If I didn’t want kids of my own, I might consider fostering or adoption. (I consider it anyway, but ultimately continue to decide against it.)
As far as I can guess—a foster parent would be a much better source here, but I don’t see one forthcoming—the main drawbacks of fostering and adoption is the emotional turmoil of the lack of security regarding keeping the child when attachment takes place (such children are often in limbo, with no biological parents not taking care of them at the moment but the parents can often reclaim them), and the challenges of attachment with children that haven’t been taken care of in the past.
But if you are a kind person that can provide a stable, comfortable home for a child, I can think of hardly any greater contribution to the happiness of the world. Children, especially small children, desperately need to be part of a family (where a family means a safe adult they can depend on, and the more the merrier after that) and lacking that they are miserable and may cause further social trouble when they are adults.
Personally I realize I don’t have the emotional resilience. While I could take care of a hurting child if I needed to, I have such a small store of emotional strength that if had foster or adopted children I know I would be less of a parent for my own children. However, if someone had the strength, wouldn’t that be an incredibly direct way to help the world?
If I didn’t want kids of my own, I might consider fostering or adoption. (I consider it anyway, but ultimately continue to decide against it.)
As far as I can guess—a foster parent would be a much better source here, but I don’t see one forthcoming—the main drawbacks of fostering and adoption is the emotional turmoil of the lack of security regarding keeping the child when attachment takes place (such children are often in limbo, with no biological parents not taking care of them at the moment but the parents can often reclaim them), and the challenges of attachment with children that haven’t been taken care of in the past.
But if you are a kind person that can provide a stable, comfortable home for a child, I can think of hardly any greater contribution to the happiness of the world. Children, especially small children, desperately need to be part of a family (where a family means a safe adult they can depend on, and the more the merrier after that) and lacking that they are miserable and may cause further social trouble when they are adults.
Personally I realize I don’t have the emotional resilience. While I could take care of a hurting child if I needed to, I have such a small store of emotional strength that if had foster or adopted children I know I would be less of a parent for my own children. However, if someone had the strength, wouldn’t that be an incredibly direct way to help the world?