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Adopting Children - Back?( Copy and paste the following text into a blank email message, and then fill in the 16 questions, and send to adoptingbackourchildren @ yahoo.ca. ) *** Survey for Natural Mothers: "Adopting-back" (with consent) the Adult Children We Lost to Infant-Adoption. INTRO: This survey is for all natural mothers who have lost children to adoption through surrender or "placement." It is a non-profit, independent research project by a reunited natural mother. PURPOSE: To find out: 1) if mothers who lost children to adoption would like to "adopt back" their children (with the consent of the adult child), or have the option available to them; and 2) if interest varies depending on: location, choice the mother had to surrender/place her child, open vs closed adoption, reunited or not, and current relationship between mother and adult child. Currently, the option of adopting a non-raised adult is only available in some jurisdictions. BACKGROUND: When a child is lost to adoption, all legal recognition that he/she is part of his natural family ("filiation") is terminated. The child and his natural family become "legal strangers" to each other, and the child is considered "as if born to" the adopters. Once we are reunited and become family again emotionally and socially (as well as being family biologically anyway), some of us start wondering: why not legally again as well? Depending on legal jurisdiction, it may affect adoptee access to original birth records, security of inheritance in the natural parent's will, grandparent visitation in divorce cases, and grandparent custody applications if the parents have died. Whether or not the adoptive parents would lose their legal status is beyond the scope of this survey. New laws may or may not allow a person to have more than two legal parents.
You may also post replies onto the discussion lists you belong to. Comments and opinions from adoptees are welcome also. More information is on my website at http://www.adoptingback.com. Once 300 responses are received, statistical results will posted at http://www.exiledmothers.com , http://www.adoptingback.com, and http://www.adoptioncrossroads.org and other websites (email me if you have a site and are iinterested) ALL names and email addresses will be KEPT CONFIDENTIAL.
1. WHAT COUNTRY AND STATE/PROVINCE DO YOU LIVE IN? __________________________________ 2. HOW OLD WERE YOU AS OF JANUARY 1, 2004? __________________________________ 3. HOW OLD WAS/WERE THE CHILD/CHILDREN YOU LOST TO ADOPTION AS OF JANUARY 1, 2004? __________________________________ 4. HOW OLD WERE YOU WHEN YOU SURRENDERED (relinquished / "placed") YOUR CHILD? __________________________________ 5. DO YOU FEEL YOU HAD A CHOICE IN SURRENDERING YOUR CHILD? I.E. DID YOU HAVE EASY ACCESS TO FINANCIAL AND SOCIAL SUPPORT THAT WOULD HAVE ENABLED/ALLOWED YOU TO KEEP YOUR CHILD? __________________________________ 6. DID YOU FEEL PRESSURED BY ANYONE IN A POSITION OF AUTHORITY (PARENTS, SOCIAL WORKERS, CHURCH, AGENCIES, ETC.) TO SURRENDER? __________________________________ 7. WAS IT AN OPEN OR CLOSED ADOPTION? (IF OPEN, PLEASE DESCRIBE) _________________________________ 8. IF THE ANSWER TO QUESTION 7 WAS "OPEN" - DID THE ADOPTION EVENTUALLY "CLOSE"? __________________________________ 9. ARE YOU REUNITED WITH YOUR ADULT CHILD? __________________________________ 10. IF THE ANSWER TO "QUESTION 9" IS "YES," HAVE YOU RE-ESTABLISHED A FAMILY (MOTHER AND ADULT-CHILD) RELATIONSHIP EMOTIONALLY/SOCIALLY WITH YOUR ADULT CHILD? __________________________________ 11. HAVE YOU ALREADY "ADOPTED-BACK" YOUR ADULT CHILD, WITH THEIR CONSENT, TO RESTORE LEGAL RECOGNITION OF A FAMILY RELATIONSHIP WITH THEM?
12. IF THE ANSWER TO "QUESTION 11" IS "NO", WOULD YOU LIKE TO HAVE THE OPTION TO RESTORE LEGAL RECOGNITION OF A FAMILY RELATIONSHIP WITH THEM, WITH THEIR CONSENT? ______________________________ 13. IF THE ANSWER TO "QUESTION 12" IS "YES", WOULD YOU PREFER AN OVERTURNING OF THE ORIGINAL RELINQUISHMENT TO "ADOPTING-BACK" YOUR ADULT CHILD?
14. ASSUMING THAT OVERTURNING THE RELINQISHMENT IS NOT POSSIBLE, WOULD YOU LIKE TO HAVE AVAILABLE THE OPTION OF "ADOPTING-BACK" YOUR ADULT CHILD, EVEN IF YOU PERSONALLY CHOOSE NOT TO USE THIS OPTION?
15. ASSUMING THAT OVERTURNING THE RELINQISHMENT IS NOT POSSIBLE, WOULD YOU "ADOPT-BACK" YOUR ADULT CHILD, WITH THEIR CONSENT, IF YOU COULD? __________________________________ 16. COMMENTS? OPINIONS? QUESTIONS? SUGGESTIONS?
Questionnaire NM2002-01 v2.5 |
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