Introduction
After being told they were “too white” to adopt an interracial child, Francesca Polini and her husband Rick, of West London, were able to adopt Gaia, 3, and 11-month-old Luca from Mexico. Polini wrote a book about their adoption experience and established an organization, Adoption with Humanity, to oppose caps on interracial adoptions in Britain. (AP Photo/Rex Features)
|
The number of foreign orphans — usually from developing countries — adopted by families in wealthy countries has plummeted in recent years. In 2010, only 30,000 of the world's nearly 18 million orphans were adopted by parents from other countries. Nations such as South Korea, Brazil, China and Russia — which traditionally allowed thousands of children to be adopted overseas — have drastically restricted or shut down their foreign adoption programs, in part because of fears that the huge amounts of money spent by prospective parents and adoption agencies — up to $100 million a year — have led to bribery, fraud, trafficking and kidnapping. The Hague Convention, an international treaty to regulate international adoptions, has been endorsed by many countries, with mixed results. Adoption advocates say the crackdowns mean that up to 2 million children still languish in sometimes squalid institutions, many of whom will end up living on the street after leaving their orphanages.
|
|
|
 |
Dec. 06, 2011 |
International Adoption |
 |
Apr. 22, 2005 |
Child Welfare Reform |
 |
Sep. 10, 1999 |
Adoption Controversies |
 |
Jan. 09, 1998 |
Foster Care Reform |
 |
Nov. 26, 1993 |
Adoption |
 |
Sep. 27, 1991 |
Foster Care Crisis |
 |
Dec. 11, 1987 |
Independent Adoptions |
 |
Nov. 16, 1984 |
Issues in Child Adoption |
 |
Jun. 27, 1973 |
Child Adoption |
 |
Nov. 09, 1951 |
Child Adoption Safeguards |
| | |
|