- Government and employer recognition of the expanding
number of employees involved in adoption has led to benefits such as the
Family Medical Leave Act and the federal tax credit for adoption.
With six out of ten people touched
by adoption, there are plenty of people to help you understand and go through
the process.
In the past, words like “adoption”
and “orphan” have carried some negative connotations and the whole issue of
adoption tended to be veiled and secretive, sometimes with a sense of
wrongdoing attached. Fortunately, those very erroneous impressions are being
left behind, replaced with much more open, supportive attitudes by most people.
In fact, in a 2002 study of attitudes toward adoption, the proportion of
Americans with very favorable opinions about adoption increased to 63% in 2002,
from 56% in 1997.
The percent with very and somewhat favorable opinions rose
from 90% to 94% while the percent with somewhat and very unfavorable opinions
fell from 8% to 5%.
Source: Evan B.
Donaldson Adoption Institute, 2002
Today, there are many options
available to people who are interested in adoption plus, many more people are
eligible to adopt. In the past, older people, single people, gays and lesbians
stood little or no chance to include a child in their family through adoption.
Now, due to changing U.S.
laws, the expansion of international adoption and generally more open
attitudes, adoption is a path that many more people can choose.
We’ll talk more about eligibility
in Chapter Three.
All in all, this is a wonderful time to adopt.
