How do the Irish treat their orphans? Can Americans adopt out of Ireland?

Question

When I was in college one of the professors told us that she used to work in an orphange in Ireland. She said that it was horrible. I don't know when she was their but she looked like she was in her 30s or 40s so it couldn't have been that long ago.

How are the Orphans treated? Can they be adopted out of the country?

Answer 1

No.  Americans cannot adopt out of Ireland.

ETA:  I think Renee's ex boyfriend must have been a black market adoption - quite common back then :(

Answer 2

Foster care is no picnic and American group homes are pretty awful too. Many of these children CAN be adopted.

Answer 3

My ex-boyfriend in college was adopted out of Ireland.  His parents are American and they went through an adoption attorney.  He found a baby boy in Ireland who was put up for adoption without a family picked out and the paper work started.  He is around 33 now so that happened 33 years ago.

Answer 4

irish orphanages have a bad reputation for good reason.

up until 20 years ago they were worse than h**l and the state and church are being sued by thousands of people who suffered. these children were mostly there because their mum was a single mum, or their fathers were widowed. most of these places are gone now and instead irish children are fostered rather than put in orphanages or adopted.

it is difficult to adopt an irish child, dont think there are very many true orphans anymore. women tend to keep their babies if born outside of marriage and men raise their own kids.

Answer 5

The sorts of orphanages you're referring to were run by religious orders and dont exist anymore. Quite alot of the children in them were taken away from single mothers who wanted to keep them but werent allowed because they were unmarried. Most were put up for adoption without the consent of the mothers. This happened to my aunt she sued the state for compensation over it.

There are no orphanages in Ireland at all anymore. Very few woman put their children up for adoption. All the people i know (including a few of my cousins) who are adopted were in long term foster care first and were adopted my their foster parents.

Adoption of Irish children outside of Ireland isnt allowed unless your a relative of the child.