This story comes along with the announcement of Mass. Lt. Gov. Timothy Murray’s family’s completed adoption from Guatemala, but ranges far wider with quotes from Adam Pertman
“The aim is to protect everyone, not just to guard against the trafficking,” Mr. Pertman said of the Hague Convention. “It is to make sure that adoptive parents and birth mothers are treated ethically and to make sure the system helps children.
“If we get it right, abide by the spirit and the letter and not play games, it is going to benefit everyone.”
For a look at what can go horrendously wrong in international adoptions, here’s a report about Reaching Arms International and some of the clients who’ve ended up high and dry, and poorer and still childless after engaging the agency to handle their adoptions. Heartbreaking and infuriating.
The agency has had its license revoked and it’s being audited and investigated.
Must be a good time to remind people that educating themselves MUST be the first step in any adoption journey.
And while we’re talking about evil in adoption, not international but nonetheless very compelling, this story about Georgia Tann titled, “Devil in disguise: Adoption in America” takes a look a the woman profiled in the new book by Barbara Bisantz Raymond, “The Baby Thief”.
Understanding the history of adoption is vital for all who strive to keep the option of adoption open to the world’s children, and by understanding what people in the past have been capable of we can better work to protect children and parents, both birth and adoptive.
And for a brief look at family circumstances that could precipitate adoptions that might happen even though biological families are alive, loving, caring, involved, concerned and would never chose to be apart from their children, see this article about deported parents separated from children that have American citizenship. Tens of thousands of families are facing the potential of dragging children back to Latin American countries were poverty will be the only lifestyle available or leaving them in the US … one way or another. I have no doubt that adoption will be considered for some of these kids, adding to the list of orphans: AIDS orphans, true orphans, war orphans social orphans … immigration orphans.
I had not thought about it, but you may very well be right. I know someone who is going to be in Washington, deporting people. I have no doubt she will take great pleasure in deporting moms who have children who are legal citizens. Sad, sad, sad.