Importing Children For Adoption: Why Being Like Bradgalina and Madge Isn't Cool No More

International adoption, which was such a huge trend only a few years ago thanks to the likes of Madonna and Brad and Angelina has now lost much of it’s media flair. After mounting reports of child abuse and accusations of children being placed quickly and carelessly through lax regulations the international child advocate community has asked that many countries scaled back their acceptance of international adoption applicants.

Child advocates originally fought to improve the speed of the systems in place for processing potential parents. The demand for more stringent laws are now meant to protect these same children. Simplifying the system actually back fired on them.

Industry leaders are calling it a tragedy since what had the potential to serve as a support system has now been reduced to a political platform and the people suffering the most are the same children who these programs were supposed to benefit. The amount of children bought into the United States through adoption has taken a sharp decline showing over a 50% drop in the number of adoptions in less than 10 years.

Image Via Link

Those that support a reduction in children placed through International adoption believe now is a perfect time to improve the systems of support available within a country rather than seeking to ‘export’ the problems they face with displaced children. The idea is that International adoption should be a last resort and not treated as a convenience. Though placement within a child’s own country is not always possible; some cultures do not accept outsiders into their families. Focus is now on those children who are currently in orphanages waiting for homes; their fate is yet to be determined.

While bureaucratic red tape and sensationalized media attention clash…..homeless children wait on someone to give a fuck. As an adoptee I have my personal feelings about the entire system of foster care which may be different from those Hallmark card loving folks whose eyes tear up when they see Sally Struthers on tv late at night.

How do you feel about international adoption? Should the children stay in their own country or be placed anywhere there is an available family?

Do you think the countries should scale back their willingness to allow international adoption and should instead work with the families to alleviate the circumstances that are causing the upset in the family structure? Or is that too much to ask of government officials and adoption is justified under such circumstances.

Comments

comments