Sir, - I was saddened - but not surprised - by Padraig O'Morain's interviews with six single mothers (The Irish Times, February 1st). Their profound ignorance of the reality of adoption was noted by the journalist when he cited the young woman who believes "that babies put up for adoption can be rejected, especially if they are not white, and can spend years in foster homes. Another believes that social workers might take the baby from its adoptive home after a few years and it would be put into care".
Another said that "many single mothers would consider abortion before they would consider adoption . . . it's probably less heartbreaking than to carry a child and then give it up".
Less heart-breaking for whom? With abortion there are at least two hearts broken - the mother's and the child's. (If we add prospective adoptive parents, that's another two "hearts broken" at the lost opportunity to love and cherish the child).
At least with adoption there is the probability that the birth mother will some day be able to meet the child she placed for adoption, which she surely cannot if she has chosen abortion as her option.
We are encouraged that our recent publication, the Adoption Handbook, has been taken up by many school principals for their guidance counsellors and libraries. There is a huge increase in teenage pregnancy, and with ill-informed ideas and attitudes about pregnancy, adoption, fostering and parenting, the future is bleak for those "children who have children" unless they are better educated about all the facts of life.- Yours, etc.,
Helen Gilmartin, Adoptive Parents' Association of Ireland,
Annamoe, Co Wicklow.