How many Americans’ lives are touched by adoption? Would it be believable to say just over one out of every two Americans has been exposed to the adoption process? Exactly how much of the American population is immediately involved with the adoption procedure? According to several reliable sources, 58% of Americans know someone who has been adopted, has adopted a child themselves, or has given a child up for adoption; that is over half of the population. For example, in 2001 there were 1.5 million adopted children in the United States – approximately 2.5% of the children in the country. The numbers are only continuing to grow. This is not an issue we can ignore any longer. Adoptees that search for their parents are met with many emotionally and tactically challenging obstacles. Many individuals often …show more content…
Rates became highest between the end of World War II and the mid 1970’s in a decade fittingly coined “the Baby Scoop Era.” During this era having a child out of wedlock was considered a major social taboo. The situation is different now; today the average cost of an adoption is approximately $10,000, but can range from $8,000 - $40,000 (Dusky A36), perhaps this suggests a shift in the basis of adoption now moving toward the best interest of the child, rather than the parent.
Adoptees have been attempting to seek out their birth parents for decades. Orphan Voyage, founded by Jean Paton in 1953, was the first support network for adoptees trying to gain access to their birth records. A similar group, Bastard Nation, founded in 1996, is a support group for adoptees that campaign for full access to birth records. In May 2010 then Governor of Illinois Pat Quinn signed a law that would give adoptees access to their birth certificates but permitted a provision that would let parents take measures to maintain their confidentiality (Adoption Timeline