Childhood adoptions : an ethical roller-coaster spanning 30 years

Abstract

Adoption of children by non-biological individuals has been practised for centuries, and was first documented in the 6th century AD. The Roman Law, Codex Justinianeus allowed families without a male heir to adopt a son from another family, thereby ensuring that power and wealth were protected within the nobility. The law was devoid of any altruism and was purely practical and self-serving. Indeed, since only males inherited substantially, adoption of daughters was unheard of. During the period 1300-1500, the general philosophy was that inheritance should run along bloodlines, in order to consolidate power, influence and control of the already-dominant families. As a result, during this period, French and Italian law discouraged adoption, whilst English law went a step further and banned the practice outright. However, during the same period, many abandoned or orphaned children were being taken in by Christian monasteries or convents. This led to the first official orphanages in Europe, with the Ospedale degli Innocenti in Florence being the first of its kind, having been commissioned in 1419.Unfortunately, these orphanages rapidly became overcrowded and then offloaded children into foster apprenticeships/servitude, which, in most instances, amounted to cheap labour bordering on child slavery.