Positive Effects of Child Adoption

An adoption involves many parties, including the child, birth parents, adoptive parents, agency workers and attorneys. Birth parents and adoptive parents must navigate their state's laws and adoption procedures, while coping with uncertainty. Though the adoption process may sometimes become stressful or difficult, child adoption also includes positive effects. Adoption can create emotional, social and financial changes for families.

  1. Emotional Effects

    • The emotional effects of child adoption touch all parties involved, from the birth parents to the children and to the adoptive parents. The birth parents may worry about providing for their children's needs and balancing the responsibilities of parenthood with other obligations in their lives. Adoption, which may be a difficult choice to make, may bring some peace of mind to the birth parents if they believe their child will go to a loving, positive environment of their choice. Children who are older and more aware may know if they will be adopted; these children may benefit from adoption by going into a positive, loving family waiting to include a new family member. Older children also may be able to begin healing from the stress of an unstable and uncertain situation. The adoptive parents, who may have waited for quite some time to adopt, may benefit emotionally from a completed adoption. For example, the adoptive parents will be able to welcome a child into their home and begin to fulfill their dreams of raising a family. Upon completion of the adoption process, which may be difficult and time-consuming, ideally all parties involved will be effected in a positive way.

    Social Effects

    • Adoption also can have the effect of filling a social need when families adopt children from foster care. When reunification between children and their birth parents cannot occur, relatives or foster parents who become adoptive parents may be able to provide the children with stable homes. Children adopted from the foster care system may be older or have special needs and may benefit from the stability of being adopted.

    Financial Effects

    • In addition to the emotional and social benefits, the adoption process can affect a family's finances. Adoptive families may be eligible for a federal tax credit for qualifying expenses spent during the adoption process. Qualifying expenses might include legal expenses, such as court fees and an adoption lawyer's fees, travel expenses and other direct costs incurred to adopt the child. The adoption credit can help to lessen the financial costs of adoption. Families can determine their eligibility for an adoption credit through the Internal Revenue Service or a tax accountant.

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