Adoption

Adoption is the legal act of permanently placing a child with a parent or parents other than the birth parents. Adoption results in the severing of the parental responsibilities and rights of the biological parents and the placing of those responsibilities and rights onto the adoptive parents. After the finalization of an adoption, there is little or no legal difference between biological and adopted children.

Adoptism

Adoptism is a prejudice against adoption defined by several beliefs:

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• The belief that adoption is not a legitimate way to build a family
• The belief that birthing children is always preferable to adopting
• The belief that adoptees are defined throughout their lives by the fact of their adoption
• The belief that making an adoption plan is never a preferable option for birth mothers who are unable or choose not to raise their children