The Children Who Wait

In “The Children Who Wait” Marsha Traugot gives reasons for a new trend in adaption. Adoption refers to the legal process of keeping children as

foster child. Such children don’t have their family and kept them in foster home. Marsha Traugot talks about the changing trend of adoption system because of social political and psychological changes of the people.

Traugot argues that until 1960 middle or upper class childless White couples would adopt under one year baby. Handicapped children were regarded as damaged things. But within 20 years, there has been radical change. The various Black civil rights movement, birth control, changing mores and social science research have a great impact in transformation. The legalized abortion and changing attitudes towards sexual behavior and marriage has also changed the traditional pattern of adaption. Not only unwanted babies are born rather unwed also faced less social pressure which giving birth to baby.

When there was lack of healthy, White and under one year baby, people turned their eyes to other children. At present buzz word is matching. First the social workers evaluate the children’s characteristics like physicality, cultural background, biological and emotional behavior. Then they form a profile of appropriate family, the social workers must overcome his or her own attitudinal barriers. Adoption agencies look first to the family list with them. If there is no likely candidate, the children is registered with the reginal or state adaptation exchange. If this also doesn’t function well, commercial advertising from newspaper and television is given. The Boston Globe’s “Sunday Child” is one of the newspaper’s most popular columns.

Tragot gives an example of 5.5 years old Tammy, who is waiting for a permanent home. She is recently been legally free for adaption. She is bold and beautiful but suffered from fatal alcohol syndrome, which could put a stop to her intellectual growth at any time. So, social workers are in search of a one or two parent, black or biracial family with older sibling. Tammy isn’t white and infant but there is hope for a warm and supportive family for her permanent settlement. Summary Written by-Binisha Ghalan