Following last month’s presidential statement on Down Syndrome Awareness Month, President Donald Trump has designated November to be National Adoption Month.
READ: Trump Calls Out Those Who Use Down Syndrome as ‘Excuse to Discard Human Life’
The statement mentioned several themes, including the good families do through adoption. Older children waiting to be adopted are also mentioned as a focus for this November:
This year’s National Adoption Month, we focus on our commitment to helping older youth experience the transformative value of permanency and love. A child is never too old for adoption. A supportive family can provide the critical direction that older children need as they enter adulthood, helping them attain educational and employment goals, and, in certain cases, avoid homelessness or incarceration. We never outgrow the need for family, and older youth who are adopted are more likely to finish high school and feel emotionally secure than those who age out of foster care without a permanent family.
Such a reminder from the Trump administration of the human dignity and preciousness of all of God’s children, regardless of their age or circumstances, is a welcomed one. The statement does not shy away from mentioning the importance of God in our society, particularly when it comes to caring for the less fortunate amongst, including unborn life:
My Administration recognizes the profound importance of adoption for the American family. Adoption is a life-changing and life-affirming act that signals that no child in America — born or unborn — is unwanted or unloved. Adoptive parents are a selfless and loving part of God’s plan for their future children. As a Nation, we extend sincere appreciation and gratitude to those families who have welcomed a young person into their hearts and homes, sharing the precious gift of family and a lifetime of support.
Down Syndrome is sadly seen by many as legitimate reason to terminate an innocent, unborn life. The United States has a high abortion rate for the chromosomal abnormality, but Iceland is dedicated to “eradicating” the disease. This isn’t through some medical breakthrough, but by using genetic testing, which may even involve false positives, to abort virtually all children diagnosed in utero.
READ: Sick: Iceland Boasts About ‘Eradicating’ Those With Down Syndrome
Similarly, for a variety of reasons, unborn children who may be considered unplanned, unwanted, or unfit for life because of abnormality, are targeted for abortion. Adoption may not even be considered at all. Planned Parenthood, which provides more abortions than any other entity in the United States, long had a motto of “every child a wanted child,” completely dismissing the option of adoption, in that every child is wanted and loved by somebody.
Planned Parenthood has spoken of providing options, including adoption referrals. This doesn’t hold much weight, however, when looking at Planned Parenthood’s own numbers from their annual reports, which show the pro-choice organization performs 113 abortions for every adoption referral. There also is evidence they discourage adoption in favor of promoting abortion.
A parent does not have to raise a child to love him or her. In revealing the March for Life’s 2018 theme of “Love Saves Lives,” Alison Howard Centofante with Alliance Defending Freedom spoke of how her grandmother loved her father enough to leave him in a hotel room where she knew someone would find him. She was thus, as Alison explained, providing him with the option of having a good, loving home.
READ: Theme for Upcoming March for Life Will Definitely Grab Attention
President Trump is not one to mince words, and his proclamation on National Adoption Month is no different. Adoption is a beautiful and selfless process, for both the birth parents and adoptive parents. It is one that deserves recognition in every way, especially as it gives children, and their parents, a chance at life.