Between 1995 and 2005, more than 60,000 Chinese children were adopted by Americans. As China has eased its one-child policy, the number of kids available for adoption has decreased, and adoption of special needs children has begun to rise.

Amy Eldridge of the Oklahoma-based Love Without Boundaries Foundation, which oversees several programs to aid Chinese orphans, says many children with birth defects  boys as well as girls  are abandoned, and they now comprise a majority of the orphan population. "Some parents feel the child will bring bad luck to their family," said Eldridge. [Source: Chicago Post-Tribune]

In addition, a Chinese family planning commission reported that birth defects increased 50 percent between 2001 and 2006. Adoption agencies that place special needs children urge potential adoptive parents to carefully consider the benefits and challenges of adopting a special needs child.

Labels: international, China

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According to a Sept. 25 article by Richard Foot of Canwest News Service, a Canadian mother is worried that her adopted daughter may have been kidnapped from her birth parents:

"I'm very, very scared," says Cathy Wagner, who wants the federal government to stop all Canadian adoptions from China until fears about the true origins of orphans there can be properly investigated.

This week the Los Angeles Times published explosive evidence that Chinese babies, particularly those in rural villages, had been kidnapped from their parents and sold to orphanages by corrupt adoption officials cashing in on the vast sums of money made available by the foreign demand for Chinese children.

The newspaper also said local authorities had tricked or coerced Chinese families into giving up newborns for adoption, only to sell those children to orphanages.

The paper quoted parents in the provinces of Guizhou and Hunan who said their babies had been stolen, sold, and adopted overseas in recent years.

Officials from the Chinese Center for Adoption Affairs have told foreign diplomats that, while there have been abuses in the past, they no longer occur, Foot reported.

Labels: international, China

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The family planning laws in China are very strict. Each couple is allowed to have just one child, and those do not follow this rule are required to pay a $2,000 fine for each additional child. Reports have begun to surface about children being taken from parents who can't pay the fine, and then being sold into adoptive families.

Tang Jian, leader of Birth Control Administrative Bureau Inspection Team of Ahenyuan county apparently admitted the practice was prevalent at the time [from 2004-2006].

"It is true that some baby girls were forced be brought [sic] into the charity house and then send abroad," he was quoted as saying. (Source: The Telegraph News)

No one has yet determined how prevalent the practice has been, but Chinese officials ensure international adoption agencies that it has been stopped.

Labels: international, China

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When the devastating earthquake hit the Sichuan province of China in May 2008, officials estimated that over 5,000 children had been orphaned. Now, months later, the number has dropped to just over 500, and of those, just 88 are eligible for adoption as most others were taken in by relatives.

"The plight of the children featured strongly in both Chinese and international coverage of the earthquake, as it has done in previous disasters. Initial estimates said that 5,500 children had dead or missing parents, and phone lines in Sichuan provincial offices dealing with them were jammed with calls from would-be carers."

To date, just one child who was caught in the earthquake - Zhong Andi - has been adopted. Though he was living with his grandparents, they agreed to the adoption, believing it would give Andi a chance for a better life. Source: Telegraph (UK)

Labels: orphans, orphanages, China

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China has issued a new policy which allows people to register children who have been adopted illegally. The unusual move is intended to protect the children by guaranteeing their legal rights.

"The guideline, jointly issued by five ministries and made public on Monday, allows people to register their illegally adopted children without fear of punishment... The legal rights of these children are not currently guaranteed, such as permanent residence of a city, schooling, and inheritance."

People who have adopted illegally will not have to meet strict requirements regarding age and health. The new policy also requires anyone who finds an abandoned infant to hand the child over to police immediately. Source: Xinhua News (China)

Labels: international, China

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Americans are responding en masse to the devastating earthquake that hit China recently. American adoption agencies have seen a dramatic increase in the number of people interesting in adopting children orphaned by the tragedy. But would-be adoptive parents are advised to be aware that some unsavory individuals are attempting to take advantage of this catastrophe for fraudulent purposes.

"Now that increased interest to adopt has prompted a scam targeting American families, who are hoping to help a Chinese orphan find a home. 'They've been contacted from China, and [are] being offered an opportunity to adopt a child from the earthquake region... for an adoption fee of fifteen thousand dollars,' says [Lanny] Knight."

