The Adoption Department of the Angel Guardian Home, Brooklyn, New York, 1947-1959
Abstract
Adoption is thought of as a recent practice but its origin dates back many centuries, to the ancient Egyptians, Babylonians, Greeks and Romans. In the United States, the practice was taken over from the Roman Law and has been authorized by statute in all the fifty states. The exact number of adoptions taking place in the United States each year is unknown. According to the U.S. Children's Bureau, the number is estimated to have reached 93,000 in 1955, compared to 53,000 in 1945. A wide variety of factors have contributed to this increase. There has been in recent years more acceptance of adoption. With the number of childless couples increasing, more and more have turned to adoption. It is estimated that one million couples are now looking to adoption to increase their families. Other factors have included an increase in illegitimate births, the consistent growth in population, an increase in the number of broken homes, and a desire to provide homes for war orphans and children deprived of care in their own families.
Subject Area
American studies|Individual & family studies|Social work
Recommended Citation
Borden, Elizabeth Ann, "The Adoption Department of the Angel Guardian Home, Brooklyn, New York, 1947-1959" (1960). ETD Collection for Fordham University. AAI30557720.
https://research.library.fordham.edu/dissertations/AAI30557720
