“Every child has the right to know and be cared for by his or her own parents, whenever possible. UNICEF believes that families needing support to care for their children should receive it.” UNICEF

The Uniform Adoption Act calls for the protection of “minor children against
unnecessary separation from their birth parents.”

Get it? Children have a RIGHT to their “own” parents – i.e. those who conceived and bore him,. that is very child’s fist right. Alternative care is necessary for children who are truly orphaned or have no extended family able to provide safe care for them…but they still should ne be deprived of an ongoing relationship or knowledge of their original family. American adoption denies them that human right. But such alternative care is always a last resort after all means of keeping the child within his kin is explored and exhausted. And international adoption is the last, last resort …again, as per the UN.

Adoption is about finding homes for needy children. It is NOT about – or should not be about — finding children to meet anyone’s desire or the orders they believe entitled to such as specific ages.

Children have become commodities. There is big money in their redistribution. That is why they are being sent INTO and OUT OF the US!! They go anyone who can pay. They’ve even been adopted to pedophiles!

The profit must be removed from child care for it to be child-centered and put the interests of children first. THAT IS THE WHOLE POINT HERE. Nothing more and nothing less.

True rights do not impose an implicit obligation upon any other person to provide them to us. In fact, rights exist in greatest measure when we are each simply “left alone”.

If something must be provided to us at the expense of someone else in order for us to have it, then it may be an entitlement, a privilege, or an act of charity – but it is not a “right”.

The constitution of the US grants further “rights” such as a right to nurture one’s biological children. The UN CRC calls for the right of children to maintain contact with their family of origins.

However, there is no right to adopt the child os an unrelated person. it does not exis anywhere in the world. It is a PRIVILEGE!

It is hard for some Americans to understand the mentality of families living in destitution. They examine situations from their ideology and norms – and that is unrealistic. Does this justify kidnapping babies and coercing parents to place children for adoption? Absolutley not. But there were MANY changes that could have been made to the adoption system without closing down adoption AND leaving over 900 children in the middle of adoptions in limbo. Their birthmothers have ahd the opportunity to reclaim their children, but haven’t.

Ideally, no child would ever be separated from their parents and every family would be able to raise their children. That would be a perfect world and we should aim for that, and many adoptive parents are huge supporters of the countries their children come from. But until the world is a better place for everyone, these children CAN’T WAIT. They need food, home, education, and most important a LOVING permanent family.

” The kids are beautiful and they are just starving for attention! I would guess there were between 40 and 50 kids from age 4 and down outside playing when we arrived and just 4 women trying to be care giver, referee, booboo soother and play partner. An impossible task! They do their best but the odds are a little overwhelming.”

Adoption is intended to help kids – no one has a RIGHT to adopt! Those who are adopting ARE choosing and their choices are leaving behind those most in need while creating demand that perpetuates more child trafficking.

Children ARE kidnapped and trafficked for adoption in Guatemala and elsewhere. Saying it is not so does not change that proven FACT. There children have been identified as living with US families and our government has not complied with international treaties to investigate .

See: threedaysforthreedaughters.typepad.com

Mirah, when someone wants to expand their family, it is their right to choose where they adopt from and what age child they feel capable of raising.

Many Canadians have adopted American childen over the years. You can check out the stats at this website. http://www.adoption.ca/2008%20International%20Adoption%20Stats.htm
African Americans do not suffer from the same degree of prejudice in Canada as they do in the US. I do believe that many of these children are part of open adoptions, an option none of the Korean adoptees in the study ever had.
For that matter, adoptive parents with children from other countries are doing searches for birth parents so that their children will have contact with their birth parents. That contact makes a world of difference to the adopted children and brings peace of mind to the birth parents, and allows the adoptive parents to know the true circumstance behind the reasons for the adoption.

Adoptive parents of children born in Guatemala often help support the birth families back in Guatemala.

Elimination of corruption in adoption must always be strived for. However, I do not agree with you that adoption should be eliminated. As more longitudinal studies on the effects of adoption on internationally and transracially adopted children are done, there will be a difference in results from the study by the Donaldson Institute (I read the study by the way). Adoption is no longer a “dirty secret,” and the children adopted in the last 10 years or more are growing up in a healthier more acceptable and understanding environment.

As for Korean adoptees versus domestic, you might want to read:

A recent study, “Beyond Culture Camp: Promoting Positive Identity Formation in Adoption,” by Evan B. Donaldson examined two adult groups — Korean-born adoptees and white adoptees. More white adoptees (35 percent) than Korean (21 percent) indicated teasing simply because they were adopted.

*** And one more time – my major criticism in this article is EXPORTING US kids, and again I ask: what rationale is there for that? ***

To Mirah:
I’ve read a lot of what Korean adoptees have had to say and am in contact with one of them who has returned to live in Korea. Adoptees were treated radically different at the time many of these Korean adoptees were brought to the U.S. Adoptive parents were told to act as if their adopted child was just like them – the old “melting pot theory.” Little if any discussion of adoption took place and the adoptees’ ethnic background and culture were ignored. Things are radically different now in most adoptive families.

And regarding who decides how a person enlarges their family – You said, “Why should we support transnational adoptions while ignoring our own kids in need?” That decision is up to the people who are going to raise the child. And why put this burden solely on people who are adopting? Following your train of thought, why not force people to adopt these children rather than have a biological child? Is it only people who have fertility problems or a desire to reach beyond the borders of their own country that should take care of the children in foster care in this country?

On the other hand, I believe every word Mirah Riben says.