communityspotlight
A Call to Parent
by Cindy Hagerman
A
doption is among the oldest
and most widespread of human and the Adoption Option
social practices as evidenced in
the Code of Hammurabi, the laws used
to govern the City of Babylon as early
“Both the courage and trust of those who decide to
as 1790 BCE. The custom of placing
children who are permanently and le- place their babies for adoption and the enthusiasm of
gally separated from their birth parents
with a new family continues today with
those who adopt them are overwhelmingly vindicated
The Adoption History Project reporting
by the tens of thousands of successful adoptions that
that approximately five million Ameri-
cans alive today are adoptees. take place in this country every year.”
According to the U.S. Department
of Health & Human Services’ 2008
The New Yorker editorial
statistics, The Virginia adoptive family
structure generally mirrors the national
trend with 84% of the adoptions by
married couples, 14% by single women recognizes as potentially pivotal. A Master’s Degree in Counseling along with a
and 2% by single men. Governed by long-history of social work and a history of directing a local adoption agency, pro-
Chapter 12 of the Code of Virginia, vide Biga with the perfect foundation for helping others.
the social and legal process of giving “I have been called to bring information and expertise to both birth mothers
parent(s) the same rights and obliga- and adoptive parents in an unbiased platform,” explains Biga. “I see myself as an
tions as biological parents is a multi- educator and a guide.”
fold and sometimes complex process. Biga understands how the process works and clarifies that once a potential
“This is a very successful social arrange- adoptive parent connects with a specific organization, the guidance is biased in
ment with overwhelmingly positive the direction of that particular program. He’s hoping that his experience will help
outcomes,” reports Victor Groza, author navigate according to the will of the interested person(s) rather than in tune to the
and editor of Clinical and Practice design of an agency.
Issues in Adoption. “The most com- It all starts with education. Each point on the “adoptive triad” of adoptive par-
monly used estimate is that about 80% ents, birth parents and child, has its own set of issues to be considered. “The birth
of adoptions remain intact.” reports parents are often dealing with grief issues on multiple levels, yet they are taking
Groza. a very difficult, most unselfish step,” states Biga. The adoptive parent(s) are often
Eager and willing potential adop- grieving their inability to conceive and along with the birth parents and child are
tive parents, who answer the “call realigning their plans and accepting a new role. Attention to abandonment issues
to parent” only to find the adoption and other uncertainties must be considered for the child.
process daunting, are thankful for Bill Biga’s focus is to walk the path with both the birth parents and the adoptive
Biga. A Boones Mill resident with his parents, which includes introducing and exploring the “adoptive triad,” qualifying
own calling, Biga “parents” those who people for domestic or international adoption, performing home studies, emotion-
are attempting to navigate the intricate al support, education and more.
maze of numerous forms, applications, “Many birth mothers have said, ‘I’m all alone in this, I just want someone to
fees, investigations, and options. The hold my hand,’” Biga says. One-on-one counseling, referral to resources, insight
adoption process, which moves toward into child development, perspectives of birth mothers and challenges of raising an
success in an important fundamental adoptee allows him to do just that. Some birth parents call him after the adoption,
progression, involves many steps which not to intervene in the child’s life, but to simply check on his/her well being. He
Biga and every parent he advises, continues to support them.
20
Southwestern Virginia
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