ESL Podcast 841 - Adopting a Child
adoption - the process of bringing a child into one's family and making him or her one's daughter or son, even though there is no blood or genetic connection
When Jennifer found out she was pregnant, but couldn't take care of a child, she decided to put the child up for adoption.
domestic - within one country; not international
Our domestic sales exceeded our international sales.
foster care - the system where children live with other families temporarily when their own parents are not able to take care of them, often because there are problems with drugs, alcohol, or abuse
Randall grew up in the foster care system and lived with six different families between the ages of 11 and 18.
to pass - to be approved; to receive a score that is higher than the minimum requirement on an exam
Do you think this version of the report will pass the boss's review?
inspection - a detailed examination of whether something meets the minimum requirements
Don't eat at that restaurant! It has failed the last three health inspections.
social worker - a person whose job is to improve the quality of life for someone in a difficult situation, especially a young child in a low-income or violent family
The social worker visits each child once a month to make sure the home environment is safe.
placement - arrangements for someone to live in a particular home or place, or to be assigned to some person or group
This test will determine your placements in English and math classes, from the basic to advanced levels.
waiting child - a child who is waiting to be adopted, but is no longer a baby
Many waiting children have serious psychological and behavioral disorders and need the stability of a family environment.
special needs - physical or mental disabilities that require medical and/or psychological care and may or may not be permanent
Do you think children with special needs should be educated separately, or should they go to regular public schools?
sibling - a brother or sister
How many siblings do you have?
private adoption - an adoption that is arranged between the birth parents and the adoptive parents, without the involvement of a government agency
Tricia wants to select the people who will adopt her baby, so she has decided to have a private adoption instead of working with an agency.
to call the shots - to make the important decisions; to have the power or control to decide how something will happen
In theory, the CEO is in charge, but really it's the Chairman of the Board who calls the shots.
closed adoption - an adoption where the biological mother and the adopting parents never meet and do not know each other's name or contact information, so that the child does not know who his or her biological parents are
Sometimes a closed adoption is best for the child, especially when the child was taken from an abusive situation.
open adoption - an adoption where the biological mother and the adopting parents meet and regularly interact with each other, perhaps sending letters and photographs of the child
An open adoption can be emotionally difficult for the biological mother.
birth parents - the biological mother and father of a child; the people who are related to a child by blood
When Amanda turned 18 years old, she started doing research to try to find out who her birth parents were.
hazard - something that is or could be dangerous
Caution! These chemicals are a health hazard.
to childproof - to make an area safe for babies and young children, removing things that are dangerous
They childproofed their home by moving all glass objects to top shelves and nailing their bookcases to the walls.
to take (something) off your hands - to take something from another person so that he or she is no longer troubled by it, often used humorously
If you decide you don't like driving that Porsche, I'd love to take it off your hands.
hands off - a humorous or slightly rude phrase meaning that one should not touch something and/or should stay away from it
Hands off the cookies! They're for the party.