By Maxwell Morris, Staff Writer
Around the world, there are thousands upon thousands of children that need healthy parents and a healthy home. Luckily, there are a significant number of potential parents looking to adopt and subsequently save the life of a child in need. While at face value this seems like a match made in heaven, adoption agencies fail to mention the toll it takes on your bank account as well as the copious background checks and timetables that affect people’s ability to adopt a child. So much so in fact that it forces many to adopt out-of-country, which can lead to a plethora of other problems.
According to Adoption.org, there are over 400,000 children in the United States that are part of the foster care system. In 2015 alone, there was a peak of 670,000 children waiting to find a home. So, if there are so many children in need, why is it so expensive to adopt?
“The range for an adoption [with an] agency is from $5,000 – $40,000…with the average being $28,000,” according to Adoption.org. This price is equivalent to purchasing a new car.
“The one thing I know about the adoption process is how expensive it is, and this is one thing I have an issue with, because there are so many children looking for loving homes and so many parents willing to give them that, but money gets in the way of [their ability to adopt a child,]” junior marketing major Karolina Stolarczyk said.
While there is mild disdain for the adoption process in the United States, the other side of the argument claims that the difficulty to adopt a child is indicative of adoption agencies wanting to make sure the children are placed with the right families.
“The United States adoption process can be long and complicated, but it exists to make sure a family can meet the needs of a child and are fully ready. In the end it is only there to benefit and make sure each and every child can experience a stable loving family,” junior mathematics major Nicole Catanzarite said.
Due to the difficulty many potential parents have in adopting children in the United States, there are some who choose to go outside the country to adopt a baby, which can be a pressing topic. The programs facilitating out-of-country adoption are often religious, and therefore have no requirement to be regulated. This means that the possibility of adopting a child who was taken from their parents is heightened. Although this precedent exists, students on campus are unaware of these practices overseas.
“I don’t see an issue with going beyond the US borders because this also helps the kids in the [other] countries to get into good and loving homes,” Stolarczyk said.
Whereas many are uninformed about overseas adoption practices, the consensus is moreso universal on the topic of the adoption process becoming easier and less expensive.
“I think it is harder to adopt in the United States because it is in high demand. But I believe the challenge and complexity of the system really deters who is and isn’t ready to create and provide a family for a child,” Catanzarite said.
Although the adoption process in the United States is pricey and extensive, those on campus believe it is necessary in order for the children to find the right homes.
“I wouldn’t want [the children] to go into an abusive home that doesn’t care about them, I think it should be slightly easier but also not easy enough that adults can take advantage of the system,” Stolarczyk stated.
With the current guidelines of adoption sometimes being complicated enough to deter parents not committed enough, there are still opinions about pricing and difficulty that individuals at Post would like to see change.
“The money is always the factor that messes things up. if money wasn’t such a big issue, I feel as though a lot of loving parents would take these children into their homes,” Stolarczyk said.
In today’s capitalist society, money is always the obstacle for assumed happiness – adoption process included.
“A couple who wants to start a family but cannot financially afford going through the process then providing for a child under that financial strain is unfair. The process should be less on money and more on who can and wants to provide a new family for a child,” Catanzarite said.
There are several ways to spin the adoption argument. Some can say that the process is too pricey, while others say the process is in place for children to find the right homes with the right parents. Some can say it is easier and smarter to adopt a child internationally, while others refute the idea based on their perception of out-of-country adoption agencies. Nevertheless, it should be a priority not only for the United States, but the world to find homes for these innocent children.
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