Adoption Quote by Rickie Solinger
“Almost everyone believes that at some level birthmothers make a choice to give their babies away. ...Adoption is rarely about mothers' choices; it is, instead, about the abject choicelessness of some resourceless women.”
About This Quote
Source Book: Birth, Motherhood, and Adoption by Rickie Solinger, 2014
Adoption often stems from women’s lack of resources, not a deliberate choice to give up children.
In simple terms: Economic hardship drives many adoption decisions.
Key Takeaway
Address systemic poverty to reduce forced adoptions.
Themes
adoption
poverty
women’s rights
Mood
empathetic
critical
Type
advocacy
analytical
When to use this quote
- social work
- policy reform
- community support
Key Concepts
Socioeconomic inequality
maternal agency
Questions to Reflect On
- What support could empower resource‑poor mothers?
- How do cultural attitudes shape adoption narratives?
A Different Perspective
Legal frameworks can limit women's autonomy.
![“Next came the Patent laws. These began in England in 1624; and, in this country, with the adoption of our constitution. Before then [these?], any man might instantly use what another had invented; so that the inventor had no special advantage from his own invention. The patent system changed this…” quote by Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/449/abraham-lincoln-88_adoption_next-came-the-patent-laws-these-began-in_1828.jpg)
