Jessica Hernandez

ENGL 1102 102 1 | P a g e

Dr. Sally Griffin
Spring 2014
The Unwanted Children
Laura and Andrew Garza are two children who have seen the ins and outs of the Texas foster care
system. They are actually two of ten biological siblings who have experienced all aspects of the adoption
system. Some of the siblings were adopted as babies, never told they were adopted and never having
contact with the rest of their biological siblings; some aged out before they could be adopted and were left
to fend almost for themselves, others were adopted at varying ages of youth and put into varying
situations of life. Laura and Andrew were adopted by my family.
Things started off well for our family, Laura was adopted at 16 and Andrew was adopted at 11,
there were the usual transition problems, small bouts of rebellion against authority, school grades not as
high as they could be, but after a while when they realized we werent planning on giving them back
things started to get better. But for my family they didnt stay that way. We started lowering their
different medicines and for Laura that was a huge mistake. Her behavioral problems got worse, she
started acting out more, sleeping around, she stopped going to school, was constantly trying to run away.
The worst and final straw was one day in my senior year when my mom came home for work
later than normal, she barely got through the door when Laura was asking about being taken to the
emergency room (because in Texas healthcare for children in or who have been in the system is handled
through Medicaid the emergency room is like regular doctor for them). Her issue was not dire, just
stomach pains, but what do you expect when all you eat is ramen noodles and hot Cheetos? My mom did
not tell her no, all she asked was for ten minutes to change out of her work clothes and grab something to
eat, but by this time Laura was so caught up in her own world she didnt care about anyone else, she
threw a hissy fit and stormed out of the house. By this point my mom had had enough of Lauras attitude
and decided to let her go and cool off, she locked the front door since it was getting late and went about
Jessica Hernandez
ENGL 1102 102 2 | P a g e
Dr. Sally Griffin
Spring 2014
the rest of our evening routine. Laura came back a while later and went berserk when she found the door
locked. She started screaming and trying to kick in the door, my mom made the mistake of opening it to
tell Laura that if she did not start acting right my mom would call the police on her, which pushed her
over the edge. Time seemed to freeze then, Laura attacked my mom, punching her, kicking her, pulling
her hair, and I just stood there, feet frozen to the ground, Michael, Lauras boyfriend who was living with
us in the hopes that he might help make Laura get her act straight, pulled Laura off my mom and got her
outside the house. After that things went into overdrive the police were called an arrest warrant was
eventually out for Laura and her adoption was terminated. Andrew still lives with my mom and now that
the negativity of Lauras presence is gone he is blossoming into a really wonderful kid.
After all this I started to wander. My moms old boss had adopted a little boy and things with
them were fine. Why did things go so bad for my family? My mom is a great parent I could not
understand why Laura could not appreciate all the things my mom did and was trying to do for her and
Andrew, I couldnt understand why.
To start I looked into a more in depth explanation of the adoption process since even though I was
part of the experience there were certain parts I was not involved in. The general steps to adoption seems
to overall be the same throughout the United States; seek out an agency either private or public, complete
a homestudy and other pre-placement requirements like parenting classes, after placement go through a
brief supervisory period, and then finally the adoption. I focused my inquiry in two places, North
Carolina, because thats where I currently live and, Texas because thats where my own mishap
happened.
Though the Texas adoption process an adopter must meet the following requirements

Jessica Hernandez
ENGL 1102 102 3 | P a g e
Dr. Sally Griffin
Spring 2014
Works Cited
Harden, Brenda. "Safety and Stability for Foster Children: A Developmental
Perspective." Children, Families, and Foster Care. 14.1 n. page. Web. 5 Apr. 2014.
<http://futureofchildren.org/publications/journals/article/index.xml?journalid=40&articleid=13
3&sectionid=874>
"Steps to Become a Foster/Adoptive Parent." (TARE). N.p., n.d. Web. 1 Apr. 2014.
<http://www.dfps.state.tx.us/Adoption_and_Foster_Care/Get_Started/steps.asp>.
Benoiton, Sandra, and Terra Cooper. "How To Adopt A Child Guide." Adoption. N.p., n.d. Web. 1
Apr. 2014. <http://adoption.com/how-to-adopt-a-child-guide>.
"How to Adopt." N.C. Kids Adoption and Foster Care Network. N.C. Kids Adoption and Foster
Care Network, n.d. Web. 1 Apr. 2014. <http://www.ncdhhs.gov/dss/adopt/how.htm>.
"Statistics- Intercountry Adoption." Bureau of Consular Affairs - US Department of State, 1 Nov.
2013. Web. 30 Apr. 2014. <http://adoption.state.gov/about_us/statistics.php>.
Brodzinsky, David. "Stress & Coping Model, Adoption from the Inside Out, & The Meaning of the
Search." The Psychology of adoption. New York: Oxford University Press, 1990. Print.
Child Welfare Information Gateway. (2013). Foster care statistics 2012. Washington, DC: US
Department of Health and Human Services, Childrens Bureau.