Homeless and Loveless Babies

Did you know there are 22,000 children in Canada who don't have families. They float from one foster home to the next, experiencing some form of love that people can give who know there relationship isn't permanent.

I read a really interesting article in a parenting magazine yesterday about international and domestic adoption. Domestic adoption is on the rise because international adoptions are becoming too expensive and the waiting time can be up to 7 years, depending on the country.

The problem with adoption is that most people want that "perfect" newborn baby, so many children don't get homes. Some of these kids become eligible for adoption after the age of 3 and families then wont go near them with a 10 foot stick because they will have emotional and pschological problems. So they try to find love in their temporary homes while seeing other children at school who have families that love them for life. And then there are the non-"perfect" children. The ones who are born with half an arm, or born with fetal alcohol syndrom because of the choices that other's have made. They fall into the category of unwanted as well.

Now don't get me wrong, in my family several of my relatives have been foster parents so I know the love and care that foster parents can give to children. Foster parents are amazing givers gifted with love and grace. But for a child a foster parent isn't a mom or a dad, it's an adult who is responsible for them, for right now and who knows for how long.

I was really challenged by this article. I'll probably write more later.