A comparative study of adoptive families in metropolitan Winnipeg
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Date
1953
Authors
Sanderman, Warner Martin
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Abstract
"The primary purpose of an adoption agency is to find the best homes possible for the children entrusted to its care." It is now generally accepted that, for the great majority of children, there is no better way of meeting their needs than through participation in normal family life where the child is loved and accepted. We believe that because each child's needs vary, an agency should have a wide range of potential adoptive parents, each different from the other and amongst these one particular family whose personalities and circumstances are such that they can most adequately fulfill the needs of a particular child. Which family is "best" for the child can only be decided when the full resources of the community, rather than one small segment of it, are available for comparison. This study is concerned with a comparative analysis of adoption homes in so far as they are the chief resource used by child placement agencies in meeting the needs of the adoptable children in their care... At present, agencies base their selection of parents for a child mainly on casework understanding of the families, rather than on physical and environmental factors. In this selection of homes, while emphasis is placed on the emotional tone of each home, intellectual, physical and material factors are considered. Because children can be offered to so few families who apply, agencies have a responsibility for selecting for each child parents whose qualities and circumstances are such that the best possible home is found for each child depending on its needs. An agency, today, is concerned that the child shall be offered the opportunity to develop to the limit of its ability.