INTERNATIONAL ADOPTION Chloe D’Souza Eva (OHS) International adoption has faced many criticisms and is often misunderstood. Families can face backlash from others, as well as exploitation from adoption agencies. Additionally, there is the danger of the adoptee not being an orphan in need of care, but instead a victim of human trafficking groups. In recent years, the dangers of international adoption have been revealed, ranging from the effects of children taken from their history and culture, to the influence of celebrities and the view of international adoption as a “trend”, in which babies are taken from their culture and established lives. However, among the online horror stories are the positive effects of international adoption. The uncovering of appalling conditions in orphanages found some children transformed with sensitive parenting, and advocates see international adoption as full of opportunities. Certainly, it is a controversial issue, and as I researched the topic, I began to understand why. Why do people choose international adoption? The process of international adoption has some similarities to national adoption, but people’s reasons for choosing it vary. In a survey I sent out to my school year, the majority of people guessed that the most significant motivating factor is that “They feel they as parents and their country could offer the child a better quality of life”. This reflects what I found online, but it seems to change in every situation. Some, for example, see it as a religious calling; others have familial ties to a certain country. For example, if an individual was biracial, they may feel drawn to adopt a child in similar circumstances as they could relate to their experience and give the child a better quality of life through their understanding. Whilst these ideas are positive, there are also darker motivations involved. For example, it has been suggested that many choose international adoption because of celebrities doing the same; this has led to the term the “Angelina Jolie factor”, following her adoption in 2005 of a child from Ethiopia. This could be seen as positive - celebrities serving as inspiration could lead to more children adopted. However, it could also be argued that influence by celebrities is not a valid reason for international adoption, and that people judging the experience on biased news reports may find themselves unprepared for the realities of international adoption. Hopefully, with the complicated application process, people adopting for this reason will be discouraged. The eye opening situation of Ethiopia. Following adoptions by high profile celebrities, countries like Ethiopia came into the light and questions were raised about their ethical standards relating to adoption.
Debate came from both sides, eventually culminating in the case of Larry and Carri Williams, in which their daughter Hana Grace-Rose Williams, adopted from Ethiopia, died from hypothermia. Upon investigation it was found that the couple had left her outside in their garden where she died from hypothermia and starvation in May 2011. Her step-brother Immanuel, also adopted from Ethiopia, testified that he and Hana were beaten and abused, such as being locked in a closet. Carri Williams was sentenced to just under 37 years, whilst Larry was given almost 28. This case is considered by Ethiopia as a factor in preventing international adoptions; this was finalised in May 2018. The UK, however, gives different reasons, highlighting trafficking and corruption as suspected problems. This case and the subsequent ban also raised the question of what happened to the children adopted prior to the ban - could it be possible that some children were unknowingly trafficked, with no knowledge of their searching families and previous life? How can an ethical adoption be ensured? In the survey, I also included some ethical questions- for example, I was interested in people’s opinions regarding the ages of those involved. In the UK, with national adoption, you must be at least 21, and can adopt a child of any age. 68% of people, given this fact, believed that the age to adopt internationally should also be 21, with 27% stating that the minimum age should be somewhere from 22 to 30. I found this intriguing many countries, such as China, give a minimum age of 30, which was chosen by only one person in the survey. Perhaps, at this age, people are assumed to be both more mature and financially stable. In addition, costs range significantly - in the UK, the average cost for an adoption is £10-12,000, whilst in America this is much higher at around $35,000 (or £27,000). Estimates from the survey ranged from £400 to £77,000, but excluding outliers, the mean was ~$12,000 or ~£9300; fairly accurate considering many added “I don’t know”. Research was highlighted as important when considering international adoption, with several people in the survey mentioning how “I would definitely research before making a decision”, and people saying that they “don’t know enough about it”, suggesting that they would need to do their own independent research were it a consideration. Such research would involve the requirements of adoption in different countries, as well as careful selection of different international agencies. With the help of the internet, individual stories can be found, in which people have detailed their experience with various agencies. In addition, organisations like the IAC offer courses on inter-country adoption, so each person can do their best to ensure that they are doing their best to ensure their child is not one that has been taken from a family and trafficked into the system for the monetary gain of a corrupt organisation. In the survey, there was a trend in people acknowledging the
