It has been brought to my attention, less than subtly, that I do have a very specific topic that applies to most of my writing, international and special needs, for that reason I am going to write specifically for the birth parents of domestic adoption.

Deciding to give up a child is a choice I can’t imagine having to make, and is accurately referred to as the greatest gift. There are many situations that may lead to a birth parent placing that child for adoption, and whatever the reason or situation it is important to recognize the sacrifice they are making for their child.

There are often very intense and often very personal reasons for this decision, but thankfully here we have an amazing domestic adoption program where there are often to many families seeking to offer a little one a new home. That is perhaps the single most thing that makes me so proud to be an American, we clearly and deeply understand the gift of adoption and while our reservations may limit the age or abilities of those children we will accept – we do open our doors.

You won’t find starving children in orphanages who are left in the care of women who are indifferent to their success. There are no child to adult ratio of 20/1 and these children will always receive an education. The system is NOT perfect, it is in fact notably flawed, but in comparison, it works well, and it does in fact find many children homes.

There is of course the scenario of a special needs angel being born in the US whose parents feel ill equipped to parent such a child. This is a difficult situation because while they may love their child they perhaps feel unable to care for the little ones unique needs. For these situations I would like to recommend chask.org a wonderful organization that can help find the perfect home for any child with any varying degree of ability. (They also place children who are going through adoption disruptions or dissolutions.) Not all families are made to parent a special needs child, but every child has a place.

Birth parents are the ones often faced with the hardest decisions, and the biggest sacrifices, but they are also the ones responsible for the beautiful gift of adoption. I would like to thank those parents who are able to recognize and accept that they are, for whatever reason, unable to care for their child, and who help their children find the right family.