Reasons someone might consider planning an adoption: Financial pressure

By Leah Lusk, content specialist

For someone already struggling to make ends meet, pregnancy can bring everything to a breaking point.

Our society isn’t built to support everyone who wants to parent, especially if they’re young, single, living in poverty , or facing other significant barriers to parenting. The systems in place routinely fail the people who need them most.

Meanwhile, those hoping to adopt are often eligible for financial support such as an adoption tax credit, even though they are already more financially resourced. It’s not a level playing field.

Many people would feel more capable of parenting if they had access to things like housing, health care, childcare, and community support. There are parenting resources available, but they are often inadequate or difficult to access.

In the book, “Relinquished,” by sociologist Gretchen Sisson, one woman who chose to plan an adoption shared that $1,000 would have made the difference for her in deciding to parent her child: “just a very small amount of money would’ve probably changed my entire world” (p. 45). 

Financial hardship can be a short-term situation, yet people who choose to plan an adoption make a permanent, life-changing decision. In options counseling, we encourage people to slow down and take the time needed to assess available resources and support.

Coming next week: Lack of support