Recently I was watching Television and I remember thinking that I was glad what I was watching didn’t have an adoption theme as it seems that adoption themes are popping up all over the place on various TV shows lately. So imagine my surprise when an adoption commercial pops up.
I’ve never seen this type of an adoption commercial before. I have seen commercials (usually during November for National Adoption Awareness Month) in which they are advertising that they need adoptive parents for older children or foster parents but this commercial was for a domestic adoption agency that facilitates open adoptions.
In the commercial, which is probably all of ninety seconds, an adoptive mom makes some nice statements about how they have an extended family now with the addition of their child’s birth family. Then a birthmother talks for a moment about open adoption stating how she sees her child and his/her adoptive family every other month and how they send pictures and letters to her “almost weekly.” Then of course, the adoption agency’s contact information pops up and the commercial is over.
I have mixed feelings about this commercial. I know that adoption agencies need to find couples hoping to adopt as well as expectant mothers considering adoption plans, but is a commercial really the right way to go?
As soon as the commercial was over, I had some thoughts running through my head like the fact they didn’t mention in the commercial that open adoption isn’t legally binding and that the birthmother who was talking about adoption appeared to be a newer birthmom. But then the logical part of me realized that they can’t say everything like that in a commercial. Commercials should pique one’s interest and then they should seek more information.
I hope that those seeing this commercial and making decisions about an adoption plan do seek out more information before making any choices. I hope that they would seek out more information on an adoption agency regardless of whether they were led to that particular agency by a commercial on other avenues.
So, tell me, what are your thoughts about commercials advertising adoption?
I’m having mixed feelings but I do see an up side to commercials like this. I think a lot of times agencies play up the possibility of contact with expectant parents and down play it with potential adoptive parents. With a commercial like this the paps know the agency specializes in open adoptions that have (in my opinion) quite a bit of face to face time. The e-parents know there can request a situation with frequent visits. While OAs still may not be legally binding/enforceable I think people who go to this agency based on this commercial may be more willing to uphold an OA agreement.
Hello Coley,
I am called (Nzike Nkwelle Thierry) I live in Cameroon Central Africa. I’m 17 and I am an orphaned. I live here with my big cousin who is marriage. Please really want to be adopted by any family. please I will like to know you more and you know me, I have one elder sister, he who take me as his will not regret any, I promise I will do my best to make my adoptive parents to be proud of me. Here is my email address (nzike_dora@yahoo.com) thanks. I will be waiting.
Regards, Thierry.
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