Why so little adoption within Ireland?

jmark

Hi there,

I'm trying to get my head around why there are so few adoptions from within Ireland. Just 49 in 2012 for example.

Can anyone give any pointers?

Thanks

Mark

Moonbeam

Most of them are step parent adoptions.

There are a lot less reasons these days for a child to need to be put up for adoption.
People care less about the opinions of the church,there is a lot less stigma attached to it and the state supports single parents.
Abortion is also easy to access in the UK.

jmark

Thanks for the reply - is there a genuine sparsity of children for adoption? There are about 6,000 in care - I know that covers all sorts of things - and not all need adopted/fostered.

I had the impression that there was some sort of legislative problem that made it next to impossible for non-family to adopt.

Cheers

Mark

allibastor

Hey Mark,

As said, the stigma isn't there as much for adoption as it once was, so parents can be young or single with kids.
There is a decent financial support there also for children so parents dont have that worry, to an extent!

Its also not really a cultural thing here, and indeed many who get adopted out may end up going through some form of foster system first, so the parents get access back.

Also, we spend a good deal of money on providing healthcare etc to children in this country so that takes care of itself also.

jmark

Hi allibastor

Thanks for the reply. I get the lack of stigma - its just the numbers that surprise me. In the UK there were 69,500 children in care in 2015, of which 5,300 were adopted. Given that we have a tenth of the number in care I would have expected 500 adoptions, or in proportion to the population, 350 - rather than 49. The UK has even less stigma, and more access to abortion.

Still puzzling...

Mark

sillysmiles

Somebody who knows more might correct me, but wasn't it the case until the recent children's referendum that children of a married couple could not be adopted even if the parents no longer wanted the children or that they were in long term care?

Just because a child is in care doesn't mean it should be adopted. There are numerous reasons why a family cannot care for a child. It could be health reasons on the part of either parent or child.
The welfare system is very generous now and makes it easier for single parents to cope.
The Church has lost its grip on people. There was a time where a single pregnant girl was either frogmarched to the Altar or off to a home for unmarried mothers, like the Magdaline homes.

PhoenixParker

My understanding is that the rights of the family are very heavily weighted in the Irish constitution (Article 41).
One of the results is that children in care remain fostered where in other countries adoption would be possible.

It looks like that has now changed - http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/courts/longterm-foster-kids-now-eligible-for-adoption-31170279.html

jmark

Hi Maryanne

I agree with all you say - I'm not particularly comparing Ireland's adoption rate with the past in Ireland, but with the present in other countries. There seems a disproportionately low rate of domestic adoption.

Sillysmiles and PhoenixParker are touching on the issues I'm wondering about.

Thanks

sillysmiles

Deleted User wrote: »

Just because a child is in care doesn't mean it should be adopted.

True.
But just because a child's birth parents are married, doesn't mean the child shouldn't be adopted.

Like most things to do with families and children, each situation is different and nuanced.

_Brian

No idea of the figures but I'm thinking of it wasn't for the Protestant Adoption Society (PACT) there would be hardly any, if any, outside family adoptions in Ireland at all. Being in adoption circles over the last 15 years the vast majority of non direct family adoptions I'm aware of have been through PACT.

Societies are so different I don't think you can draw many or any comparisons across countries, particularly with something as personal as adoptions.

Couchkitten

jmark wrote: »

Hi allibastor

Thanks for the reply. I get the lack of stigma - its just the numbers that surprise me. In the UK there were 69,500 children in care in 2015, of which 5,300 were adopted. Given that we have a tenth of the number in care I would have expected 500 adoptions, or in proportion to the population, 350 - rather than 49. The UK has even less stigma, and more access to abortion.

Still puzzling...

Mark

In the uk, children in care can be adopted without the permission of their parents. The strategy in the uk in recent years is for children who are in care long term or who are set to be in care long term will be adopted rather than kept in the care system. Here, the focus is on keeping the family unit together. I think more children will be able to be adopted in the coming years in Ireland because of the children's referendum but we won't be moving to a system like they have in the uk.