An agreement between the United States and Vietnam that has enabled the adoptions of hundreds of Vietnamese children came to an end last week as a result of corruption revelations that came to light during an April investigation by the U.S. embassy in Hanoi.

"The six-month investigation of 300 cases unearthed disturbing situations, including hospitals sending babies to orphanages for overseas adoption in the wake of parents being unable to pay medical bills for the birth. Health officials also got financial inducement. In one case a grandmother sent a baby girl for adoption without the knowledge of the parents, though in that instance the baby was reunited with her mother."

The adoption agreement between the two countries has been suspended indefinitely, until both sides can resolve disagreements over the program. Source: KazinForm

Labels: international, corruption, Vietnam

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A Nepalese woman who unknowingly signed a document giving her children up for adoption may not be able to get them back, according to a local news report that says illegal trafficking is a major concern in the country.

"Activists are concerned that the lucrative business of inter-country adoption of Nepalese children - with clients from Europe and the USA willing to spend as much as $25,000 per child - increases the risk of abduction, trafficking and the illegal sale of children by children's homes."

While the government is committed to protect children from being illegally adopted, monitoring of adoption agencies and orphanages is sparse. Source: IRIN (Integrated Regional Information Networks)

Labels: international, Nepal, activists

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The latest adoption figures from the CDC show that twice as many men as women have adopted a child. The figures debunk one of the most commonly held beliefs about adoption - that most kids are adopted by women.

"Why might men adopt more often than women? Jones points to divorce arrangements. Children of divorced parents usually live with their mothers. When men and women remarry, men are more likely than women to adopt children that come into the household."

Adoption by same-sex couples is another reason the figures for men may be higher than for women. Despite the trend toward same-sex adoptions, men who have never been married are far less likely to adopt than men who are married or have been married before. Source: WebMD

Labels: fathers, men

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A baby born to a surrogate mother in India is now in limbo after the parents divorced and the mom decided she didn't want the baby.

"Commercial surrogacy has been legal in India since 2002 and the child born of such an agreement is then legally adopted by its biological parents. But Indian law does not allow single men to adopt."

Consequently, the baby is still in the hospital, and is now deemed an orphan. Lawmakers are unsure how to proceed or how to fully release the baby so she can be adopted by someone else. Source: Daily Mail (UK)

Labels: orphans, biological_parents, surrogate

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Once every four years, they gather at the base of Mt. Hood in the small town of Welches, Oregon, for a family reunion. But this group of 245 people from 71 families isn't related by blood; rather, they've all adopted children from the Yangchun Orphanage in China.

"The first adoptions from the Yangchun Orphanage took place in 1995. The orphanage has since undergone some changes. When [Kelly] Kneeland went to pick up [her daughter] Grace in 2001, there were about 120 babies and only 12 caregivers... Today, the orphanage has about one caregiver for every four babies."

At the reunion, the children are given matching T-shirts and enjoy games, crafts, and other activities. Parents can attend adoption- and culture-related classes. The group is hoping to hold it's 2012 reunion in the place where it all started - the Yangchun Orphanage. Source: PNW Local News

Labels: families, cultures, reunions

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Commonwealth Adoptions International, Inc., plans to close because it is unable to get the accreditation required by many countries. The agency has offices in Florida, Pennsylvania, Texas and Arizona.

"The agency learned in July that it had been denied accreditation required by the Hague convention - a treaty that governs international adoption, signed by the United States and nearly 75 other countries."

The agency intends to transfer most of its existing clients to other agencies, while other families that are further along in the adoption process will be able to complete it with Commonwealth. Source: Arizona Daily Star

Labels: agencies, accreditation, inter-country_adoption

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When a couple experiences a miscarriage, friends and family often rally around to offer support, care, and hope. But friends and family may not understand that the loss of a child through an unsuccessful adoption can be equally painful.

"Preparation for adoption involves anticipation, as a place in both the home and the heart is prepared... If the adoption fails, the couple is left knowing that 'their child' is out there somewhere, being raised by someone else. The loss can be so acute it prevents couples from trying again."

To make matters worse, the couple may already be grieving their inability to conceive. Friends and family need to offer support, and the couple may want to seek some professional counseling to help with the grieving process. Source: Star-Gazette (Elmira, NY)

Labels: adoptees, failures, feelings

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New Life Church in Conway, Arkansas, plans to use its orphan ministry, The Refuge, to bring adoptive parents together with Ethiopian orphans. About 40 orphans will come to Conway for a two-week camp during which they'll spend time with potential adoptive parents.

"The two-week 'camp' involves the children staying with their sponsor families, doing activities together and bonding... After the camp, all the children return to Ethiopia."

The children won't know they're being considered for adoption. They won't know until the adoption process begins and their adoptive parents visit them in their home country. Source: Log Cabin Democrat

Labels: orphans, ministries, church

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Congress recently enacted a tax credit aimed at helping ease the financial burden of adoption. Though the credit applies to both foreign and domestic adoptions, parents adopting domestically may get the credit sooner.

"People who adopt in the USA can claim a credit for adoption-related expenses in the year the adoption is completed or the year after they apply, even if it is still pending. But parents who adopt a non-U.S. child can claim the credit only in the year the adoption is completed."

Because of increased regulations in many countries, foreign adoptions take longer than they used to. Additionally, an unsuccessful foreign adoption isn't eligible for any portion of the credit, while an unsuccessful domestic adoption may be. Source: USA Today

Labels: financial_assistance, tax_deductions

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Grant and Susan Grebner enjoy watching Collin and Jac play with their mom, Amanda Holland. Grant and Susan adopted the boys years ago, from Amanda, who is their biological mom. When asked about Holland, Collin answers "she's my birth mother."

"There was a time when Holland was not supposed to know the Grebners, and Collin was not supposed to know his birth mother. In fact, his birth certificate would not have mentioned Holland's name... The trend toward open adoptions is spreading... All of the major national adoption agencies, except the National Council for Adoption, endorse some level of contact between birth parents, adoptive parents and the child."

The relationship between birth and adoptive families ranges from occasional exchanges of cards and pictures to extended visits and even trips together. So far, the Grebners and Holland say their relationship is working out well and that the kids are better off for having more than one set of parents. Source: Peoria (IL) Journal Star

Labels: open_adoption, birth-mothers

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Nebraska enacted a safe haven law that took effect on July 18th, and in so doing became the final state to implement such a law.

"Passed in February by the state's nonpartisan Legislature, the law specifies that no person can be prosecuted for leaving any child in the custody of any on-duty hospital employee."

What makes Nebraska's law unique is that it defines a "child" as anyone 19 years old or younger. The unusual amendment was passed because opposing legislators felt the risk to babies far outweighed the likelihood that someone would drop off a teenager. Source: InfoZine

Labels: legislation, safe-haven, safe_houses

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