As a child raised in foster care and an adoptive parent, I wonder why these folks give no thought to enlarging their families via adoption, given the millions of waiting children in this world.
The Bible ALSO says this:
Pure religion in the sight of God our father is this...to care for orphans in their distress....
(from the book of James)
I think a lot of folks have considered adoption but they have run into all sorts of road blocks. Even folks who would adopt minority children are being told they can’t because the prospective parents are of the wrong ethnicity.
One possible reason could be the cost of adoption.
Currently, my husband and I are looking into adoption and have learned if we go through a private adoption agency we will be spending 20k to 35k or more depending on the agency. That may or may not include costs for the bio-mother’s expenses, travel, and other items that could come up.
Two years ago we attempted to adopt from two different agencies but could not come up with monies they wanted on their schedule. It was heartbreaking.
I don’t know if that is the reason adoption isn’t mentioned but I personally know two families who follow the quiverfull way and both are very supportive of our adoption quest and have never said adoption was against their beliefs.
Setting aside the moral and Christian reasons to do it, imagine the political ramifications if every decent Christian family in America adopted a child (domesticly or from abroad.)
Many do.
My cousin wants to adopt his stepchildren. Their mother— natural mother— shares this desire. The natural father is long deceased.
My cousin is already “Dad” to them. As far as anyone looking from the outside, he IS their father. He does everything a natural father would, and then additionally helps his wife keep the memory of their natural father alive.
The state did not interfere with the marriage, and does not oversee his step-parenting; however, to “make it all official”, he will have to undergo a background investigation (if they had any idea he might fail that, they ought to come rescue the kids NOW) and pay IIRC $5000 each (and if he tried to “buy” kids for that much on the “open market”, he’d be arrested)!
My wife and I married late in life, and for the sake of sparing a child a genetic abnormality, have decided not to reproduce. Adoption would be our first choice, and passing an investigation would be no problem. The $5000 per unit purchase price is, however, too steep.
So it likely is for most. It’s much less costly to reproduce, if you’ve a mind to do it.
If one can have their own biological children, why adopt? There’s lots of hassles that go along with foster care and adoption.