TRIADOPTION ® Library, Inc. - CA ~ Pg 369-480

Generally, pregnant -.a teenagers no
'
longer are "expected" to surrender their
babies. Indeed, in some areas, peer
and family pressure may almost rule out
the possibility of adoption as an option.
For many young mothers, this seems a
far healthier trend than did expecting
them all to give up their babies simply
because of age and/or marital status.
However, school age parents . often
need lots of special help.. Far too many
of them will drop out of school and find
themselves depending on welfare for survival
if they don't receive this help.
They need special school classes geared
to the needs and interests they have
as parents as well as teenagers. Above
all, they . need help with child care so
they can continue their education and
career development.
How is your community helping
school age parents cope with the reality
of early parenthood?
1. Moore, Kristin A., Sandra L. Hofferth, St;:ven
B. Caldwell, and Linda J. Waite. Teensge Motherhood:
Social and Economic Consequences. January, 1979.
The Urban Institute, 2100 M Street, N.W., Washington,
'my@
D.C. 20037. $4.00.
. +
- -
A social security number tells you a
lot about the person to whom it was
issued. The first three numbers indicate
the area or region that it was issued in.
The second two are the group numbers and
the last four are serial numbers.
(477) - (54) - (2158)
AREA GROUP # SERIAL #
0 - Northeastern
1 - Mid Atlantic
2 - Southeastern
3 - Great Lakes
4 - Mid America
5 - Western
7 - Issued to Railroad
Ernpl oyees
9 - Temporary issued to
We1 fare recipients.
"The Houghton Committee's advice was em-
. IIExrmL~~
"In Britkiin the prevailing view is that bodied in the Childrens Bill sent to
to encoufage stepparent adoption is bad Parliament in 1975. The new law accepts
social policy. The Houghton Committee on guardianship as the preferred alternative
adopthon law reform in 1972 came down for many stepparents wanting a lega.1 form
strongly against the practice. The com- of relationship with their stepchildren,
mitteels basic aXgUInent was that adoption ekcept that it is now to be called
is an irrevocable legal act that Cuts a . custodianship. 1t means that the legal
legitimte child off not only from one of custody of the child is transferred to the
its legitimate biological parents but stepparent, but that the child keeps his
from an entire half of his own family. original family name and ties.
It wipes out kinship links with brothers,
cousins, grandparents, and aunts. For the "Stepparent adoption is yet another example
many spteparents with stepchildren by of supposedly enlightened attitudes in
divorce, the Houghton Committee felt that conflict. One holds that adoption is dein
most cases guardianship was a better sirable because it gives the stepchild the
solution. If stepparents were embarrassed nearest approximation to the secure status
by the difference in surname, the name of a child living with his two natural
could be legally changed. Any uncertainity parents. The other holds that a child%
about inheritance could be eliminated by identity is derived from his real kin, that
providing for the stepchild in a will. it is his unique biological and cultural
inheritance that should not be taken away. tl
*
Quoted from THE HALF-PAFU3NT by Brenda Maddox, 1975, M. Evans and Co. New ~ork, NY.