Could "Adoption" be changed to this system?

Over here in my part of Australia, we have very few actual adoptions, as I think many people are aware of. When children in foster care require permanent care after their natural parents have had their rights terminated, there are generally two options.

A) The child is placed in the CEO's care (ward of the state) until the age of 18. This option I do not like, personally, as it affords the children no rights or guarantees of permanency or stability.

B) The foster parents currently fostering the child (be they relatives or general carers) are awarded a special type of guardianship called enduring parental responsibility. This ensures that they become the full legal parents of the child and have every right and responsibility of a biological parent. However, the child has no amendments to any documents such as birth certificates, no name changes, etc. They also retain links to their past and natural families where safe and appropriate.
Parental responsibility is different to guardianship in that it cannot be overturned, and is as final as
adoption, so cases where straight guardianship wouldn't be best are catered for. Also, if the child wishes they can use their legal parent's surname at school, sporting clubs, etc if THEY wish.

Is there any reason why this wouldn't be a viable alternative to all adoptions as they stand now? What would be the pros and cons to adoptees, adoptive and natural parents?

2010-08-06T01:28:06Z

Let me clarify, it's not actually guardianship (that's my lack of a better word). You are the child's full, legal parents.

I2010-08-05T23:19:12Z

Favorite Answer

I have no problem with the idea of not changing the birth certificate. I adopted through foster care (in the US) and was really surprised when they told us near the end of the process that there would be a new certificate with our names on it, essentially showing that we gave birth to these kids on that day. It seemed at odds with everything else we had learned in training about honesty and respecting the children's rights to know as much as possible about their original families, to have feelings for them, etc. Everything else was about being open and honest and suddenly there was this big lie which seems totally unnecessary to me. I'm not threatened by the fact that someone else gave birth to these children. I don't need to pretend that isn't the case.

At the same time, I think kids need parents, not "legal guardians." I think the new family that is created has lots of challenges as it is. I don't look at our children as "second best" to any other children we might have given birth to, but in a way I do see us as "second best" for them compared to the family they might have had if things had been different. Because we don't have a genetic link and because we missed part of their early years, we already have some strikes against us. Yet now we are the family they have and it's in the best interest of the children for this family to be everything to them that it possibly can be. I wouldn't want to have some kind of legal name for our relationship that defined us as somehow less than a real family. The phrase "enduring parental responsibility" doesn't sound like a family to me. There's no love in that phrase.

I would rather see adoption, but without the falsifying documents and sealed records.

41

Anonymous2010-08-07T00:37:27Z

Yes, it could, but it probably never would 'cause where would all the money come from? :(

Seriously, this is all I want - lose the ability to turn it into a lie/wipe histories, such as adoption currently does, and I stop being anti-adoption 'cause all the other stuff's already covered by child protection laws.

22

Anonymous2010-08-06T13:31:43Z

i agree with the second scenario. if something happened to my sister and i ended up raising her children, i'd never want their birth certificates to be changed. i also wouldn't have them call me mom. they'd still be my godchildren and always be able to know where they came from. but i'd still be parenting, but would not try to take the place of their mother.

31

Torrejon2010-08-06T12:28:41Z

I think the system you describe sounds very humane and do-able. It could completely eradicated the adoption agencies, the exchange of money for babies, and sealed records.

41

Related Questions

What "Major Changes You would like to see in Education System"?Do you think YA should change the "best answer" point system?What does it mean when McDonalds is "closed for a systems change"?How can Obama make change if he isn't "part of the system?"?Those of you who have had a "near death experience" did your enlightenment changed your belief system? to what?

Trending Questions

Is the process of adopting kids significantly more difficult than pregnancy?4 answersWhat is best for daughter?5 answersDoes one have to always go through the court for the adoption process?9 answersMy husband's ex-wife & her husband adopted our 2 grandchildren, can we contest the adoption?9 answerswhy can't people over 45 adopt?5 answers