Reflecting Back

     Reflecting Back

      In the beginning of this project, my first initial choice of a topic was not orphanages and orphans. I first wanted to look into sex trafficking, the corrupt nationalized business it has become, and what is being done for those captive in sex trafficking. However, a couple of people also had this topic in mind, so I strayed to something else so that the classes topics could be diversified. And after some thought, landed on orphans. I'm happy that I choose orphans because it has given me insights into this topic and the worldwide epidemic that it is and information that I would have otherwise, never known.
       Through this project I have learned that there is an estimated 143 million orphans in the world. And the only refuge and hope for a good life for these children is through an orphanage, a safe house, or the chance of adoption by a family. With these three being primary, there are few other options for orphans. Once your parents die, and if without relatives to take care of you, children are left to fend on their own. The three examples listed above are almost the only way for children to have hope for a better life. I have learned that the smaller, non-profit organizations are made up of the people that truly make a difference for the orphans out there. Not so much the big government organizations, but the altruistic, common every day person who has a loving heart--the people that look past their own comfort and personal needs to others.
       Over all right now, I am passionately interested in finding out more of what we can do for the orphans across the world and if it may be possible to make the adoption procedure not so tedious, so that more homeless, family-less children can find a good home to live in and have a fullier life. I therefore want to not be default, but dig in deeper to see if that is possible but more than anything, I want to see how childrens lives are changed once their adopted. Whether for the good or the bad. I'm interested to see what else I will discover and am looking forward to it!

Poll Feedback

Poll Feedback

       My poll gave the question, Would you want to adopt an orphan one day in the future? With options of: Yes!!, Possibly, Maybe, it depends, and, No, Likely never. However, overall only 3 people voted on my blog, making it not very credible. Of these 3 votes everyone answered, possibly. Which was the answer I anticipated to have the highest outcome. I predicted that it would be between possibly, and maybe, it depends. But being that only 3 people answered, this prediction didn't have enough data to come through. 

      It makes me happy to know though, that 3 people where willing to say yes, they might possibly adopt one day. Giving an insight that others within my age group feel this way as well, making it more likely for children to be adopted and have a good family to live with in the future. I wish my poll had more information and data to go off of, however am also happy with the outcome of it, even with the small numbers. If others one day stumble upon my blog and the poll and choose to vote on it, I will be very interested in their opinion and in seeing how the poll progresses.

Just how old is too old to adopt?

      
Just how old is too old to adopt?

When the prospect of adopting comes to mind for many, the issue of the age of the adoptee commonly doesn't intervene with the process. In the world of adoptions and the families that orphans and children get adopted into, the concept and question can arise, how old is too old to adopt? With many different factors being incorporated into the idea of an older individual or couple wanting to adopt--having both good and bad sides--the issue of adopting at an older age proves to be a controversial one.

Adopting at an age of 40 or older obviously brings in the consideration of the life span of the parent(s) to the child they intend to be caregivers for and raise. While many can live good, long healthy lives, the responsibility of raising a child to adulthood when your life span is at a rockier, less predictable stage blatantly is something to strongly take to mind. Also, while adopting at an older age the concern for the child's physiological development comes into play, being that the child has to deal with not only possibly being of a different ethical group, but also having parents that are much older than other others parents marking them marked "different" further more. And as Betty Laning gives good advice and points in her When are you "Too Old" to Adopt? article, "Teens need tactful parental supervision or parent participation in sports, outdoor activities, social events, etc. If you are 45 when adopting a baby, you'll be 60 when your child is 15. Make a point of having some friends younger than yourself so that they possibly can substitute for you in activities when you find yourself not as young as you used to be!" Expressing that being at such an older age than your adopted child, it may be harder to keep up then it would have been 20 or 30 years prier. 

However, although adopting at an older age may have its cons, it just as well has its pro's also. When adopting at such an age, many share how they feel their more mature and stable in life to be the child's benefactor and take on an additional or first child into their family. As an Adoption under one Roof article shares, "You don’t have to be superman or superwoman. What you don’t have in energy, you make up for in patience, understanding, and life experience" What a great way to state it! Another good aspect to adopting no matter your age is that not only will a child get welcomed into a loving, caring family that they may have never found otherwise, the new mother and or father also get a chance to parenting and having a kid that they may never would have if not through adoption.

Adopting at an older age can prove to be hard, and while some may think there should be a limit to the age that a person should adopt a young one (which very well may be true) all should keep in mind the ever present issue of orphan's and family-less child in the world as well. The state that a person is in mentally and physically differentiates between person to person--not only be the age group that they are in. May this prove to be the dependent view point when making the decision of when is the best age to adopt a child, no matter that individual's age.




 Laning, Betty. "Untitled Document." RainbowKids.com Adoption Information, Support, Child Photolistings, Articles and Resources. 01 June 2006. Web. 07 Nov. 2010. <http://www.rainbowkids.com/ArticleDetails.aspx?id=66>.

Adoption under One Roof. "Older Parent Adoption | Adoption Under One Roof." Adoption Under One Roof | Covering Adoption from Every Angle, Every View, for Everyone. 2010. Web. 07 Nov. 2010. <http://ouradopt.com/content/older-parent-adoption>.