[Cerek]

Originally Posted by Luvian Well, an unemployed single young woman with a rape baby to take care of really does a really horrible life ahead of her. Not only can't she feed herself but now she's got a baby to feed and take care of on top of it, and getting a job/education when there's no one at home to take care of the starving kid is really hard. Add the fact that her emotional wounds will reopen every times she sees the child and she's in for a really bad life. Ruined? I don't know, but certainly not a life I would wish on anyone... I don't know how adoptions laws are either here or in the USA, but I think what we need is a "no questions asked" right to give your upcoming kid to adoption. You don't like the gender? Give him up for adoption. You got raped? Give him up for adoption. Can't afford having a kid? Give him up etc. Sure many parents would give up their future kids to avoid responsibility but it's already what they're doing. At least this way the kid would be alive.

An unemployed single mother will automatically qualify for food stamps to feed her and her child (unless she has a significant amount of money or assets - which most of them don't). Her child will automatically qualify for Medicaid and the mother will likely qualify as well. That means almost 100% FREE medical care. The mother will also qualify for Day Care Assistance, which will pay the cost of child care while she is at work or in school. She and her child will also be eligible for housing assistance and qualify for community housing.

That doesn't make the situation great, but the state WILL provide for the basic needs of her and her family. She WILL be expected to do HER part to find a job or continue her education as well. But the state will help her until she can stand on her own.

Whether seeing the "rape child" every day will have a healing or harmful effect on the mom can't really be generalized. It would have to be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Some women would be healed by raising the child, but I can certainly see the potential for the child to be abused because he/she reminds the mom of the rape and mom lashes out at the child for what happened to her. That one can go either way, IMHO.

I agree completely that putting the child up for adoption is a FAR better option than abortion under ANY circumstance. I can only hope our country undertakes an effort to promote adoption over abortion and educate women about the many options available to them.