History of Adoption

When you think of adoption what comes to mind? How did the word come about? What do you think the history of it is? I often wonder what it would have been like to be an orphan in the early 1900’s. It is different from today or is it the same? I would imagine that it would be a little different in very many ways.

The adoption of history really started in 1851 in Massachusetts they passed the first modern adoption law.  It was recognizing adoption as a social and legal operation. It was based on child welfare. The 1851 Adoption of children act was considered an important turning point. It changed the way others thought of adoption.

In 1854 Charles Loring Brace launched the orphan trains. He was the director of the New York children’s aid society.

In 1868 Massachusetts Board of state began paying for children to board in private family homes. In 1869 an agent was appointed to visit children in their homes. That was the beginning of placing-out.

In 1872 New York state charities Aid Association was organized. It was one of the first organizations in the country to establish a specialized child-placement program.  

In 1891 Michigan was the first state to require a judge to be satisfied as to the good normal character. They wanted to know that the child was supported and educated. A person had to be approved before they could adopt a child.  

In 1898 the catholic Home Bureau was organized in New York by St Vincent De Paul Society. It was one of the first to actually place children in Homes in instead of orphanages.  

In 1904 the first social work was opened.

In 1909 there was one of the first white house conferences for the care of dependent children. Children were taken away from poverty.

From 1910-1930 the first specialized adoption agencies were founded. Also the Spence Alumni Society, the free Synagogue child adoption Committee, and the Alice Chapin Nursery were opened. All of them were located in New York.

In 1934 the state of Iowa began administrating mental tests to all children placed for adoption. They were in hopes of preventing the unwitting adoption of adoption of retarded children or as they were called “feeble-minded” at the time.

 In 1953 the uniform adoption was proposed. Only a few states adopted it.

1955 Brought Child Welfare league of America.

In 1970 Adoption went to a century- long statistical peak About 175,000 per year and about 80 percent were arranged by agencies.

From 1971-1973 The Adoptees liberty movement Association was found by Florence Fisher.  Roe V. Wade Legalized abortion. I feel that the need of adoption should only be used if necessary.