ADOPTION - NURSING ASSIGNMENT

INTRODUCTION

        Adoption means that the legal relationship between parents and the child is severed and all parental right and duties are transferred to the adoptive parents. An adopted child has the same legal status in relation to the adoptive parents as any other child  born in marriage, except that he or she cannot in her it litles.  Voluntary adoption societies have to be approved by the secretary of state every 3 years for carrying out adoption process.

DEFINITION

        Adoption is a process where by a person assumes the parenting for another who is not kin and it doing so permanently transfers all rights and responsibilities from the original parents.

FORMS OF ADOPTION

        Adoption practices can be divided into two forms

1.   Open adoption

2.   Closed adoption

Open Adoption:

        It allows identifying information to be communicated between adoptive and biological parents and perhaps interaction between kin and the adopted person. Open adoption is an informal arrangement subject to termination by adoptive parents who have sole authority over the child.

Closed Adoption:

        The practice of closed adoption, the form for most of modern history seals all identifying information maintaining the information of secret and barring disclosure of the adoptive parents biological kins and adoptives identifies nevertheless, closed adoption, may allow the transmittal of non-identifying information such as medical history and religious and ethnic back ground.

        The decision to adopt should be mutual the clients attitudes and feelings must be examined before they can assume the responsibility for an adopted child. There feelings and frustration super imposed on the anxious waiting for pregnancies, feelings of loss and the endless medical procedures to investigate impaired fertility provide an adoptive couple with their our unique needs in preparing for parenthood.

ORIGINATION OF ADOPTION

        Adoption can occur either between related family members or unrelated individuals historically. Most adoption occur within a family a common example of this is a stopprant adoption where the new parents of a parent previous relationship intra-family adoption can also occur through surrender as a result of parental death or when the child cannot otherwise be carried for a family member ages to take over.

        Infertility is the main reason parent seek to adopt children they are not related to. There are also other reasons for which people adopt these include to cement a new family following divorce or death of one parent compassion motivated by religious or philosophical convetion to avoid contributing to perceived over population out of the belief that it is more responsible to care for otherwise parent less children than to reproduce to ensure inheritable diseases are not passed on and health concerns relating to pregnancy and child birth.

        Although there are a range of possible reason the most recent study of women who adopt suggest they are most likely to be 40-44 years of age currently married have impaired fertility and childless.

        Unrelated adoption may occur through five mechanism;

1.   Private Domestic Adoptions: Under this arrangement charities and for profit organization act as intermediaries bringing together prospective adoptive parents and families who want to place child all parties being resident of the same country alternatively prospective adoptive parents sometimes avoid intermediaries and solicit pregnant women directly drafting contacts through a layer.

2.   Foster Care Adoption: This is a type of domestic adoption where a child is initially placed in public care its importance varies by country.

3.   International Adoption: This involves the placing of a child for adoption outside that child’s country of birth. This can occur through both public and private agencies.

4.   Embryo Adoption: The state of Georgia in the United States of America is the first to include human embryos in adoption layers conservative evangelicals are the primary supporters considering it a recognition of embryo life and a mechanism to save that life.

ADOPTION POLICIES

1.   The adoptive parents should apply for the adoption by filling the form about their requirement of age and sex of the child. This form is signed by the both adoptive parents.

2.   The adoptive couple has to produce a medical certificate of their inability to produce a child.

3.   The adoptive parents should be eligible for taking care of the child this confirmed by a social workers of the agency by collecting information regarding their education, socio-economic status and culture. This is further inspected at their residence.

4.   Once the adoptive parent complete there formalities they can select a child.

5.   The child is handed over to the adoptive parents for the poster care for a specific period during this period the inspections are done to observe the child parent relationship and adjustment with each other. If either of them fails to adjust or if parents relationship is formed unfavourable to the child the agency has the right to take away the child from these parents.

6.   When the poster care period gets over and if the child and parents are well adjusted to each other then legal adoption is permitted.

        After legal adoption the adopted child gets all the right of the biological child.

APPLICATION TO ADOPT

        A married couple or single person can apply to adopt. A man may not normally adopt a female. A married persona cannot apply singly unless the couple are permanently separately the spouse cannot be fund or he or she is incapable because of mental or physically illness. A role parent cannot adopt unless the other parent is dead a missing or there is some other good reason. The minimum age for application for adoption is 21 years unless the applicant is a parent adopting his or her own child together with his or her spouse in the later care the applicant must be at least 18 years of age. A couple applying to adopt must be married and a role adopter single with the exception of special circumstances the local authority in the area in which the applicant is living must be notified when the application is made.

PLACING A CHILD FOR ADOPTION

        A child placed for adoption must be cared for continuously for a period of three months. After the age of six weeks before an adoption order can be made during this time the local authority is responsible for supervising care. Agreement for adoption must be obtained in writing from the mother or parents after the child is six weeks old. The mother or parents may without the agreement until the adoption order is made but cannot remove the child from the prospective adoptive parent with out courts permission once application has been made for adoption and the agreement signed. The court may disperse circumstances such as serious treatment of the child.

        If an older child is to be adopted the child’s wishes should be taken into consideration responsibilities for applying to the court for an adoption order lies with the perspective adopters.

        Those who wish to adopt a child in their care who was not placed with them by an adoption agency are required to notify the local authority of their intention to adopt the child then becomes a protected child and the local authority is required to report on the application to the court. After an application for an adoption is made the court must appoint a guardian who may be an office of the local authority. The function of the guardian is to safeguard. The interest of the child and make a detailed report to the court.

ADOPTION ORDER

        When the court makes an adoption order the right and duties of natural parents are transferred to the adoptive parents. The adopted child’s new name is entered in the adopted child register which is kept by the register general A certificate is issued which takes the place of birth certificate. The children Act 1975 gave adopted person over the age of 18 years the right to access their original birth records a counselling scheme is available for those who seek information about their natural parents.

NURSE ROLE IN RELATION OF ADOPTION

        The following guidance can be given to the couple who wishes to adopt the child.

1.   The couple should have mutual agreement before taking the responsibility for an adopted child.

2.   They can be prepared for parenthood by providing them with information, support and reassurance needed to reduce their anxiety

3.   They may get the child recent done to detect any defect

CONCLUSION

        With recent advanced in medical technology many new and varied options are avoidable to infertile couples. Adopting a child has provided many infertile couples with an excellent alternative to undesired childlessness adoption usually occur through use of adoption agencies or through independent private attorheys. The nurse can assist couples considering adoption by providing information on community resources for adoption.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

1.   Mayes Midwifery – A Text Book of Midwives by Betty.R Sweet & Denise Tiran, 12^th Edition, Published by J & L Composition Rley North Yorkshires, Page No.968-969.

2.   Mayes Text Book for Midwives by VRuth Benett Linta K Brown, 13^th Edition, Published by Chruchiff Linging Stone Harcourt Publishers Ltd, London,Pg No.25-26.

3.   Maternal Newborn Nursing by Sally B Oldr Marrial L London Patricia Weiand Ladewig, 5^th Edition Published by Addition, Wesley Nursing The Benjanin/Cummings Publishing Company 2725 Sand Hill Road, Menttopark, California, Page No.149.