Times Have Changed but Challenges Remain

http://sharetv.org/shows/little_house_on_the_prairie_1974

Last Friday night Eric and I had a date night. After a dinner out (thanks to Eric's leftover birthday gift card), Eric and I came home and watched a movie on TV. When Eric fell asleep on the couch, I flipped through some channels and came upon one of my favorite television shows: Little House on the Prairie. I know it's an old show, but I just can't pass up a good, wholesome show from my childhood. I remember when Michael Landon, the dad (Charles Ingalls), was really sick. One morning as a little girl, I went to my basement and typed him a letter on our typewriter! I have obviously been a fan for a long time!

Friday night's episode happened to be about adoption! Of course I had to watch it! A sibling set of three was left orphaned after their mother's passing. Charles Ingalls was the one left responsible for finding a home for the children. Two individuals stepped up to adopt the children, but that meant the two older boys would be in one home and the younger sister would be in another home far away. The show closed with the adoptive father having a change of heart. He ended up getting married to a wonderful lady, and together they adopted all three children so they could be kept together. This was truly a happy ending to the story!

This episode highlighted two main adoption situations: 1) the change of adoption over time; 2) the struggle of finding adoptive homes for sibling sets.

THE CHANGE OF ADOPTION OVER TIME
How I wish adoption was still as quick and "easy" as it was in Friday night's episode of Little House on the Prairie! "Easy" means no paperwork hassles like today. Charles Ingalls wrestled with the issue of separating the children, so it really wasn't easy for him. He did the best he could, but he really had a hard time finding families willing to adopt three children at once. Regardless, in the 1800s depicted in the show, adoption was a quicker process. For example, this lady told Charles that she wanted to adopt the little girl. She spent a little time getting to know her, and that was it. The adoption was as simple as an agreement to adopt: "Yes, I would like to adopt the little girl." "Okay. You may take her home." The process is definitely more complex today.

"Orphan Trian" http://darkwing.uoregon.edu/~adoption/topics/orphan.html

Although the complexity of adoption has changed over time, finding homes for children was still a big deal in the 1800s (even though a TV show simplified it somewhat). For example, in 1851, "Massachusetts passed the first modern adoption law, recognizing adoption as a social and legal operation based on child welfare rather than adult interests" ("Timeline of Adoption History"). In 1854, orphan trains were instituted ("Timeline of Adoption History"). The orphan trains information is especially interesting. Orphans from New York were taken across the country by train so that other people could look at them and decide if they wanted to adopt them. This was a very informal adoption process with little investigation ("Orphan Trains").

THE STRUGGLE FOR FINDING ADOPTIVE HOMES FOR SIBLINGS
This issue is not limited to an episode of Little House on the Prairie. It is still a prevalent issue today. It is challenging for families to take in multiple children at one time (finances, space, jobs, etc.). In fact, when I delivered toys to Calvary Children's Home, the executive director explained that this exact issue is what played a role in the development of that home. A large sibling set needed a home, but a home allowing all of them to stay together was not found. This is a situation close to home. Some of my extended family members took in siblings in a situation similar to the Little House on the Prairie episode. For my family, the siblings were not able to stay in the same house, but most of the siblings were able to stay in the same family. This allows them to still see each other at family gatherings or other times. Sure, I would love to see sibling sets live together, but it is just hard to find homes for them. I would love to welcome a sibling set into our home. We are in a good spot for that since we do not have children yet. Even when we do have children, I would still like to take in a sibling set. We'll see what God wants for us in that area. It is definitely something to think about! Would you be willing to adopt a sibling set?

Many issues surface to the top of the water when really investigating the ocean depths of adoption! Even a television show set in the 1800s sought to advocate adoption and finding homes for orphans. Adoption is certainly not a new concept and is certainly a concept still necessary for consideration. After all, God adopts!