Compare And Contrast Older Child Adoption And Infant Adoption

Adoption is a process whereby a person assumes the parenting for another who is not kin and, in so doing, permanently transfers all rights and responsibilities from the original parent or parents. Unlike guardianship or other systems designed for the care of the young, adoption is intended to effect a permanent change in status and as such requires societal recognition, either through legal or religious sanction(Borders, 2000).

Parents who adopt an infant, baby, child or older child are often some of the most proud parents around. When they look for adoption announcements cards, they are usually looking to send the same joyous message as any other parent. Most birth announcements can easily be converted to adoption announcements, but there are also numerous announcements cards specifically designed for adoption cards.

Infant adoption during Antiquity appears rare. Abandoned children were often picked up for slavery and composed a significant percentage of the Empire's slave supply. Roman legal records indicate that foundlings were occasionally taken in by families and raised as a son or daughter. Although not normally adopted under Roman Law, the children, called alumni, were reared in an arrangement similar to guardianship, being considered the property of the father who abandoned them(Lyons-Ruth, 1996).

If the birth parents choose to place their child for adoption through the Minister, the Department will find an approved adoptive family capable of meeting the child's needs. Birth parents are encouraged to take an active role in the placement of their child. Within the Ministerial infant adoption process, the birth parents are always involved in the selection of the family unless they have requested otherwise. The birth parent makes their choice based on family profiles. In the majority of situations, the birth parent(s) is able to meet the prospective adoptive parents if ...