International Adoption

International Adoption Research Paper
Adoption is a very important service to all of the children around the world that do not have permanent homes; for children who have to live in orphanages. I personally think adopting a child is a great thing to do and very generous to help someone in need. International adoption interested me because my father was adopted as a very young child from Mexico. His adoptive parents had roots in Mexico but they lived in the United States and could not have a baby for fertility reasons. Adoption was the right choice for them so they looked at children from Mexico. They found my dad and fell in love. They have always cared for him as if he were their own. I find it very interesting how different his life would have been, had he not been adopted or been kept by his birth parents. He is very thankful to have been adopted by a wonderful and loving family.
There are many reasons why couples choose to adopt a child. Infertility can be a significant reason for wanting to adopt a child. Also other kinds of couples, like transgender or homosexuals, might feel the need to one day have children together. It’s biologically impossible for couples like these to have children of their own; so this is where adoption can come into play. Dr. Deb Kindy gave a lecture last semester about transgender and different types of identities. I think my topic relates because if those people want to have children, adoption can be a great source to use. By adopting a child, one is giving the child a loving and supportive family. It is a very rewarding experience to adopt and knowing you made a difference in a child’s life.
I believe that international adoption is better than domestic adoption; because it is a great way to build your family while helping suffering children from third world countries live a normal and safe life. Domestic adoption is to adopt a child within your own country. International adoption is to adopt a child who is a resident of another country. Although all adoption is beneficial for children in need of a family and place to live; international adoption is a better choice.
A majority of the time, children from third world countries do not have agencies and foster homes to go to if they are not adopted, they remain abandoned, homeless and sometimes starve. Whereas the United States has more money and organizations to not only provide for, but also care for children waiting to be adopted. There is brutal treatment in some orphanages around the world.
For example according to Chris Rogers, an investigator for ITV News in the United Kingdom, thousands of children are confined to a miserable Romanian hospital. Due to the lack of workers and large amounts of abandoned children, the children are driven mad and starve until they die. They are left in metal cribs, living like animals. They are not only becoming mentally damaged, but also physically injured. People just abandon their children because there are not fit to be parents or the child is deformed. There are many children that are not receiving any care at this hospital; it is becoming more like a zoo. Their hands are tied behind their backs to stop from hurting others and themselves. They also tie children to beds to stop them from ruining the walls. They are so troubled that they run into the walls and throw their bodies around. This is all because there is not enough money for real foster care systems and adoption agencies in Romania. The nurses feel bad, but they know that they are out numbered and overwhelmed by the amount of orphans to take care of.
Chris Rogers secretly filmed the orphanage and what was going on there. After the footage aired on the news, the Romanian government said, “We have reformed the child protection system and made it possible for local authorities to prevent abandonment and protect all children in need, by appropriate placement in substitute families.” This kind of treatment is ridiculous especially to innocent, helpless children. Romania is working on their system for the children but it is still very much a problem. This is where international adoption comes into play. Adopting these poor children would change their lives forever. It would give them a chance at life at all.
According to AdoptAmericaNetwork.org, there are 130,000 children in the U.S. foster care system eligible and waiting to be adopted. Meaning that there are 130,000 children who may not have families but do have some sort of housing, bed, and food provided by the U.S. Foster care system. Third world countries are not able to provide these amenities for children waiting to be adopted. As stated by the Ethiopia Adoption Program, adoption allows needy children from Ethiopia the chance to escape poverty and life threatening conditions.
Some might say that for every international child adopted, there is one less American child adopted. Which means we are accumulating more and more children, it will eventually over whelm us like in Romania. This however is not true because although our economy is in a rut right now, we are better off than other countries around the world. We can save lives by focusing on children that are being maltreated and adopting those children before our well treated American foster children. The United States will never dispose of its funding for foster and adoption services. The United States government has always had great support of the children of the country.
There are many positive aspects to adopting internationally. It offers a diverse perspective in your family because you are allowing a child, with different perspectives on culture, characteristics, language, and beliefs, into your home to teach you and your family. Also, most countries require a visit to the country before the finalization of the international adoption process. This could be viewed as a positive, because it gives the parents an insight of what their child’s past life was like and the culture that they came from. Furthermore it helps in understanding and getting to know the child too. Additionally, the birthmother will not change her mind in international adoption. In order for a child to be adopted by an international adoptee, the child must legally be an orphan. With the child being an orphan, there is no birthmother around any more to change her mind. There is also a much greater availability of children to adopt which therefore makes it easier and faster to receive a child. In fact, there are also less requirements and restrictions on who can adopt internationally because there are so many children who need to be put into good, loving homes. For this reason, they do not have as strict rules on age, sex, marital status, sexual orientation and number of children, unlike the United States domestic adoption restrictions.
International adoption has been in the media 's spotlight in recent months as notable Hollywood stars, such as Angelia Jolie and Madonna, choose to adopt children internationally. However, this does not mean that domestic adoption has gone to the wayside; in fact domestic adoption continues to grow each year as more couples decide to adopt a child in the U.S. rather than venturing overseas.
One very great difference between domestic and international adoption is the availability of the medical and social history of the child and their birth parents. The medical history of children adopted internationally is often very little, if available at all. This is one negative that many parents do not feel comfortable with. It is common for couples to adopt a child internationally without any knowledge of the child 's medical history. Information regarding the social history of the child 's birth parents is also often not available.
However, the medical and social history of children adopted domestically is typically available. Couples adopting domestically are provided the medical records of the child, and are informed of any social history of the birth parents pertaining to the child. Some agencies, such as American Adoptions, make this information available to families prior to entering into an adoption agreement, giving them the choice of accepting the match based on those factors or not.
When it comes to choosing between international and domestic adoption, there are many factors to consider. Couples should do their best to fully research each of these adoption avenues and then weigh their options. While domestic adoption may be a better fit for couples seeking a newborn, other couples may prefer to adopt a child from another country to add cultural diversity to their family. Whether it is domestic or international, couples should choose an adoption plan that not only meets their adoption desires, but is also one that they are fully comfortable with.

