About Jim Mulvahill
Today, there are more than 400,000 children currently living in the United States foster care system, with an additional 20 million children around the world waiting to be adopted. Unfortunately, studies have found that foster children are among the most likely groups to experience abuse, with 85% of foster children reporting some type of emotional abuse. These children desperately need a safe environment with a supportive and loving family that can provide the resources they need to recover from these past negative experiences. For the past thirty-two years, James Patrick Mulvahill, often referred to as Jim Mulvahill, and his wife Jean Mulvahill have been well-known proponents of adoption. Today, the couple has in total 22 children, 17 of whom were adopted. As more children continue to enter the foster system, it is now more critical than ever that families consider adoption when taking steps to grow their families. James Patrick Mulvahill recognizes that the decision to have children, either adopted or biological, is deeply personal. However, for the many families considering adoption, Jim Mulvahill offers the following perspective.
Giving a Child a Family
James Patrick Mulvahill recognizes that many adopters feel a strong desire to provide children with a living household and family. This drive pushes them towards adoption, knowing that many children within the world today are currently living without parents. While adoption involves opening up a home to a child, the best homes for adoptive children include families that accept a child and are willing to embrace the life the child had before. This will often include embracing new family traditions, different cultures and celebrating the child’s past experiences.
Fulfilling a Strong Desire to Parent
Often, individuals who have a strong desire to become a parent have known this about themselves since they were a child. For this reason, when these individuals struggle to conceive as adults, it can be a deeply emotional and difficult experience. However, after a period, many realize that this desire has less to do with experiencing pregnancy but becoming a parent to a child.
You Feel Prepared to Provide For a Child
Whether raising an adopted or biological child, Jim Mulvahill acknowledges parenting can be both an incredibly fulfilling and challenging experience. When family planning, it is crucial to be prepared for both the highs and lows of parenting and consider whether you have both the financial and emotional resources to take on the many challenges of parenting. Children can go through awkward phases, experience mental health problems, become ill, struggle in school, and act out. No matter the issue, parents must always be there with open arms and a good deal of patients. For the people who recognize that they feel both excited and prepared to take on the responsibility of raising a child, this is the first step towards growing your family.
Those who are considering adoption or would like to learn more about the adoption process, choosing adoption agencies, in-state, and out-of-state adoption, or any other adoption-related topics are encouraged to check out the blog on this site for future updates.