November is National Adoption Month

In other news that is near and dear to my heart, November is national adoption month. The point of this is to raise awareness of adoption and try to dispel some of the myths about adoption, adoptive parents, and birth mothers that run rampant through the media.

In light of that, I thought I would take a stab at dispelling some of the myths recently perpetuated by the TV show House (which I am seriously considering never watching again because of these things):

• The majority of kids of were adopted are actually well adjusted. They are not raging alcoholics desperately seeking their biological families.
• Adoption is not looking for a "factory second" child.
• The majority of birth mothers are not drug addicts (former or current) nor are they losers. They are women who acknowledge that they can not currently raise their child and choose life and selflessness rather than the quick selfishness of abortion.
• Even in private placement adoptions, a social worker or attorney would be present when the birth mother and prospective adoptive parent(s) meet, when the baby is born, etc. This is to protect the birth mother. It is also to protect the adoptive parent.
  
• Adoptions do fall through. It's painful, certainly, but when the birth mother has received counseling and support (provided by the agency or their attorney, paid for usually as part of the adoption fees), it's less likely, because it helps the birth mother be sure about her decision.

Placing a child for adoption is the most selfless act someone can make. I will never understand why the media insists on portraying it as something evil and perpetuating a stigma that, if removed, could do so much for the life and health of our culture.