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

dangers of international adoption, with one stating that that it is important to “do enough research and work with organisations like Lumos that make sure that international adoption is ethical”. In addition, 80% of people considered child trafficking schemes related to international adoption as the most significant problem in the process. It was reassuring to see that so many people recognised both the potential dangers and the need for further research.

Individual cases

I was fortunate to be able to talk to two people in my year with experience of international adoption. Jasmine* told me about her sister who was adopted from Thailand at 18 months. When adopted, she could not speak, but understood some Thai. In the survey, on a scale of 100, with 0 being “not important”, and 50 being “neither important nor unimportant”, and 100 as “very important”, the average number given was 75. Many websites agreed that “recognition and understanding as well as respect for the racial and ethnic origin of the adoptee is vital.” Jasmine told me that her family also agreed that it was important to keep their adopted daughter connected to her culture. They plan to take her on a tour of her homeland when she is older, and currently send her to Dharma school, which teachers her Buddhist values, as Buddhism is the most practised religion in Thailand. When she came to the country, the family found that she was malnourished and had been subject to a lack of individual care; the situation of one carer to about twenty children was all that she had known for the first 18 months of her life, an unfortunately common situation in many countries, which can lead to attachment and behavioural problems. As a result, they found that she was initially very clingy and reluctant to be away from them. However, they found that there were no other long term effects, and Jasmine told me her sister improved with time and has grown into a happy, settled six year old. Olivia*, another girl I talked to, was adopted from Vietnam at 9 weeks old, and she too went with her family to see the country where she was born. However, though she enjoyed the experience, she does not feel a strong need to re-visit. Her sister, also adopted internationally, from China, was adopted when she was around 1 year old. Similarly to the other individual I talked to, she displayed Type C behaviour (as defined by Ainsworth’s Strange Situation), such as extreme separation anxiety but saw no long term effects. In addition, I found it interesting that both Olivia and her sister were raised by a single mother, and also personally knew other single mothers who had adopted internationally. I found this encouraging as many reports online had spoken on the difficulties for single mothers trying to adopt internationally. The most glaring message from my research process was that international adoption is very difficult to speak about in general terms. Previously, I would have assumed that

both families would have had more difficulties than what they described. However, clearly each individual has a different experience and this should be taken into account; though there are patterns, it should be considered, when possible, on a case by case basis.

Conclusion

The situation in Ethiopia, the case of Hana Williams and the trend in celebrities adopting internationally exposed many of the problems, and the truth about some adopted before the ban may never be known. However, since then, things have been handled with more tough regulations to prevent unethical practices such as human trafficking. Because of these restrictions, and the time involved in the process, it should be more difficult for people to adopt based on the passing celebrity “trend”; in addition, the steep cost would likely discourage those unwilling to commit fully. I found that research was the most important factor, frequently highlighted in the survey responses. Talking with the girls in my year was also a valuable experience, showing the importance of considering international adoption on an individual basis- though the internet provides useful statistics and practical help, the responses from both the survey and individuals I spoke to gave me the most insight, leading me to conclude that a combination of research and sensitive parenting are essential for a successful international adoption.

Bibliography

http://www.icacentre.org.uk/adopters/intercountryadoption/getting-started/

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4124360/ Angelina-Jolie-s-adopted-Ethiopian-daughter-Zahara. html

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1375752/ Angelina-Jolie-factor-More-Americans-adoptingchildren-different-countries-different-races.html https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/ uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/ file/708778/Adoptions_restricted_list_2018.pdf

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-42635641

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-uscanada-24035136 https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2479174/ Hana-Williams-adoptive-parents-Larry-Carri-Williamsmaximum-sentences.html

*Name has been changed