Summary
Short-Questions
1. Whom does Marsha Traugot refer to as the children who wait?
2. Why was it difficult for the handicapped and the black children to
find Foster family?
3. According to Traugot, what changes are transforming American
adoption scene? What factors are responsible for the changes?
Or, Describe the responsible factors that brought changes in adoption
in the U.S.
4. What kinds of parents were considered suitable for adopting
children? What kinds of children were considered 'Unadoptable'?
5. How do the adoption agencies find the potential (possible) parents?
6. What had happened to the handicapped children in the past?
Or, How were the handicapped, black and weak children viewed in the
past?
7. What do you mean by ‘fetal
alcohol syndrome?
The Children Who Wait
Marsha Traugot
Characters
Tammy : handicapped, black and 5 1/2 years old
Speaker : essayist
About : American society before and after 1960
Theme : Adoption about American society their culture of before and now and changes their concept about adoption.
Summary
Tammy
is a small, polite and kind girl who just got success to be adopted legally. In
the past, only healthy and white child was adopted. But Tammy is a black
handicapped girl. She is five and a half years old. She is so cute and attractive.
Her social worker is looking a family with siblings.
Black,
handicapped and over-aged children were not adapted in the past. But, it has
been changed a lot because of black civil rights movement, women rights
movements, population control, family planning etc. These factors helped to
change in the concept of adoption. The unwed mothers were not neglected after
women movement. And then healthy children gradually decreased in the foster
home. So, interested parents paid attention to the rest of the children. From
1960-1978, the numbers of homeless children increased dreadfully. It was a big
problem for foster home. There was not preferable environment for children. The
politicians didn't pay attention to orphans, because they didn't cast their
votes. The foster home didn't give permission to any parents to adopt any
child. It had lack of flexible law. So, it was a big and costly problem in
America.
After
the different kinds of movements, awareness programmes made people conscious.
People became modern, educated and knew their rights. The unwanted babies were
decreased. And social worker of foster home also changed their attitude. The
adoption agencies tried to find the potential parents taking monthly meeting
with specialists and advertising on the media. Now, Tammy is hoping to find a
permanent warm family which can warmly help her for-ever.
Short-Questions
1. Whom does Marsha Traugot refer to as the children who wait?
Marsha Traugot refers to the children who are homeless having no parents. The children who are helpless and orphans are waiting to be adopted. They are looking for ideal permanent adoptive family. Giving an example of five and a half years old black girl Tammy, She refers to all homeless and parentless children either black and white or able and disabled.
2. Why was it difficult for the handicapped and the black children to
find Foster family?
It was difficult for the handicapped and black children to find foster family. Because at that time in America (before 1960), only the upper class white couples adopted healthy white infants. In adopting, there were some strict rules. Abortion was illegal too. So, they did not adopt handicapped children, black children and the children above five years.
3. According to Traugot, what changes are transforming American
adoption scene? What factors are responsible for the changes?
Or, Describe the responsible factors that brought changes in adoption
in the U.S.
According to Traugot there has been a great change in American adoption scene. Before 1960 only the upper class white couples adopted healthy white infants. They did not adopt handicapped children, black children, and the children above five years. But, now the adoption scene has been completely changed. The responsible factors for the changes are the various civil rights movements, birth control, changing socials values, legalization of the abortion, various awareness programmes etc.
4. What kinds of parents were considered suitable for adopting
children? What kinds of children were considered 'Unadoptable'? [2062]
At the time of 1960, there were so many complicated formalities to fulfil to adopt a child. So the single parents or couples having no children were considered suitable for adopting children. Before 1960 in America, the handicapped, black and more than five years old children were considered unadoptable. Because there was found verities of children.
5. How do the adoption agencies find the potential (possible) parents?
The agents had to find out potential parents especially for black, over age, and handicapped children. For handicapped children, the agents had to look for parents who did not think the children could be all rounder. They had to look for both or one biracial parents for black children. So, agents had to advertise or give information about the children to the potential parents.
6. What had happened to the handicapped children in the past?
Or, How were the handicapped, black and weak children viewed in the
past?
In the past before 1960, the handicapped children in America were unadoptable. They were considered as damaged things. They did not get love, kindness and care. They were homeless and orphans in their all life. People only wanted to adopt the healthy and white children.
7. What do you mean by ‘fetal
alcohol syndrome?
Fetal alcohol syndrome is a medical condition and an illness that babies get when their mothers drink too much alcohol while she is pregnant. It causes a child’s mental and physical developments are damaged. Children with fetal alcohol syndrome usually have a very low level of intelligence. It can put a stop to one’s intellectual growth at any time.
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