Beyond the options of either government or private agency facilitated domestic adoptions, or foreign adoptions through private companies whose cost and ease can vary greatly from country to country and with the political climate, a growing choice for couples looking to adopt is the open adoption. Though the definitions of what, exactly, an open adoption consists of, the most important aspect of almost any definition is "that the adopted child has the potential of developing a one-on-one relationship with his or her birthfamily" (Insight). The method and extent of this relationship and the involvement of the two sets of parents is different for almost every adoption. For some, everyone meets each other during the pregnancy, and the families may remain in full contact for the rest of their lives. For others, birth parents might pick a family based on confidential information, but feel that knowing the adoptive family personally would be too difficult (Insight). The complexities of emotions in open adoptions can make them far more complex. There have even been cases where birth mothers have successfully sued for the return of their adopted children, even when money has already changed hands. Again, being an adoption counselor would enable me to help parents weigh the risks and benefits associated with each type of adoption, and help them make the right decision for their family.

In a survey conducted by Adoptive Families, the average cost of an adoption in 2007 was between $20,000 and $30,000 (Adoptive Families). This is an amount equal to the down payment on a house. Though it is not a subject where money should be or often is the primary concern, this is a very real and pressing issue for many families. According to the same survey, "the majority...

This means that the children in countries least equipped to deal with parentless children are also less likely to be adopted, as the increased expense will simply make adoption from these countries financially infeasible for many families.
Working in the adoption industry -- again, a phrase which ought not to exist -- would enable me not only to help parents and children with an immediate need, but also to perhaps change the system to work more efficiently in solving the world's growing population imbalance. By learning the various levels of bureaucracy and different ways that different governments handled adoptions, I might be able to help streamline the process, making it easier and cheaper for parents to adopt from countries with higher levels of orphans and therefore greater needs. The market system exposes some very harsh realities in the world of adoptions, but if I could somehow have an impact on that, I will consider it a life well spent.

Works Cited

Americanadoptions.com. American Adoptions. 1996. 2008. Accessed 22 November 2008. http://www.americanadoptions.com/pregnant/adoption_process

Childwelfare.gov. Child Welfare Information Gateway. 12 December 2007. Accessed 22 November 2008. http://www.childwelfare.gov/adoption/overview.cfm

Openadoptioninsight.org. Insight: Open Adoption Resources and Support. Accessed 22 November 2008. http://www.openadoptioninsight.org/what_is_open_adoption.htm

Theadoptionguide.com. Adoptive Families. 2008. Accessed 22 November 2008. http://www.theadoptionguide.com/cost/articles/how-much-does-adoption-cost