Ready to start a family without the moral repercussions of childbirth? Here are some useful links!

Note: The choice of bringing a child into your life — biologically-related or otherwise — is a massive undertaking that should be contemplated as a permanent decision. Please make such decisions wisely.

---

Why Adoption?

Adoption serves as the perfect compromise for those who (1) are ecological conscious and sensitive to the link between childbirth and ecological crises, but (2) want to start families complete with children. This is because adoption, unlike childbearing, does not necessarily contribute to population growth. Here, I mean adopting existing children who are in need of a home.

This serves more than one morally choice-worthy outcome. As an adoptive parent, apart from doing your part to curb population growth, you are also more than likely to reduce the suffering of a human being who already exists. Whereas childbearing brings a new human being into existence — which is morally wrong (as discussed in this blog) — adopting an existing child and thereby improving the child’s quality of life is morally right, because it reduces suffering in the world.

This, of course, works on several presuppositions:

1. You are a good parent. This should go without saying. If you have reasons to believe that you will not be a good parent (e.g., not having the financial security to raise a child, not being able to provide a conducive environment in which the child may grow), then I implore you to reconsider your want for children.
2. The child presently exists and is unwanted by their biological parents. That is, you should not be (1) “buying babies” from people who intend to birth children for money and (2) snatching someone’s child away without their consent.

International adoption (i.e., adopting a child who was born in a different country/territory as their prospective parents), prima facie, also serves as an ideal compromise for the economically-minded who are concerned that a reduction in birth rates would spell trouble for economic growth. This is because international adoption serves to introduce new consumers into a domestic market, thereby serving a similar function to childbirth; another mouth to feed is another mouth to feed. Assuming that the adopted child will grow up like any other child born in a host country, this child is more likely than not to contribute to the economy in the same fashion as their locally-born peers.

---

As with the other pages in this blog, I strongly advocate for being informed. Being informed allows us to make the best, most future-proof decisions that we can possibly make at the point of decision making. Here, I have compiled some web resources that would be useful for those who are thinking of adopting.

Adoptive Families is an online network that serves as a brilliant one-stop information resource for prospective and existing adopters. Apart from information on the adoption procedure, the network also includes a bunch of information for post-adoption parenting. Note, however, that Adoptive Families is based in the USA, and for legal matters one should always consult an attorney who is practicing in their own country/territory.

In Singapore, the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) has a useful website for those who are contemplating adoption. On top of the information that one would expect from an adoption resource (e.g., legal implications of adoption, how to adopt, how to put an unwanted child up for adoption), this website also contains e-learning resources for those who are seriously contemplating adoption.

The National Council for Adoption, based in the USA, is also a useful information resource for adoption. Notably, this council has a features webpage for adoption advocates. This page houses a monthly publication by expert writers to educate policymakers, families, child welfare specialists, and other interested parties on today’s most relevant child welfare and adoption issues.

For a birds’ eye view of adoption, I strongly recommend this page by Creating a Family, Creating a Family is a national infertility, adoption, & foster care education and support nonprofit based in the USA. This page is a no-frills webpage that contains links that would be invaluable for prospective adopters who are doing their research before pulling the trigger, containing a variety of resources that would be beneficial to prospective parents from pre- to post-adoption.