Everyday a news story can raise new questions for adoptive families?

September 21, 1:59 PMAllentown Adoptive Families ExaminerBill Schankel

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On Sunday, September 20, 2009, the Allentown Morning Call  ran a story by Los Angeles Times reporter Barbara Demick title “Chinese babies stolen by officials for foreign adoption.”  The story tells of devious officials working for various family planning organizations in China who tricked families in rural China to give up their babies in order to avoid fines and punishment by the government. The children were then put up for adoption, and more than likely, adopted by foreigners.

According to the Chinese Center for Adoption Affairs, the cases were limited to a small area and all of the individuals involved have been punished accordingly.   I sincerely hope that is the case. However, as Wendy Mailman from Philadelphia said, as an adoptive parent, this makes you question everything you thought you knew about your child’s adoption. 

I know that our adoption agency, Pearl S. Buck International’s Welcome House program, is very reputable.  I also know that, for the most part, the Chinese Center for Adoption Affairs is a very good advocate for the children in China and works hard to police the process and ensure that policies are followed.   I know that the orphanage that our daughter was in was not involved in the scandal, according to reports.  So overall I know a lot.  Unfortunately, I don’t know everything.

On the positive side, these stories have helped to bring about significant change. For those individuals involved with the adoption process,  the Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption, has added many extra steps to the process of adopting.  As of 2008, this regulation has been ratified by 76 countires, including China and the United States. 

It is designed to:
• Keep the the best interest of children as a priority in intercountry adoption.
• Prevent abduction, exploitation, sale, or trafficking of children.

It also requires that adoption agencies will need to be accredited in order to continuing offering adoption services.  Will the Hague prevent further heartbreaking stories of birth parents having their children stolen?  Probably not.  Is it a step in the right direction?  Absolutely.