A persistent claim about adoption is that adopted children have more problems than kids who are not adopted. A recent study combine the results of 61 research studies to debunk this claim.
The situations studied
The research included three types of familial situations:
- foster care
- adoption
- biological families with public assistance (such as welfare, community support, etc.)
The researchers found that kids who remained in foster care had the worst outcomes. Adoptive families were more stable and provided better outcomes. When biological families received support, the outcomes varied greatly, showing “positive outcomes when interventions are timely and sustained, but persistent difficulties when family adversity continues.”
In other words, it is not whether children are adopted or not, but whether their homes are stable. These results confirm earlier reviews of the literature.
For moms considering adoption
If an honest review of your situation tells you that you cannot provide your child with a stable home, adoption is more likely to produce better outcomes for your child, according to this study. If you could, with available public assistance, provide a stable home for the child, you are in a different position.
If you are unable to provide a stable home for your child and he or she ends up in foster care, positive outcomes might be less likely. However, children in the foster system are adopted about 25% of the time, and almost 60% are reunited with their families. Depending on the details of their experiences and the degree of stability they achieve during their early years, these children can have positive outcomes, too.
When parenting is not the best choice for you or your child, arranging for a newborn adoption is the safest choice for your child. Arkansas law empowers expectant moms considering adoption. You can choose the adoptive family for your child, plan an open adoption with continued contact with the child, or receive financial support from the prospective adoptive family.
Don’t accept fear-mongering
Only you can decide what’s best for you and the child you carry. But you don’t need to accept fear-mongering claims that adopted children have more problems. Children in stable homes have fewer problems than those who faced difficult, unstable living conditions, whether or not they are adopted. This fear does not have to be part of your decision making.
Heimer Law specializes in adoption. We can answer your questions. Call us at (479) 225.9725 or use the form below.
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