Child Adoption

The article looks at the issue of adoption of children. The main focus of the article is the reasons as to why many couples who adopt children are taking them to the state. There are various reasons the article gives with example of such cases. Adoption is a process of acquiring a child because may be a couple does not have a child or for some other reasons. It is a process which may couples who do not have children opt to take so that they can get a child from the state using legal means to be their own. Adoption in the United States has a long history, but the increase in the number of children returned by their adopted parents to the state and other agencies has attracted a lot of debate on whether is right for parents to do so or not. This paper gives arguments concerning this issue of taking adopted children back to the state after the parents are not satisfied with the adopted child.

The main reason why parents adopt a child is to get the happiness other people have with children. Couples who do not have children find it difficult to stay without children. There are many factors that make couple fail to have children, for example, infertility and others. This makes the couple find it the best option to adopt a child so that they have a feeling of security. However, the parents may adopt a child who is too young to recognize whether such a child has growth or developmental problems. Later the parents may realize that the child has problems that may make them not have the happiness they thought would be brought by the adopted child just like the case of Tony in the article.

In this case, the parents are justified to take the child back to the state because he or she does not offer them the happiness they expected as they adopted him or her. Their goal of happiness and sense of security is not met by the child. In this case, the parents cannot be blamed of lack of commitment, but such cases are brought by natural causes and the family may be overwhelmed by the unexpected problem. Instead of the family staying with the emotional problems brought by the child the best option is to take the child back to the state where he or she can be looked well such as the case of Stacey Rene in the article who had Rett syndrome.

On the other hand, the issue of taking adopted children back to the state after adoption makes the children be treated as commodities instead of being treated like human beings. This is because just like commodities have warranty to be returned after a while if they do not meet the expectation of the user this is the same way that adopted children are treated. This goes against the rights of the adopted children because they should be treated in the same way that other children are treated. Children should not be treated like damaged goods instead the adoption process should work for the good of the child but not to the expectation of the new parents have for the child (O'Halloran, 2009 pp 20).  A couple that is adopting a child should take the risk of whatever might happen to the child and take the burden that comes with the child just like the child was their true child. The burden should not be taken to the state because by the time the parents decide to adopt a child they accept the happiness and sorrow brought by the child.