Friday, August 14, 2009

VOICES for children in foster care

When I was a teenager, I had an A Cappella singing group called VOICES. We sang at various local functions. We were actually pretty good and tried to make a demo, but then life separated us and we went off to college and pursued other careers.

One function we sang at was an adoption rally for children’s rights. We sang the song in the previous blog, entitled, “Hear My Voice.” It is from the perspective of a child who was given up for adoption. After being adopted and raised for a few years as infants and toddlers, children were being given back to their birth families because the mom or dad changed their minds or just found out about the kid or had another reason.
A child deserves a permanent home. A family deserves to know that they are a family forever.

My sister is a lawyer in NYC. She assisted me in looking up the law about discriminating against adopting parents. New York State explicitly bans marital status discrimination in adoption law, making it illegal for government agencies to place children with a married couple over a single individual or an unmarried couple. The sole reason I was given that I could not adopt the little boy pictured below was because I was not married.

When I asked the state social worker if I had tried to adopt the toddler before Craig had died, she said that we would have been more seriously considered. I asked if I could get this in an email and she said she was uncomfortable with that. This is not right. This is not just. This is illegal.

6 comments:

Eve said...

Hmmm... not 'comfortable' with that? That's just not right.
With more children in foster care than available adoptive parents, I just don't understand why there always seem to be so many obstacles!
I really hope it all works out for you very soon!

Anonymous said...

I can't believe she said that. I'm just dumbfounded.

Anonymous said...

Grrr...doesn't surprise me. I have solo friends that are discriminated against all the time. It is so wrong. Glad I found your blog!

Mrs4444 said...

I cannot imagine what pain you must be in. I'm sorry about your husband and how you've been treated. So sorry...

Sass said...

OMG, That has made me so mad!

Jeez!
Utterly speechless...

Hugs for you.

Anonymous said...

I'm visiting from Yaya's blog...I'm sorry that you are being discriminated against. That makes me so angry!