There has been a fair amount in the papers of late regarding adoption of kids from other countries. There was the mess in Haiti and now the mother who sent her son back to Russia causing the country to ban all adoptions by Americans.It is certainly an arduous route at best. For both the children, who often are not in the best of health and the prospective parents who often aren't screened sufficiently. The process can take years.
Why, then, do these people choose to adopt foreign children rather than one of the multitude of kids needing homes in this country? It is hard for me to believe the process here could be any more difficult then elsewhere.
I understand that the need is great world wide, but some of these youngsters are not mere babies who will be learning language and culture from scratch. They will be foreigners in a strange land, many speaking a different language. How well are they assimilated into the community once away from family?
I'm curious how Oriental and black kids manage. Look at the conflicts Obama had over his identity, being raised by his white grandparents while he bore the features of his father's race. And that was his own family.
It's a subject close to my heart, having been adopted myself. As was my brother before me. From different families. Needless to say I have a lot of respect for those who are willing to adopt. I'm so grateful a young couple chose me, housed and clothed me, educated me and most importantly - loved me.
I just wish I could understand why this day and age American kids seem to take a back seat.
4 comments:
They say American girls are keeping their babies instead of putting them up for adoption.
Oh, this is a touchy subject. I have often wondered myself why American children are not more easily adopted.
Having been in the social service system as a foster parent, I have seen the hoops people have to jump through to even be considered for a child. It may be easier overseas, I do not know.
I would like to see a change within the system to aid families during adoption and not make them feel like they have to fight all the way!
I don't understand why people go to other countries to adopt. Some of the adoptive parents (prospective) are probably not qualifying here, but will qualify somewhere else. But, that can't be all of them. Maybe it makes them feel superior if they take a child whose language they can't speak, or it makes a better story to brag to their friends about.
I guess that is a question that was in all of our minds as we watch on television different stars adopting children from other lands... and then even in our friends and our own family, they have done the same (Korean) and I guess the answer is what is already said.. while it hasn't been easy to adopted else where, but it has to be easier than here... sad, as there are not enough foster parents, so there must be a need here in USA. But we make the rules much harder?
But I agree, the first thought in my mind was why not our own kids in the USA first.
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