The Disadvantages of Child Adoption

Before deciding whether to adopt a child, it is necessary to weigh the pros and cons. While there are many beneficial aspects to child adoption, there are a number of disadvantages that you should consider and decide whether you are comfortable with before committing time, energy and resources to the process. Adopting a child can require extensive travel and patience (both with the process and with the child), and there are always unknowns about the child's background.

  1. Travel

    • Anyone considering adoption must not only be willing to travel to another state or country, but must also have the time and financial means to visit the child's hometown. In some instances, an in-person visit is not only required, but may necessitate a lengthy stay. Even if the jurisdiction in which you are looking to adopt does not require that you travel to the area to comply with adoption requirements, visiting the child's hometown provides adoptive parents with insight into the child's background.

    Family Medical History

    • Adoptive parents need to be aware that family medical records for the child may be unavailable. Whether the child's birth mother did not have proper prenatal care or the child's birth father had a genetic illness, modern medical testing, treatment and technology may assist in determining if the child is prone or susceptible to disease. A lack of family medical history and/or insufficient resources to tend to a child's health needs are two considerations to weigh heavily.

    Developmental Problems

    • Children up for adoption frequently have developmental problems that are the result of poor bonding -- or a complete lack of bonding -- with their birth parents. Likewise, children who are bounced from foster home to foster home may also suffer developmental setbacks because of a lack of stability. A loving adoptive family can negate many developmental problems that an adopted child has sustained, but the adoptive family needs to be patient as the child goes through an adjustment phase once he enters into a stable, structured and loving environment.

    Wait Time

    • Adopting a child requires waiting a lengthy period of time between when you begin the adoption process and when you actually bring your child home. In between, in addition to the large amount of paperwork that needs to be completed, adoptive parents have to go through a background check and an evaluation of their home. Every aspect of an adoptive parent's life will be examined during this time. Adoptive parents must recognize that adoption is truly a process that occurs over time.

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