Personal identities are molded by values, beliefs, capabilities, talents, race, ethnic background, personal goals and expectations. Many adopted adolescents ask themselves, “Am I like my adoptive parents, my birth parents, or both?” Many adolescents develop an awareness of their personal identities by determining and understanding how they are similar and different to their families.

Most people don’t realize how many children are waiting to be adopted every year. A study conducted; by Adoption Network, states that the average child waits for an adoptive family for more than three years. The average age of children waiting for an adoptive family is 8. In the United States, every year 135,000 children are adopted and overall there are 1.5 million adopted children. Among these children, males outnumber females, African American children are disproportionately represented, and over half are 6 years old or older. AJ, who was adopted at a young age said this about his experience, “I was 7 when I was adopted. I was a little nervous to meet people that were complete strangers to me and grow up with them. They welcomed me with a room ready for me and had taken the time to ask me what I liked so it was decorated with all my favorite toys and they also took me out to places like the movies and to eat so we could learn more about each other. After a few months, we all connected a lot more and I actually felt like I had people that would be there for me through everything.”

Adoption has changed over the years. Up to at least the 1970s, adoption was only for babies and only by married couples who could not produce children biologically. People tried to adopt children who looked like them. In the last 40 years, adoption has dramatically changed. One of these changes include international adoption. This started after the Korean War. There was a movement to adopt the war orphans, many of whom were mixed-race children of American GIs as explained by Adam Pertman, President and Founder of the National Center on Adoption and Permanency. Melissa, a mother who adopted a child with her husband said, “My husband and I decided to adopt because we wanted to give a child a chance at happiness. We knew how many kids were in adoption and thought to help instead of having our own and it’s one of our happiest choices.”

Adoption is not for everyone. Fortunately, there are many other ways to get involved in the movement to care for orphans and care for the world’s waiting children. These may include, mentoring children waiting for adoption, funding a family who wants to adopt, or simply just spreading the word about adoption. If interested in learning more about the adoption process or the life of families with adopted children, the movie Instant Family could better help understand adoption. Adoption agencies near Perkasie PA also include Haven Adoptions Inc. in Ambler PA and Adoption Education and Family Counseling LLC in Warrington, PA.