FAMILY PRESERVATION ADVOCACY

FAMILY PRESERVATION ADVOCACY

TUESDAY, JANUARY 4, 2011

Grandparent Adoptions
Discussed here recently (An Opportunity to Educate) was a letter from a grandmother raising her grandchild who thought whistfully that adoption - by non-related strangers - would have been a more suitable or beneficial arrangemet that raising the chidl within the fmaily.

Sandy Musser, who was recenty honored on this blog and who has been raising her now 6-year-old great-grandson since birth wrote to the above-mentioned grandma:
"I'm a 72 year old great grandmother raising my 6 year old great grandson who I've had since birth. Having a lost a child to adoption when I was 15 (in 1954), I never wanted to have another child missing from our family. My 24 year old granddaughter became pregnant and was an addict. I thought the baby would change her life, but it didn't -- at that time. I stepped up to the plate and took the responsibility. I have never regretted my decision and actually consider it an honor to have positive input into this child's life. He knows that he is loved by all his family members and that this is the clan he was born into, the one to which he belongs, and the one that cared enough to pull together for his benefit. He will never have to wonder "why was I given away?" Adoption is not always what it's cracked up to be and every child wonders at some point in their life - "why wasn't there someone in my birth family who cared enough to keep me." And I that's certainly a fair question. Adoption is always a permanent problem to a temporary problem. As for me and my house, we will keep our childlren, raise them and be responsible for them."