When an adult chooses to adopt a child, that decision must be for the best interests of the child, rather than for the desires of the adult. Adoption is designed to provide a family for a child who needs one, not a child for an adult who wishes to be a parent.
These basic family law rules are highlighted by the case of the 7 year old Russian boy who was returned to his homeland by the Tennessee mom who had recently adopted him. She felt as if she could not handle the child’s behavioral issues, and had not fully been apprised of his condition. Does any parent ever truly understand his or her child’s condition? Parenting is all about setting aside one’s own interests to provide for the best interests of a child. It is always challenging.
A child’s best interests, furthermore, are served by having a father and a mother married to each other. Single parenting is extremely difficult. God’s wisdom in designing two parents for a child – both a mom and a dad – is a key factor for every child. The 7 year old boy did not have the benefit of an adoptive dad, and his adoptive mom was not prepared for his unique behavioral issues. Even if the Russian adoption agency and the Russian government misrepresented the child’s condition to the Tennessee mom, the child lives at the mercy of all the adults around him.
Most importantly in this case, an adoption cannot be nullified because a parent is caught off guard as to the challenges of parenting a particular child. Adoption is always designed to provide for the best interests of the child – not the adult. To learn more about this case see Professor Kohm’s interview during CBN News coverage of the story at: http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/world/2010/April/Russia-Threatens-to-Freeze-US-Adoptions/
More on adoption and its restorative impact on families and children…
From the Christian Alliance for Orphans Blog:
Amidst the intense controversy of the health care bill signed into law by President Obama yesterday, there’s at least one provision every orphan advocate can cheer. The adoption tax credit was preserved for another year...and increased in value!
To encourage and support adoption, the adoption tax credit was expanded by President Bush and Congress in 2001. This increased the value of the credit from $5,000 to $10,000, and indexed it for inflation (meaning the credit would increase each year to keep up with inflation.) For 2010, its value had risen to $12,170. However, the 2001 increase was scheduled to “sunset” at the end of 2010. This would mean that any adoptions finalized after December 31, 2010 would be eligible for—at most—a credit of only $5,000.
This sunset has now been extended one year. That means that it will need to be extended again before the end of 2011. For the present, however, this extension comes as very welcome news for families considering adoption or in the adoption process.
Specifically, the provisions contained in the health care bill include:
These basic family law rules are highlighted by the case of the 7 year old Russian boy who was returned to his homeland by the Tennessee mom who had recently adopted him. She felt as if she could not handle the child’s behavioral issues, and had not fully been apprised of his condition. Does any parent ever truly understand his or her child’s condition? Parenting is all about setting aside one’s own interests to provide for the best interests of a child. It is always challenging.
A child’s best interests, furthermore, are served by having a father and a mother married to each other. Single parenting is extremely difficult. God’s wisdom in designing two parents for a child – both a mom and a dad – is a key factor for every child. The 7 year old boy did not have the benefit of an adoptive dad, and his adoptive mom was not prepared for his unique behavioral issues. Even if the Russian adoption agency and the Russian government misrepresented the child’s condition to the Tennessee mom, the child lives at the mercy of all the adults around him.
Most importantly in this case, an adoption cannot be nullified because a parent is caught off guard as to the challenges of parenting a particular child. Adoption is always designed to provide for the best interests of the child – not the adult. To learn more about this case see Professor Kohm’s interview during CBN News coverage of the story at: http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/world/2010/April/Russia-Threatens-to-Freeze-US-Adoptions/
More on adoption and its restorative impact on families and children…
From the Christian Alliance for Orphans Blog:
Amidst the intense controversy of the health care bill signed into law by President Obama yesterday, there’s at least one provision every orphan advocate can cheer. The adoption tax credit was preserved for another year...and increased in value!
To encourage and support adoption, the adoption tax credit was expanded by President Bush and Congress in 2001. This increased the value of the credit from $5,000 to $10,000, and indexed it for inflation (meaning the credit would increase each year to keep up with inflation.) For 2010, its value had risen to $12,170. However, the 2001 increase was scheduled to “sunset” at the end of 2010. This would mean that any adoptions finalized after December 31, 2010 would be eligible for—at most—a credit of only $5,000.
This sunset has now been extended one year. That means that it will need to be extended again before the end of 2011. For the present, however, this extension comes as very welcome news for families considering adoption or in the adoption process.
Specifically, the provisions contained in the health care bill include:
- The current adoption tax credit has been extended until the end of 2011;
- The value of the adoption tax credit has been increased from $12,170 to $13,170.
- The increase is “retroactive,” meaning that any adoption occurring after January 1, 2010 is eligible for this higher credit.
- The credit is now refundable. This means that even families that owe zero taxes can receive the full tax credit in the form of a tax refund to help with their adoption-related expenses.
"Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to Him be glory..." (Eph. 3:20-21)
I think the root of the problem is a deeply running selfishness that is endorse in our culture. Today, we view children as economic problems and only appropriate when the timing is "right." Sadly, I think we see this in the church almost as much as we see this anywhere else. We forget that the first command God gave Adam was to "be fruitful and multiple." Children should not be viewed as an economic burden but as a responsibility from God and even as a blessing. I am not suggesting child-rearing is easy; children can certainly be a pain in the neck, I know I was. But we are not dealing with a pet here, it is a human life, just as valuable, if not more, than any adult life.
ReplyDeleteI echo the well-written comments of the previous poster. Radical autonomy is an unfortunate trademark of our society. This "all about me" mentality has even become prevalent in areas traditionally defined by selflessness, such as adoption. As was mentioned in the interview, adoption and child-rearing is about doing what is best for children, not what is best for adults. Adoption is not something that should be undertaken to satisfy some urge on the part of an adult, and the same could be said for biologically having children. As this story illustrates, that urge doesn't last. One need only too look at the wise ruling story about Solomon in 1 Kings 3 (where a mother would rather give up her autonomy than have her child hurt) to see that honorable parenting is being willing to lay aside your own desires in order to do what is best for those in your care.
ReplyDeleteI agree that adoption should be a life long decision not motivated solely by a parent's desires, however, I think that a proper ballance must be found between the parent's wishes and desires and the best interest of the child. A parent should be selfless when rearing a child, however, a child who remains in a home devoid of love and affection from the parent due to their inability to handle the child will only result in a extremely bad home for the child - is that the best interest of the child?
ReplyDeleteI don't necessarily see a real problem with the tax credit portion. Although, it should be tweaked to prevent the sort of abuses like the Tennessee parent engaged in. Perhaps more stringent investigations of the adoptive parents both before the adopting and periodically thereafter. The fact remains that children are expensive. Encouraging adoption to lessen that burden, to me, is not a terrible idea. We just have to ensure that it is done for the right reasons, which, of course, is easier said then done.
ReplyDeleteI agree Ryan. If public policy is truly in favor of adoption by a mother and a father, then any incentive to adopt should be seen as a positive thing. To claim that people would spend so much on a child simply so they can get a tax credit seems absurd to me.
ReplyDelete