Knight is the Executive Director of an adoption agency and he warns people not to fall for this scam. Legitimate adoption agencies won't cold call people with adoption offers. Knight urges people to make sure that adoption agencies are legally licensed entities. Source: KMPH News - Fresno, California

Labels: China, scams, fraud

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Since 1991, Americans have adopted about 68,000 children from China. In the aftermath of the recent devastating earthquake there, many adoptees and their parents feel moved to help victims in the country that brought their families together.

"Half the Sky Foundation, established by adoptive mom Jenny Bowen of Berkeley, Calif., has created an emergency fund to funnel shelter, food, clothing, and other necessities to children in the earthquake zone... Together will larger donations, the foundation's earthquake fund totals about $600,000, with about half already spent."

Other organizations have initiated similar fundraising campaigns, and many individuals have raised money on their own. One mom and her adopted daughter raised $2,400 by making and selling gourmet fortune cookies. Source: Northwest Herald - McHenry County, Illinois

Labels: China, foreign_adoption, money

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In the wake of last week's deadly earthquake, thousands of Chinese are eagerly offering their homes to the more than 4,000 children who are now orphans. It's a surprising response in a country that has not encouraged adoption in the past.

"Some Chinese, reached this week by phone, said they want to adopt because they are unable to have a child of their own. Some see a chance to have a rare second child despite China's strict one-child policy. And some, like Wang [Liqin], whose own baby didn't survive childbirth this year, understand loss and want to help."

The outpouring of love and sympathy from the Chinese means that foreigners may not have a chance to adopt many of the orphaned children. Before any of the children are officially named "orphans," Chinese officials will try to reunite them with family members. Though current estimates put the number of orphans at 4,000, the actual figure can't be calculated while recovery efforts are still in the "search and rescue" phase. Source: Fox News

Labels: orphanages, China, natural_disasters

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The Great Wall of China Adoption Agency held a workshop on Saturday for people considering adopting children from China. The workshop was held at the Wichita Falls Public Library.

"China has two routes you can go... the more popular one is what they call the regular referral route, which means adopting a newborn. The other one is what they call a 'Special Needs' match. Either the child is older... or they have medical needs."

Some people are choosing the special needs route, in part, because the wait for a healthy newborn can be as long as two to three years. Source: KAUZ, Wichita Falls, KS

Labels: China, agencies, workshop

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China has long been a popular choice for people wanting to adopt. But increased delays in the adoption process are causing some to rethink their decision. The delays, caused by tighter restrictions and a smaller number of available children, have jumped from 6-12 months to potentially now 3-4 years for new applicants.

"The uncertainty has fueled rumors and speculation within the tight-knit community of Americans who have adopted from China or hope to do so. Some believe the longer waits are part of a temporary Chinese effort to scale back international adoptions ahead of the Beijing Olympics in August. Others wonder if China may be phasing out foreign adoptions almost entirely."

Still, many families have chosen to simply wait it out, doing their part to facilitate the adoption process and trusting that - in time - it will result in a new addition to their family. Source: CBS News

Labels: international, China

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Several families on Canada's Prince Edward Island (P.E.I.) claim that the government's new policies on international adoptions have created unnecessary obstacles and undue stress on families wishing to adopt internationally.

"Four P.E.I. children have been adopted under China's Waiting Child Program... The program arranges the adoption from China of children with minor medical needs... but the P.E.I government now believes it is illegal for the province to allow agencies to match children and families, as was done previously."

Instead, matches must now be made directly between governments, with no third-party involvement. The province cites China's inclusion in the Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoptions as its reason. A handful of P.E.I families have formed the P.E.I. Adoption Coalition and are lobbying for the province to overturn its decision.

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Labels: international, China, Canada

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Though adoption of Chinese children has declined due to heightened restrictions placed by the Chinese government, there were still 6,494 adoptions last year. Most of these were by families that flew to China to pick up their adopted children and then flew home to the United States. But a small percentage of Chinese adoptions are made up of American expatriates living in China.

"The U.S. is one of just six nations that allow its citizens to adopt a Chinese child while living in China. Other countries are concerned about the lack of control and oversight they have over their far-flung citizens, but American expats seeking to adopt follow the same well-defined adoption process that is required of families living in the U.S."

Though no one currently tracks expat adoptions, some people estimate that between 200 and 300 of these types of adoptions occurred last year.

Labels: international, China, expatriates

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After six months of paperwork and eighteen months of waiting, a family in South Boston has been made complete. Chloe, a 15-month-old baby girl from China, has come home to her eagerly waiting adoptive parents.

