Has anyone read this? Especially IA PAPs or who have already adopted from another country?
http://www.foreignpolicy.com/story/cms.php?story_id=4508&page=2
Excerpt: “Where do these babies come from? As international adoptions have flourished, so has evidence that babies in many countries are being systematically bought, coerced, and stolen away from their birth families. Nearly half the 40 countries listed by the U.S. State Department as the top sources for international adoption over the past 15 years—places such as Belarus, Brazil, Ethiopia, Honduras, Peru, and Romania—have at least temporarily halted adoptions or been prevented from sending children to the United States because of serious concerns about corruption and kidnapping. And yet when a country is closed due to corruption, many adoption agencies simply transfer their clients’ hopes to the next “hot” country. That country abruptly experiences a spike in infants and toddlers adopted overseas—until it too is forced to shut its doors.”
Yes, I read this quite awhile ago. I also read the JSCIS response and the author’s answer to the response.
The part about the Hannah B Williams orphanage in Liberia is a bit misleading. I followed this story closely on African news sites when t broke in 2005. The orphanage conditions were deplorable. But the reason that the orphanage was not allowing children to return to their families was because the UNICEF aid to orphanages is determined by census. The orphanage directors wanted to keep their numbers high so that they could get more foodstuffs, which was then sold on the black market. It really had nothing to do with adoption. So I do think it’s misleading the way this article (one clearly pointing out the flaws of international adoption) presented this story.
Still, the main point of the article is valid. There’s an idea that there are millions of health babies out there that need adoption and that isn’t the case. Most children in overseas orphanages that need homes aren’t babies. They are about 5 and older. And just like in the US, not a lot of those children find families.
I also think it’s an inherent “check” that comes with adopting older children as opposed to adopting babies. Older children can speak for themselves. Babies can’t, so the regulations that serve to protect the interests of the child need to be that much more careful.
We adopted two older children from Liberia almost three years ago (10 and 5 at the time of adoption. They were relinquished for adoption by Americans about three years prior. Took the agency awhile to find a family for them). I guess they would have been considered “waiting children”, but it wasn’t like we picked them off a photolisting.
We met their mother in country and obviously, our children were old enough to confirm that this woman was, indeed, their mother. It is reassuring for me, as an adoptive parent to know my children weren’t stolen and I am glad that we can keep communication with their mother.
I don’t think anyone would argue that there doesn’t need to be better regulations in place for international adoption. Getting past the idea that there are millions of healthy babies that need homes is a good place to start.
ETA: Thing is, the article never states that international adoption is always wrong and should be banned. It’s addressing the supply/demand issue for healthy babies and toddlers and point out that the children in overseas orphanages that really need homes are the older children. It also addresses the corruption inherent when money changes hands AND there is such a “demand” for healthy infants and toddlers. The article pushes for reform, not abolishment.
Assistance From An International Adoption Agency For Foreign Adoption
Families are often demoralized by the immense paperwork needed for the home study method of international adoption. I usually inform families that though the list seems complex, it is achievable and can be done fairly swiftly, if a family can get their paperwork together quickly. The approximate time to get a home study done is between 6 weeks and 2 months. I often tell families that there are two components to the home study. The first phase is completing the paperwork, to submit items such as: fingerprint clearances, physicals, collecting financial information, birth certificates, marriage certificates, and reference letters. Another new thing to these requirements is ten hours of parent education preparation courses, which can be done through on-line courses or in person. It is very helpful that clients contact Adoption Options or any other home study agency when they receive their home study list and packet so that the items can be reviewed. The second phase of the home study process is the discussion with the social worker. Each family is assigned a social worker who will come to your home to do a home tour for the purpose of interviewing and meeting all the members of the family. This is also a way for the social worker to help educate the family on international adoption and internationally adopted children.
Once the home study paperwork for international adoption has been submitted and the clients have had a meeting with their social worker, the home study document is prepared. The report is usually submitted by the social worker and is 5-6 pages. The social worker incorporates information gathered from the interviews and home tourand the documents that have been submitted as part of the paperwork. The home study is signed by both the social worker and the executive director and notarized.
After the home study is completed, it is ready to go to immigration. Those families who are adopting from countries who have not signed the Hague Convention submit their application and the related fees to the local USCIS office prior to the home study. After the study is done they will submit it alongwith the necessary fingerprints and after the USCIS approves it the approval will be sent to the family as well as the National Visa center and the country from where the child is being adopted
Families adopting from Hague Convention countries must wait to submit their Application for Determination of Suitability to Adopt a Child from a Convention Country (I-800A) including the application and fingerprint fees and attachments until their home study has been finished. At that time, the home study including the aforementioned documents should be sent to the centralized USCIS lock box. The home study will then be transferred to the National Benefits Center where an adjudicating officer will review the home study. Once approved by USCIS, the adjudicating officer will issue an approval called I-797C. At this stage the family can receive a referral of a child from a Hague Convention country.
About the Author
Adoption Option provides professional assistance related to international adoption from Russian, Kazskhstan, Republic of Georgia, Kyrgyzstan and Mexico. Contact us now for assistance with your foreign adoption plan!
#4: TOP 20 SIGNS You Are Working With Great Adoption Agency
