Then
Homes such as Watermelon Hill sprang up during a secretive adoption boom beginning in the 1940s and peaking at 175,000 adoptions in 1970.
Unwed teen mothers, mostly white and middle-class, labored in hiding without the support of their families, then saw their babies taken away.
Clergy members, parents and professional social workers told them that it was for the best.
NOW
The number of American babies put up for adoption is sharply dropping, leading to an increase in international adoptions. About 125,000 children are adopted annually in the United States. The need for permanent loving homes for teens in foster care is great.
Unwed teen mothers have many options if they continue with an unplanned pregnancy, from open adoption to high school programs serving them and their child, to programs such as the Jeremiah Program, where they receive affordable housing, support for postsecondary education and life-skills training. Their children benefit from early childhood education on-site.
Gail Rosenblum
Sources: U.S. Census and Adoption History Project