Bibliography (annotated bibliography separate)
• Demissie, Shimeliss. "Ethiopia Program." Hope Adoption Agency. N.p., 2010. Web. 20 February 2010. http://www.hopeadoptionagency.org/ethiopia.htm

• Financial FAQ." Foster Care: Change a Lifetime. N.p., 2010. Web. 29 March 2010. http://www.fostercaremonth.org/ContactUs/LinkToUs/Pages/default.aspx

• Leppanen, Peter. "Adoption Process." Ethiopia Adoption Program . N.p., 2010. Web. 3 April 2010. http://www.whfc.org/adoption/ethiopia/process.htm

• "Orphanages in Romania EU country." You Tube. Web. 3 April 2010. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kh8eov81Cc4

• Ransom, Richard. "About adopting." Adopt America Network. N.p., 2010. Web. 1 March 2010. http://adoptamericanetwork.org/about-adopting/

Bibliography: (annotated bibliography separate) • Demissie, Shimeliss. "Ethiopia Program." Hope Adoption Agency. N.p., 2010. Web. 20 February 2010. http://www.hopeadoptionagency.org/ethiopia.htm • Financial FAQ." Foster Care: Change a Lifetime. N.p., 2010. Web. 29 March 2010. http://www.fostercaremonth.org/ContactUs/LinkToUs/Pages/default.aspx • Leppanen, Peter. "Adoption Process." Ethiopia Adoption Program . N.p., 2010. Web. 3 April 2010. http://www.whfc.org/adoption/ethiopia/process.htm • "Orphanages in Romania EU country." You Tube. Web. 3 April 2010. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kh8eov81Cc4 • Ransom, Richard. "About adopting." Adopt America Network. N.p., 2010. Web. 1 March 2010. http://adoptamericanetwork.org/about-adopting/