The Children Who Wait

-Marsha Traugot

Summary of the essay:

In this essay, Marsha Traugot discusses and analyses a new trend in adoption in the USA. She suggests the reasons and the factors responsible for this change in attitude towards adoption.

This essay begins with an example of a five and a half year old black homeless girl named Tammy who's suffering from fatal alcohol syndrome(an illness that babies get when their mother drink too much alcohol during their pregnancy). So the baby has a low level of intelligence) that can stop her intellectual growth at any time. The essayist says that the social worker of this girl is looking for a one or two parent black or biracial family with old children. Before 1960, the black, disabled, handicapped or sick/mentally retarded children were considered unadoptable. Tammy has recently been legally freed for adoption that has recently undergone a radical change in the USA.

In the past, only healthy white children were adopted by only white families. One-parent adoptions were not in practice. Moreover, only infants, not aged ones were adopted. But now the American adoption scene has been completely changed due to different factors like Civil Rights Movements, birth control (legalized abortion), changing social values, social science research, harsh economic reality, people's attitudes towards sex and marriage, women's movements and many more. Because of civil rights movements, the attitudes of American people towards Negro children changed. Due to birth control and legalized abortion, fewer unwanted babies were born. Even the unmarried women could keep their babies with them due to the change in attitudes towards sex and marriage. As a result, healthy babies were hardly available for the adoption and people turned their attention to those children who have been waiting for adoption.

Because of population growth, the number of homeless children between the year 1960 and 1978, in the foster homes (child care centres) reached nearly half a million. If such children were left in the foster homes for more than 18 months, they would suffer from illnesses. They might also involve in social crimes. The politicians would not invest any fund to begin new programmes for such children because such children have no rights to vote for them. Thus the children were neglected and uncared. So the authorities are compelled to change their attitudes by making proper plans and policies to open new child care centres.

Now, the social workers have chosen a new strategy for adoption. They write down the characteristics of the child and the profile of a suitable family and then they try to match. To find the adoptive family, the social workers organize meetings and parties for children and possible parents to meet informally. They also advertize on TV and publish the child's profile in newspapers. Thus the child welfare specialists and the social workers can do a lot for the children who wait for adoption. So, the changes that have happened in the last 20 years mean that there is a good chance for Tammy to find a suitable adoptive family.  

Question-Answers:

1. Whom does Marsha Traugot refer to as 'The Children Who Wait'?

Ans: According to her the children who wait refers to the children who are waiting to be adopted by any adoptive families in the USA. The children who cannot be looked after by their biological parents or family can be adopted by other people who are willing to adopt children. Adoption is legal now in the USA. An adopted child becomes the part of the new family and s/he is brought up by that family. The adopted child becomes legal son or daughter of the adoptive parents.

2. Why was it difficult for the handicapped and the black children to find foster family?

Ans: Few years back, it was, in fact, very difficult for the handicapped, mentally retarded, crippled and the black children to find a foster family because of the multiple attitudes and negative feelings towards those children. Handicapped, physically unfit and sick children were regarded as damaged goods before 1960s. A five year old child was too old for the adoptive or supportive parents. The black, minority or mixed or biracial children were virtually ignored. They were regarded as unadoptable. Therefore until 1960, middle or upper class childless white couples adopted only healthy white infants. For these reasons, it was difficult for the handicapped and the black children to find foster families.

 3. According to Traugot what changes are transforming American Adoption Scene? What factors are responsible for the changes?

Ans: Before 1960, the American adoption scene was relatively different because there were few, selective or rare adoptive families who wanted to adopt children.  Handicapped, black, biracial or mixed children were generally not adopted. They were regarded as damaged goods. A five year old child was too old to be adopted. Moreover, a non-white family or a family with older siblings and single-parent did not want to adopt any children. Until about 1960, middle or upper class childless white couples adopted only healthy white infants. But at present, the American adoption scene has undergone radical change. Children once regarded as unadoptable are now being placed with different types of adoptive families. Indeed no single factor can account for this transformation.

     The factors which are responsible for the changes can be enumerated as follows:

     a. The various civil rights movements b. Birth control and legalized abortion c. Changing mores d. Social Science research e. Harsh economic reality f. Women's movements g. The establishment of child welfare centres h. Human attitudes towards sex and marriage and so on. All these factors caused the scarcity of healthy white babies and paved way for more adoption.

4. What kinds of parents were considered suitable for adopting children? What kinds of children were considered unadoptable?

Ans: Before 1960, no social worker had thought of a white family for adopting a black child. Adoption of a black child by a white couple was unimaginable at that time. Only the middle or upper class white couples were considered suitable of adopting children. The family having single parent or having older siblings was not considered suitable for adopting children.

     In past, handicapped, mentally retarded, aged, minority, black or mixed racial children were virtually and extensively ignored for adopting because they were regarded as damaged goods and thus unadoptable.

The End