Celebrity Adoption - Helping or Hurting the Adoption Community?

by Shoshanna Grey | More from this Blogger

Over the last few years, the idea of celebrities adopting has really taken off. Angelina Jolie has adopted two children from Cambodia and Ethiopia. Meg Ryan just brought home a little girl from China. There are whispers that Jessica Simpson will adopt a child from Mexico.

There is a lot of debate in the adoption community about whether these celebrity adoptions are a positive or negative development. Everyone has their own opinion and each argument seems to have its' merit. So, do celebrity adoptions really hurt the adoption community?

We are a nation obsessed by celebrities. People strive to be like their favorite musicians and actors - whether it be by imitating their dress and activities or by mimicking their behavior. Unfortunately, most of what celebrities display is not very positive. However, some celebrities are doing wonderful things. They support charity organizations, become involved in relief work and encourage the public to step up and take responsibility for our world as a whole.

There are millions of orphans worldwide. These children aren't just without parents. Most of them are also doing without the basic things that we take for granted - food, clothing, a safe place to live. In addition to that, these children have no future. In my mind, there is nothing more important than improving a life of a child. In this nation that idolizes celebrities, Americans are starting to take notice of the fact that celebrities are adopting and it is increasing the numbers of people who are also interested in taking that step. Adoption agencies report that inquiries into their adoption programs rise drastically when a celebrity adoption is in the news. Certainly, many of these inquiries do not go anywhere, but some of them do and that increases the number of children who find homes.

In addition to encouraging others to adopt, celebrity adoptions play the part of making adoption a more accepted part of our society. Even though adoptions have become more and more common, adoptive families still face a lot of criticism and scrutiny in everyday life. When celebrities adopt, the idea of adoption becomes more accepted and thus more "normal" to the general public. In the long run, adoptive families become less of an oddity and instead they are simply another way of forming a loving family.

So, even though there are controversies surrounding celebrity adoptions, I believe that overall their decision to adopt is helping to encourage others to do the same. Because of that, more children are finding the loving homes and the promising futures that they deserve.

Learn more about Shoshanna Grey

Shoshanna Grey has worked as an occupational social worker, teacher, child care provider, customer service reqpresentative, college recruiter and several other positions over the years.

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