LEGAL STUFF Written text Copyright 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001 Jean Marie Wilson Cannot be reprinted without permission. Must be referenced in all documents
In adoption literature- magazines and newsletters printed for the adoption community- I found articles in magazines such as FACE Facts (seven articles, 14, 19, 21, 44, 48, 53, 67); Adoptive Families (three articles 12, 54, 75) (formerly called Ours); and Holt International Families (one article, 5). The magazine articles were printed between 1990 and 1997. The two newsletters, Forever Families (three articles, 3, 35, 38) and Real Moms (three articles, 36, 56, 77) were printed between 1995 and 1997.
Out of 22 articles, a total of 12 reasons were given for choosing to adopt:
Reason Count Percent
Infertility 12 (40%)
Add child to family 1 (3%)
Always "knew" would adopt 4 (13%)
Child's foster parent 3 (10%)
"God wanted us to adopt" 1 (3%)
"Empty" inside 1 (3%)
Just wanted children 2 (6%)
Previous experience with adoption (i.e. adopted sibling, friend, etc.) 1 (3%)
"Knew" their child lived across the world 2 (6%)
Child in home wanted sibling 1 (3%)
Adopted first (adopted) child's birth sibling 1 (3%)
Physical/medical condition made pregnancy dangerous 1 (3%)
Total 30 (96%)
Overall, there were 20 reasons given for adopting in 37 articles in popular and adoption literature printed between 1990 and 1997. They break down as shown:
Reason Count Percent
Infertility 17 (32%)
# =source (Y/N)=Birth children
FACE Facts 14(N) 53 (N) 67 (N)
Adoptive Families 75 (N)
Roots & Wings 7 (N) 31 (N)
Forever Families 3 (N) 38 (N) 35(N)
Real Moms 56 (Y)77 (N) 36 (N)L, O
Time 59 (N)
Ladies Home Journal 73 (N)
Washington Post 72 (N)
Baltimore Sun 34 (N), 8 (N)
Reason Count Percent
Add child to family/Get siblingFor child 3 (5.6%)
Holt 5 (Y)
Woman's Day 63 (Y)
Frederick Post 15 (Y)
Reason Count Percent
Always "knew" would adopt 4 (7.5%)
Face Facts 19 (Y), 22 (Y)
Roots & Wings 31, 11 (Y)
Reason Count Percent
Felt "had" to adopt/knew child lived across the world 3 (5.6%)
Roots & Wings 7, 18 (N)
Ladies Home Journal 73
Reason Count Percent
Child (ren)'s foster parent 5 (9%)
FACE Facts 21, 44 (Y)
Roots & Wings 4 (lists reasons foster parents adopt)
CQ Researcher 22 (Y)
Washington Post 49
Reason Count Percent
God wanted them to adopt 1 (1.9%)
FACE Facts 48 (N)
Just wanted to be a mom 1 (1.9%)
Baltimore Sun 42(N)
Reason Count Percent
Always wanted many children 1 (1.9%)
Readers Digest 47 (Y)
Sports Illustrated 46 (Y) (Same family)
Reason Count Percent
Just wanted children 2 (3.7%)
Adoptive Families 54 (N)
Real Moms 36 (N)
Reason Count Percent
Physical/ Medical Condition made pregnancy dangerous 1 (1.9%)
Real Moms 36
Reason Count Percent
Chose international because agency said too old for domestic 3 (5.6%)
Time 59 CQ Researcher 22 (Y)
Washington Post 72 (N)
Reason Count Percent
Chose international to get young child-shortage of healthy infants in U.S. 1 (1.9%)
CQ Researcher 22
Reason Count Percent
Chose independent/open to get healthy infant 1 (1.9%)
CQ Researcher 22
Reason Count Percent
Missed having contact with a child 1 (1.9%)
Reason Count Percent
To help hurting children 2 (3.7%)
Washington Post 49 (Y) 57 (Y)
Total 53 (95.4%)
Out of these 37 articles, (with one article giving reasons foster parents adopt (4), leaving 36 articles that are about individual adoptions), 23 (63.8%) of the families profiled had no birth children at the time of the placement of their adopted child.
