal works, and desire, adoptive families and children succeed and become the family that they dreamed of from the very starting.

Aishwarya Says:

I have always been against Glorifying Over Work and therefore, in the year 2021, I have decided to launch this campaign “Balancing Life”and talk about this wrong practice, that we have been following since last few years. I will be talking to and interviewing around 1 lakh people in the coming 2021 and publish their interview regarding their opinion on glamourising Over Work.

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