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Income Listed ition FactorspeneCordrenteonsTliui50lV(ChajmenposimactherforTIME ELEMENT INVOLVEDMake Careful Study •ants' QualificationsBy BERT RE5NIKfull-time Long Beach office is planned.Last year CHS placed 361 children, including 21 in Long Beach- Of the total. 90 per cent were infants and half of the remaining 10 per cent were of pre-schoal age, according to Clyde Getz, state executive director for the agency.The demand, of course, exceeded the supply. That’s why waiting times don't tell the entire story. Of every 50 couples who filed applications, about 17 received children.Principal reason for disqualifying the majority: Not enough children available.The applicants, however, were informed of the agency’s decision within a month of initial contact.When they walked into the office of the County Bureau of Adoptions/ 2550 W. Olympic Blvd.. Los Angeles, the couple shut the door behind on feelings or failure and remorse.They had fried to bear children. They had failed.But they had gone beyond 1hc stage of being sorry for themselves. They had reached a decision. They wanted to adopt a child.They weren't millionaires; They weren’t paupers. Could they adopt a baby? If they could, how long would it take?visutup: SOCIAL worker they talked to was reassuring. Finances weren’t the important thing. As long as the couple was living within its income and had enough left for an extra mouth, the financial requirement was satisfied.As to how Jong? Well, it depended on several factors.’But the social worker did know that three of four couples who kept their Tiles active with the -agency did receive children.The time clement also was involved in the supply for the demand. Babies simply couldn’t he ordered by the gross.Last year homes were found for 379 children. More than 50 per cent were under a year old. The rest ranged in age from 1 to S. Sometimes a couple seeking older chiiclren had its request granted sooner, but this was not a general rule.HOLY FAMILY’S Adoption office in Long Beach placed 21 children in homes here last year. Throughout the county, the total was 147.Since the office opened here in 1954, there were 153 calls from couples interested in adopting children, according to Miss Celia Suminski.From that number, 123 did not qualify. Miss Suminski reports that most of the couples were informed almost immediately that they would not qualify.Included were some who weren’t eligible for age reasons, non-county residency and lack of employment.ANOTHER MAJOR FACTOR i- Jtnns, said the social worker, was the religious faith of the couple. lt;£This was not because the -im mated racially.It was because the natural mother specified in what religion she wanted her child reared.- The agency always followed that specification.The current situation is this:Catholic couples who qualify can receive children in about six months from the dale they first cor.lacked the c cy. They must, ^of course, be residents of Los Angeles County.For Protestant couples, the waiting time, is from two to three years. For Jewish couples, it could be even longer.For Negro, Mexican and Oriental couples, the time is about three months.THE ADOPTION INSTITUTE placed 113 children throughout the county last year.But it doesn't take too many applications, according to Ben Hoffman, executive director. From those whom they accept applications, 70 to 80 per cent receive children.Average age of the child placed by The Adoption Institute is 2 Vz weeks.Joseph Eonapart, executive ell rector of Vista Del Mar, reports there usually are 10 times as many prospective parents as there are children available. The 'agency placed 25 children in Jewish homes last year.STATISTICALLY, there still are many more independent _ adoptions than those through agencies. However, the trend ap- * ; pears to be reversing. ! uLast year there were 848 adoptions made through agen- , eics in Los Angeles County as compared with 1,647 independent . lt;placements. ’59,In 1950 there were 376 agency adoptions as compared with jfer 1,231 independent. .binIn Orange County 33 children were placed through the ren agency and 162 were independent adoptions. sidiThrough an agency, the married couple wed for about seven ‘ tirr years appears to have the best chance to adopt a child- Usual- -22Z ly, the wife is about 30 years old while the husband is 35. ^Most agencies do not take applications for infants from iyer women over 38 and men over 43. ...i_THERE IS ANOTHER factor involved.For Protestant and Jewish couples the home study does not begin until about 38 months after they originally contacted the agency. It is during the home studies that ore of four couples generally is disqualified.In the interim before the home study begins the county bureau has no objection if any couple placed an application with another adoption agency. •The county agency's fee is $300, but it can be scaled downward, the social worker concludes.THERE ARE FOUR OTHER state-licensed adoption agencies in Los Angeles County.They are the Children's Home Society, 3100 W. Adams Blvd., Los Angeles, which receives support frorn the Long Beach Community Chest; Holy Family Adoption Service, 158 N. Occidental Blvd., Los Angeles, and a part-time office at 123 E. 14th St., Long Beach; The Adoption Institute, 1026 S.-Spaulding Ave., Los Angeles, and Vista Del Mar, 3200 Motor Ave,. Los Angeles.Orange County has a branch of the Children's Home Society at 1505 N, Broadway. It is the county’s only - licensed adoption agency.THE COUPLE’S MEDICAL HISTORY plays an important role in determining who are the qualified. Doc tors’ records or other evidence must be produced showing that the couple 1ms tried to have children. Or, fur health reasons, the wife cannot bear children.The couple does not have to prove each is absolutely sterile.Medical evidence must also prove that neither member of the pair has a chronic illness. •One divorce is not generally held against an individual’s record.- The couple also may have one child and apply for a second.Financial requirements are not as stringent as generally believed. The latest available state adoption figures for agencies show:Couples earning less than $4,000 a year adopted 19.7 per cent of the children. From $4,000 to $4,999, 28.7; $5,00 0-$5,999, 18.5; $6,000-87,999, 19-3; $8,000-89,999. 6.4; $10,000 and over, 7.4.APPROXIMATE WAITING PERIODS from the day ofinitial contact for those couples who eventually qualify follow;Children’s Home Society, Protestant couples about 1 year and 2 months; Jewish couples about the same period (only 1 per cent of the children placed last year went to Jewish homes); Catholic couples about eight months; Mexican, Negro and Oriental about four months. Fee, $400. .Holy Family Adoption Service, 17 to 22 months waiting time. Nb fee. The agency is non-sectarian. Most of the children are placed in Catholic homes.The Adoption Institute, children placed within a year. Fee, $750.Vista Del Mar, 10 to 15 months waiting time, Jewish couples only. Fee, $275.★ ★ ★CHILDREN’S HOME SOCIETY is the oldest adoption agency in the state. It was founded in 1891-It uses the facilities of the Catholic Welfare Bureau here and the Community Welfare Bureau on a part-time basis- AFor adoptions made independently the biggest changes arc • in the top and bottom financial categories.In independent adoptions, couples earning less than S4.0C0 a year adopted only 14.1 per cent of the children as compared with 19.7 through agencies.Couples earning $10,000 and over adopted 13.9 as compared with 7.4 for agencies.(In Tuesday’s Press-Telegram advantages and disadvantages of the two methods*of adoption, independent and agency, will be compared.)
Newspaper Details
Long Beach Press Telegram
Long Beach, California, US
Mon, Sep 10, 1956
Page 21
Full Page
Clipped by
Dawn B.
CA, USA 21 Dec 2020
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