The depiction of adoption in foster care whether it be on television or in books or in magazines is often skewed and leaves much to be desired for those who actually have experience with the situation. Some make the process seem easier for families of a certain status and harder for others and more often than not adoptive and foster children are not shown in the most positive light. Here are some common misconceptions about adoption and foster care:
All birth parents are unfit
More often than the media would like to admit, they produce stories that that make it seem as those all birth parents are in some way completely unstable and unfit to parent their children. Yes, there are situations where the parents indeed are unstable but that is not the case for everyone. There are instances where a children are placed in foster care because the birth parent feels that are unequipped financially and emotionally to support the child. Other reasons children are placed in foster homes include:
- The pregnancy was a result of a sexual assault
- For the child’s on protection
- Birth parent passed away
- Birth parent is experiencing a short term life crisis
All adopted or children in the foster care system are problematic
There are children, who due to the terrible circumstances they have had to face, need more emotional support than others. However, there is also a great deal of children in the adoption and foster care system that are high performing students with exceptional behavior. We can all agree that regardless of how a child behaves or adjusts they need to feel just as much love, support, and stability.
All Foster homes are terrible
The common perception of foster homes is that the host parents are abusive money-hungry people. While there are a few bad apples who spoil it for the whole bunch, there are a great number of foster homes that are inhabited by some of the most generous and loving families you will ever hope to meet.
The bottom line is don’t believe everything you read, hear, or see in the media. If you are curious about adoption and foster care, reach out to those who have adopted or have been foster families. They will probably be glad to share their experiences and help dispel misconceptions.