Do you think that DNA testing should be done for all international adoptions?

Question

Considering the corruption going on and being ignored by adoptive parents, do you think it would help stop the unethical/criminal activities?

Do you think that adoptive parents as well need make sure that they are not buying a baby, especially in countries like Guatemala where it got out of control? Many of the organisations there had fake birth mothers meet adoptive parents.

Answer 1

YES!

I would also take it a step further.  If unethical or criminal activities are proved thru DNA testing, then in that country, all adoptions would be shut down.  I think it would send a message loud and clear.  There is a right and ethical way to adopt children internationally and we will not support or tolerate corruption in any shape or form where adoption is concerned.  These are children's lives we are dealing with.

ETA: Yes, I do believe it is the adoptive parents responsibility.  I can only go by our past experience.  We adopted a toddler and she is the spitting image of her father and sisters. The whole family was there grandfather, uncles, aunts, and cousins.  Also there was a 5 hours trip involved with a translator to their village.  That would be a lot to fake.  Hiring fake First mothers is so underhanded that the organizations should be shut down immediately.

Answer 2

If corruption is so bad that DNA testing is required, the US should simply not allow adoption from those countries.

Answer 3

DNA testing only helps if the mother can voluntarily relinquish - in which case it is a good idea. In many countries mother's abandon their children in safe places so they will be placed for adoption, so there is no parent to check the DNA against.

Answer 4

When possible, sure.  In a country like Guatemala, where most children are actually born in a hospital and there is some access to general medical care, it is possible.

In other areas of the world, that are less politically stable than Guatemala, it's not always possible to locate the family.  Many children are foundlings, separated by war, and all attempts to locate biological relatives have failed.  In China, children available for adoption are mostly abandoned, due to the one-child policy and cultural favortism toward male offspring.  As it is illegal in China to abandon a child, should the family come forward for DNA testing, they would be arrested.  

But I would say that in areas and situations where it is fesiable, yes, DNA testing should be done.

Answer 5

I wrote an ethics paper on DNA testing of people who aren't sick.

It is a bad idea for the person being tested, right now the laws are very fuzy on what can be done with that data, insurance might be able to reject you for "pre-existing" anything...

Besides genetic testing wouldn't tell you if you were buying a baby. Even the birth parent could try selling their kid.

The only thing you can do is make it unprofitable to sell a child.

Answer 6

Of course.

Answer 7

Of course it should be....The origination of the corruption is from the side of the country where the child is being adopted from. Do you really think they should police themselves?

Involving the UN would not help much either.