Much Like the Foster Care System

_{Photo © Carrie Craft}

See more Wordless Wednesday posts.

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For Words See:
The Challenges of Foster Care
Top 10 Questions to Ask When Called to take a Foster Child

Do you remember Fox's reality show, Who's Your Daddy?. I believe it came from the pit of all that is unholy. Who's Your Daddy? premiered in January 2005, and featured an adoptee and 8 potential “dads.” The adoptee had to figure out which of the 8 men was her birth father. Well, MTV is highlighting a new subject as part of their True Life drama series, I'm Placing my Baby for Adoption!. YIKES.

I'm Placing my Baby for Adoption! is not supposed to be a reality show and will not have a narrator or host. It's supposed to be told through the eyes of 3 or 4 expectant mothers as they explore adoption. The National Council For Adoption is a supporter of the show. The producers of MTV's successful True Life drama hopes that the show will "de-stigmatize" adoption and allow viewers a chance to see the emotions that a birth mother experiences as she chooses adoption. The NCFA feel that these goals coincide with their new iChooseAdoption campaign which is supposed to:

“create a more pro-adoption culture in which everyone, including women facing unplanned pregnancies, can consider adoption freely without fear, bias, or misunderstanding” and to “promote a culture that respects and appreciates birthmothers, honors their decision-making process, and supports their choice of adoption.”

OK, I know it's not supposed to be a reality show and it's supposed to be all "ethical" and such, but I'm still having a problem with this concept. Someone explain how this is not going to place pressure on these young women to place their children for adoption and not choose parenting? What boundaries are placed on the show? Will they be in the room during delivery? While she spends her last moments with her child? While she signs the papers? I'm thinking, "yes." Because that probably makes good TV. What about birthfathers? Where are they in this decision process? (This point brought up in the ChildLaw blog by James. R. Marsh.)

I love good TV. I love reality TV. I love documentaries. But, I'm not loving this idea. What do you think? Is this part of real life no one's business or should this part of the adoption story be told? How could this bit of reality impact adoption?

SOURCES

• National Council for Adoption - Web site
• ChildLaw - James R. Marsh blog