"The People's Republic of China began a formal adoption program in 1990; 300 babies were adopted that year. The program has now grown to 12,000 adoptions a year..."

The eighteen-month wait was mainly due to the adoption process in China. The Chinese government carefully matches Chinese babies with American parents. But once they're notified of the match, the potential adoptive parents have just 72 hours to decide whether to accept it. Though the process was long and involved, new parents Claude and Nancy truly believe the Chinese government is doing its best to find homes for China's children. Read more at SouthBostonOnline.com.

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Labels: China, adoption_process, adoption_procedures

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Steve and Stephanie Johnson need about $19,000 to fulfill their dream of adopting a little girl from China. Because they don't have the money on hand, they've had to get creative in thinking of ways to raise the money. This Saturday, they're having a garage sale.

"For the last three weeks, the garage and basement of their Ellis Street home have been stocked with clothing, bicycles, exercise equipment, appliances, toys and other items donated by friends from throughout Wisconsin and from as far away as Minneapolis and Kansas."

The Johnsons expect to have their adoption file sent to China by late June or early July. Twelve to eighteen months after that, they hope to be matched with a little girl. Read more at StevensPointJournal.com.

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Labels: China, adoption_costs, money

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Geoff and Heather Shaw adopted a daughter in 2004 from China. They get a lot of questions about their family, their daughter, and the adoption process. In an attempt to offer help and guidance to other prospective adoptive families, they found an organization called "The Asian Bridge".

"Although the Shaws' work focuses on Chinese adoptions, Geoff hopes that in time he will be able to expand the work of the organization and provide support to people hoping to adopt from other parts of the world."

When people contact the Asian Bridge, the Shaws offer to meet with them, and also introduce them to Lilah, their adopted Chinese daughter. They also help people get connected with the Sunny Ridge Family Center, the organization used by the Shaws when they adopted Lilah. Read more at SuburbanChicagoNews.com.

Labels: international, China, support

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For nearly ten years, China has been the first choice of many Americans wishing to adopt children from abroad. In recent years, however, that trend has been shifting. Americans may still want to adopt Chinese children, but fewer children are being made available.

“Part of the reason for the decline is competition from a growing number of Chinese families that want to adopt… In 1996, about 19,000 Chinese couples sought to adopt; by 2008, that number had jumped to 42,000. There are, however, restrictions on Chinese families, as well. Chinese couples have to be married, 35 or older, have no other children and be financially stable to be approved by the government.” Source: Centre Daily Times (PA)]

Adding to the decline in American adoptions of Chinese kids are the stricter rules China enacted regarding foreign adoption. People seeking to adopt Chinese kids must be married, heterosexual couples between the ages of 30 and 50. They have to have been married for two years, and can have no history of divorce. The new restrictions have caused a 60 percent reduction in the number of Chinese children adopted by Americans. That number isn’t likely to rebound any time soon.

 

Labels: international, China

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Four-year-old Kairissa was adopted from China in April. Her new home was in Tennessee. But now, law enforcement officials are saying that Kairissa was subjected to repeated physical abuse that eventually cost her her life.

Kairissa's story has prompted Chinese officials to revisit that nation's adoption policies

“In response to this latest incident, the China Center of Adoptive Affairs now plans to change their policies with American families, first by possibly stopping work with problematic agencies, then by increasing the number of post adoption supervisory visits.” [Source: WSMV-TV (TN)]

Currently, Chinese policy requires that adoption officials follow up with families six months after the adoption has been finalized. That time frame will be shortened. Additional changes are pending as well.


 

Labels: international, China

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Scott Simon, host of NPR’s Weekend Edition, recently released a book recounting his families experience with adoption. In Baby, We Were Meant For Each Other, Simon paints a picture of family life that is intense, heart-warming and real.

“One of the beautiful aspects of this book is that it explores this idea of belonging through adoption, without limiting the type of adoption. We see families that adopted infants domestically; families that adopted young children internationally; families of one color adopting children of another color; families that adopted their children’s children. The limitless power of love and inclusion.” - Source: Chicago Now

Simon and his wife adopted two little girls from China after they were unable to have biological children. He tells his family’s story, and the stories of so many others, in the hopes of encouraging others to consider adoption as well. And at a time when the media is telling so many negative stories, some good news is just what adoption advocates were hoping for.

Labels: international, China, awareness

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