The Dept. of Health and Human Services estimates that 1% – 5% of the 135,000 adoptions finalized in the US each year are later legally dissolved.
Second Chance Adoptions, a division of Wasatch International Adoption Agency (WIAA), is one agency that offers “second chance” adoptions. [1A].
Reasons for Re-Adoption
An adopted family may put a child up for re-adoption for a variety of reasons. These can range from financial (involving, for instance, job loss and/or the lack of necessary medical insurance) to emotional (involving, in rare cases, Reactive Attachment Disorder a/k/a RAD).
RAD tends to occur in older children who have been severely neglected, raised in unusual settings such as institutions, or repeatedly deprived of a primary caregiver. Children with the condition are unable to form a strong attachment to their adoptive parents.
Trauma to the Child
Adoption dissolution is no more difficult, legally speaking, than placing a biological child for adoption. Without question, however, adoption dissolution places children at significant risk of trauma.
Not only are their lives fundamentally unsettled; these children may be left with lifelong doubts as to their own value.
As a result, children can suffer from depression or mood swings, and may be susceptible to disrupted bonding. Of course, these are the very children in desperate need of love and stability.
Government Regulation
Second chance adoptions are a largely unregulated field. Many adoption advocates are critical of Second Chance Adoptions and similar agencies. Though WIAA does not post children’s real names, their photos and other information are made public.
“The concept of advertising a child brings out the worst characters who are likely to be looking at the child from a wholly unethical and criminal perspective.”
-Richard Klarberg, Pres. and CEO of the Council on Accreditation [1B]
Rep. Jim Langevin (D-RI) and Rep. Tom Marino (R-PA) have introduced the Safe Home Act which would amend the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act by classifying unregulated child transfers as child abuse.
This would not eliminate second chance adoptions, but prevent unregulated ones.
The Family of God
“…to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons” (Gal. 4: 5).
Adoption has profound spiritual significance for Christians. Through faith in Christ, we are adopted into the family of God.
God does not require that we be perfect to qualify for adoption. Nor does He relegate us to re-adoption, if we falter and sin. Rather, He forgives us our sins when we repent, gives us a second chance, and sends forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts that we may cry out, “Abba, Father!” (Gal. 4: 6).
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[1A and 1B] The Atlantic, “When Families Un-Adopt a Child” by Jenn Morson, 11/16/18, https://www.theatlantic.com/family/archive/2018/11/children-who-have-second-adoptions/575902/.
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ANNA WALDHERR A Voice Reclaimed, Surviving Child Abuse 
It is sad when it is for tragic or selfish reasons.
Praying God brings His healing for each one!
Praying you are safe and well, Anna! God loves you!
Thank you so much, Gail. I pray the same for you. ❤
❤ Thank you, Anna!
Thank you for this painful awareness. We must assure effective regulation to afford these children safe comfort.
There are so many in need of loving homes.
You are opening our eyes to that.
Sad to see that Love is the rarest commodity in this world.
God bless the world with unconditional love.
I heartily join in that prayer, Sang.
There are so many children in need of a loving home, I cannot understand why people are allowed to be artificially inseminated to have a baby when there are so many who need loving home. We need to pray for healing of these stranded children. People give adopted children up because of financial problems, now would you put your own child out because you can no longer afford to keep them. Everyone has face the cuts to survive until life changes. Bless you Anna
Bless you for your kind heart, Nanette.
Thank you Anna for a very important post because it deals with the life of children, those who we must take care of the most, correctly guide, teach, educate and love so that they can do the same one day to their children and thus we strengthen the bonds of family and become a better society. I tell you that what I was seeing, when I was on the police force, was a deterioration, not just of the family, but of the human race! The problem may be lack of love.
All the best,
Francisco
I agree, Francisco. Selfishness seems to have become paramount.
Too much so. My greetings Anna and all the best.
Adoption is beautiful.
Good stuff, Anna! This is just so painful and heartbreaking. I can hardly bear the thought of a child feeling rejected not once, but twice. I do know that Jesus can ease all suffering and put you back together, no matter what you’ve been through.
Thank you for stopping by. “Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us” (Rom. 8: 37).
Anna… this is so close to my heart. Thank you for bringing attention to it. We are adoptive parents of three. We were trained by a marvelous woman who took on boys who had been rejected by their adoptive parents and put back into the system. I will never forget her wisdom and heart to teach … education before adoption is a major part of preventing this terrible thing. THANK YOU for being a voice!
Thank you for sharing your experience, Heidi. I had no idea you were an adoptive parent. The key lesson prospective parents need to learn, I think, is that children are not commodities. We do not shop for them like merchandise. Children w/ physical or mental handicaps are as deserving of love as anyone else, and as likely to contribute to the world in their own unique way.
This is some great info about re-adoption. Thanks for posting it.
Thank you for reading.
Its heartbreaking💔.I wonder how a little soul bears it.🥺
You are so right.
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God bless you
And you, as well.