ADOPTION: The happiest sad

B R O O K E W O O D H E A D - D A N I E L L E C R E A S E YH I L D A B A U T I S T A - H O L LY D E S A N T I S

ADOPTION:THE HAPPIEST SAD

WHAT IS ADOPTION?

• A person assumes parenting for another• Permanently transfers all rights and

responsibilities from birth parents to adoptive parents

• Reasons to place:• Young teenage mother• Unwanted pregnancy• Unable to provide for child• Rape or incest

HISTORY

• 1851 Adoption of Children Act• 1910-1930: first

specialized adoption agencies• 1917: law passed

in Minnesota• 1970: statistical

peak

• The Child Citizenship Act of 2000

OPTIONS

OPEN ADOPTION:

• Phone calls• Face-to-face

visits• Mailing

pictures and letters

CLOSED ADOPTION:

• No interaction• Unanswered

questions• Contact

minimal, if any

SEMI-OPEN ADOPTION:

• Speak to one another, some confidentiality• Adoption

agency plays role

WHY ADOPTION?

• Aware of and have experienced the process• “The Happiest Sad”• Meet Katie:

PRODUCTION PROCESS

• Through the point of a birth mother• Adoption is sad,

but it is a happy thing as well• Use of Agape• Audience: those

who are able to place for adoption

WORKS CITEDBoynton Noyce, Alison. “Confessions of an

Ambivalent Birth Daughter.” They’re All My Own. Blogspot, 14 March 2010. Web. 21 Nov 2013

DeSantis, Katherine. “Adoption: The Happiest Sad.” SLCC, ENGL 2010, 17 Nov 2013. Danielle Creasey, videographer/editor.

Gatrell, Adriane DeSantis. “Photograph, Katie’s Birth and Placement.” St. Mark’s Hospital. Salt Lake City, UT. 24 Dec 2010. JPEG file.

“Impact of Adoption on Adopted Person.” Administration for children & families. U.S. Dept of Health & Human services, n.d. Web. 19 Nov 2013.

Strottman, Kathleen, Executive Director. “Domestic Infant Adoption.” Domestic Infant Adoption. Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute, n.d. Web. 19 Nov 2013.

Wrixon, Ann. “Placing a child for adoption no longer considered taboo.” USA Today [Pleasant Hill, California] 03 June 2009, Section: News, Pg. 10a. Web. 20 Nov 2013.