In the Best Interests of the Child Loss and Suffering in Adoption Proceedings

Introducing Ophir’s moral philosophy into the field of adoption by applying the distinction made by him between damage and loss.The book presents the distinction between the conceptualization of adoption as compensation for the damage inflicted on the child by removing him from his birth parents, and the conceptualization of the disappearance of his birth parents from the child’s life as an irreplaceable life-long loss. The detailed documentation of the legal processes of adoption “from within” as it were. These processes are usually carried out behind closed doors. Seldom, if at all, the proceedings leading to the legal decision if a child is adopted, are documented. Usually it is the results of these proceedings, i.e. the court decisions, which gets most attention in the professional literature. Sharing the experience of constructing and testifying as an expert witness concerning the parents’ capability. Usually this issue is presented in the professional literature either in terms of the problems associated with it, or in terms of its result. The process itself is not presented, let alone the personal troubles and tribulations around a testimony in specific cases, described by the expert himself. Informing the legal and policy aspects of compulsory adoption in Israel.