Adoption Buzz › Comments

There are plenty of inconsistencies in adoption law from state to state, and plenty of ways policymakers could streamline adoption for women who wish to relinquish and parents who wish to adopt. But is any of the legislation that purports to facilitate adoption really going to do that? And even if it did, would it have any affect at all on the abortion rate? - Adoption Buzz

Abdulkadir Mustapha, one of the children who spoke to our reporter, explained that some of them were actually approached by good Nigerians who wished to adopt them but for the lengthy process involved. - Adoption Buzz

"Trafficking happens here every day," said Aye Aye Mar, founder of Social Action for Women, a local NGO providing shelter and training for Burmese women and children. - Adoption Buzz

Great to see a domestic adoption like this in Africa. - Adoption Buzz

Child welfare deals with the very complicated issues of parental rights and the ever challenging determination 'a child's best interest'. When and where these issues overlap is even more complicated. - Adoption Buzz

One of the biggest challenges in child welfare - whether in US, UK, EU, or developing nations throughout the world - is how to best provide biological parents the support they need to care for their children, and when to make the determination that the child deserves to receive care from another family. - Adoption Buzz

Hague overview written by Immigration Attorneys - Adoption Buzz

DOS has launched Adoption.state.gov, a new Web site devoted exclusively to intercountry adoption. - Adoption Buzz

I don't think there is a correct solution when it comes to implementing policy on such a delicate social issue. As long as careful consideration is given to both cause and effect, legislators need to make the best decision that they can - then make changes if the intended results do not occur. - Adoption Buzz

Child abandonment is one of the most unfortunate circumstances in orphan care. It's a reality that needs to be at the root of policy development. - Adoption Buzz

It is, of course, important that those responsible for arranging adoptions secure safe, appropriate homes for children. And many agencies have improved their procedures. But too many public child welfare agencies still serve as barriers rather than as roads to adoption. If we could remove the barriers, the demand for adoption would better match the supply -- and every waiting child in America could have a family. - Adoption Buzz

Source: http://blogs.usatoday.com/ondeadl... - Adoption Buzz

As she soaked in the desperation Reed realized why her mother had given her up for adoption. "She was a woman barely out of her teens with a new husband and a little baby," Reed said. "All she wanted was a bright future for her daughter." - Adoption Buzz

This was a well-written comment. To me, it doesn't matter what the message is when the issues are stated clearly and presented respectfully. So I can appreciate this viewpoint and will gladly consider its merits. Of course, I disagree that adoption should end. I can agree that if we lived in a perfect world - with perfect parents, without poverty, and without death that we would not have a need for adoption. I can agree that adoption is an imperfect solution, developed out of crisis rather than preference. I can even agree with the author that 'adoption is a great experiment gone awry.' (though only in some circumstances, as a result of some practices). My impression of how we move forward today? Adoption must continue - and least for the many years it will take to elevate comprehensive social services and well-developed foster programs in countries throughout the world. But as we have seen in the United States, we still have huge gaps in our own fairly well-developed system and there... - Adoption Buzz

Despite a staggering number of orphans, many African nations are loathe to adopt out these children internationally due to a mistrust of the intentions of foreigners, a fear of losing their future generation and an underlying belief that the need to give away one's children is symbolic of your failure as a nation. - Adoption Buzz

"There was absolutely the greatest criticism about the process in the beginning," said Susan Soon-keum Cox, who was adopted from Korea and now acts as spokeswoman for the Holt Agency, whose founders Harry and Bertha Holt adopted eight Korean War orphans and inspired others to do the same. - Adoption Buzz

I agree that there are many things that are happening within international adoption practices that are cause for concern. But we must also be careful not to form broad classifications that say just because a child has a father or a mother that they should not deserve the opportunity to grow up in a family setting. There are very likely millions of children living in institutions today that have parents living outside. These parents have rights and do deserve an opportunity to get their affairs in order and return to care for their children. But these children also have rights and deserve the opportunity to flourish - and not spend their childhoods in an institution. Whether it be foster care, domestic adoption, or intercountry adoption, child welfare practices need to provide practices that most benefit the children (above the rights of biological parents, and above the hopes of would-be adoptive families). - Adoption Buzz

A survey on vulnerable children by Care Reform Initiative (CRI), a Non-Governmental Organization sponsored by the Department of Social Welfare, revealed that out of 4,000 vulnerable children identified living in orphan homes 3,800 have parents and the main factors leading to their institutionalization were extreme poverty. - Adoption Buzz

Between 1992 and 2004, the number of U.S. adoptions of children from other countries nearly tripled. But for the last four years, the number has been shrinking. Last year, according to statistics kept by the U.S. Department of State, 19,613 children from around the world were adopted by American families - 14 percent fewer than the high-water mark of 22,884 in 2004. - Adoption Buzz

The backlash against international adoption -- including violence against adoptive parents, agencies and their workers in foreign countries such as Guatemala and Chad -- also speaks to strong nationalist sensibilities that erupt when abuses are revealed. - Adoption Buzz

In sub-Saharan Africa, the estimated number of children under 18 orphaned by AIDS more than doubled between 2000 and 2007, currently reaching 12.1 million. - Adoption Buzz

Baby abandonments are an unfortunate reality. When it comes to intercountry adoption, this reality is often exploited and abandonments are staged - in turn casting doubt on genuine abandonments. - Adoption Buzz

The picture remains grim even for those who are in the system. When Russian orphans turn 15 or 16, they "age out" of the orphanage system. Too often, they go back into the streets ill equipped to handle life on their own. Many fall prey to prostitution or substance abuse, or both. The suicide rates are skyrocketing. - Adoption Buzz

She wants to make it clear that the vast majority of adoptions are successful, even though everybody seems to know a "terrible story" about a family who didn't do well. - Adoption Buzz

Birth fathers like Marek are stuck in a gray area of adoption law. A single mother can put her baby up for adoption, and if the father objects, his only hope is to enter a long and expensive court battle. The state offers men like Marek no protection. - Adoption Buzz

Only about 45 families in a nation of 13 million currently have taken in foster children since the program began this year. - Adoption Buzz

Nearly 495,000 AIDS orphans are in foster case, but he said more adoptions are needed so orphans can have permanent families. - Adoption Buzz

The Citizen editorial implied the need for international adoption is diminishing. What a patently absurd comment. Today, thanks to war, poverty, social stigma, AIDS, and a whole host of other reasons, there are literally millions of children throughout world without a family. The need for international adoption has never been greater. - Adoption Buzz

Vietnam is popular among Swedes looking to adopt because it allows adoption by single parents and doesn’t have strict age restrictions like many other countries. - Adoption Buzz

Between 60,000 and 100,000 children in this state of 5.5 million people are thought to be orphans – a term here that refers to children who have lost their fathers and whose mothers are too poor to look after them. - Adoption Buzz