Child Adoption

Birth Control and New View of Unwed Mothers

A decade ago couples unable to have their own children could expect, provided they met certain requirements, to adopt healthy infants who might even resemble them physically and mentally. In the last few years, however, the number of adoptable infants has shrunk and the couples, if they are choosy, have found the search difficult and often fruitless. Healthy white and even black babies now have no trouble finding adoptive homes. One reason for the turnabout is the increased availability of contraceptive devices to unmarried women, particularly young girls who in the past provided a large proportion of the illegitimate, adoptable infants.1 Another factor is the relative ease in obtaining legal and illegal ...