With so many American orphanges filled with children with no homes, should international adoption be banned?

Question

If so, why

If not, why not

Answer 1

No I don’t think so some people just want to adopt international its true there are plenty of children here that need to be adopted. However I don’t feel someone should be forced to adopt from a certain place.  In the end a child ends up with a home and family.

Answer 2

Why do people get so hung up on this??

A child is a child and all deserve a family and home. Of course it is best if a child can stay in the country which they were born but that just isn't always possible. Many countries will not adopt 'their own' cause blood is so important to them. Also many will not adopt a child who is less than perfect physically cause of the stigma attached to it.

Questions like this just really get to me cause all children are God's children and all deserve a home and if that means international adoption then so be it!

ETA: If we couldn't have adopted from China or some other country then we would not have adopted. Foster care adoption is just not right for our family. If IA was banned we would not have turned to the US then.

Answer 3

That I am aware of we don't have "orphanages" as it were (at least anymore, but I do agree with sizesmith.

"That advertising needs to be directed to young people in their 20's and 30's. When I was that age, I had been told by unknowing people that I had to own a home, that a rental wouldn't work, and that I had to make above $30 grand a year, and more mis-informed rumors."

I'm 20 and have been told the same things.

"Also, many people want infants, and in our society now, women aren't giving them up like they did even 20 years ago. The stigma that used to be attached to being a single mom doesn't exist now, and so many women keep their kids. Unfortunately, many (but not all of course) of these women are the ones who end up at their wits end, on drugs, can't pay tickets, etc, and end up losing their kids to the foster system, where at that point the kids aren't (and I'm using DHS's term!) marketable and/or placeable. Many times, the kids in foster care have been through so much when they have been exposed to drugs before birth, alcohol, s*x, pedophiles, and the income level of some of the parents losing their kids also means that the kids haven't had proper nutrition, care, or nurtering, and as a result have severe emotional, physical, and mental problems, including ADHD, autism, debilitating illnesses and injuries, and emotional problems where they can't be placed in a home with other children, making the need to have foster care even higher. With our economy now, more kids are entering foster care than ever before, and fewer people are signing up to be foster parents."

This is all true, I have seen it a lot, I grew up with a GREAT single mother (who choose to have me instead of abort me, even though the doctor wanted her to)

"I believe that we should be allowed to adopt children from international adoption, however, it seems this is only an option for the wealthy, and typical middle class families generally adopt from foster care, and domestic adoption. I think our purposes would be better served to have laws that if a women does illegal drugs during pregnancy, she ought to just have her rights taken away immediately. It might clean some idiots up! I also believe that in many cases, kids should be taken away rather than re-exposed to harm more than 2 times over, which would make us need more adoptive families, but it would also satisfy the need to get families together at a younger age, which can help these kids where they aren't going through the same sins over and over. The way we treat our kids, whether they be natural, foster, adopted, or just the neighborhood kids that knock on our doors, needs to be improved. Kids need communication (not just the TV), one on one time, proper homes, proper education, and our time...........because now, we can't afford to stay home with our kids, and kids don't get the nurtering that they used to. Don't get me wrong, I work, and I get mad when men get the same jobs I do at a higher pay, and I don't believe it ought to be that way, however, I think there ought to be more tax breaks and incentives for people who have a stay at home parent. The entire system needs looking at through many areas, and the American people are going to have to make sacrifices, and compromises before everything works."

Again all true, and I agree with her, unfournatley America society has made it where you almost HAVE to have two parents working unless the one working parent makes more then $30K a year (and even then, some people struggle). This has led to our children having less time with us and being raised by relatives or strangers.

Answer 4

Where are all of these American orphanages that you speak of?  The U.S. typically uses a foster system where the parents have not relinquished their rights, so the kids are not adoptable because the courts and social service agencies hope to reunite the families.

Answer 5

we tried to adopt domesticly, it was IMPOSSIBLE! the myth that there are children in the USA with no homes is a media supported lie.

Answer 6

The claim that there are myriads of American kids available for adoption is a myth.

Americans are very generous and adoptable kids are placed very soon after being placed in the "adoptable" category.

Answer 7

No, a child in need is a child in need, regardless of where they come from.

Also, as a foster care/adoption social worker...if a person cannot handle an older child and the needs they may exhibit, I would rather have them adopt a younger child from somewhere else.......it takes a very special person!

Answer 8

There aren't any american orphanages.  We use foster care and have for a long time...you can read all about it if you are interested...

Answer 9

North American kids are in foster care, and their parents still have rights. which they will not give up.  Also adoption is now a four letter word, thanx  to some angry people who would like to ban adoption all together.  Some feel that  a life in foster care is preferable to adoption. go figure.  Also if adoption is allowed the birth mother usual wants to have some control in calling the shots on parenting issues.  Not all adoptive parents want to be glorified babysitters, that all.

Answer 10

No.  Every child deserves a safe, loving and secure home.  Children are not less worthy of this simply because they happened to be born in another country.  

I don't see what the big deal is about this.  International adoption provides homes for children.  

If international adoption was banned, I don't think there would be more people adopting from the US foster care system.

We chose NOT to adopt through the foster care system after lots of research and personal experience in working with extremely emotionally disturbed children and we decided we were unable to meet those needs.  If international adoption didn't exist, we either would have not adopted, or adopted through the domestic infant placement.  Foster care adoption was not right for us, at this point in our lives.  

And we don't have children in orphanages in the US.  Even those children that do "age out" of the US foster care system are in infinitely better circumstances than children in third world country orphanages that "age out" and are tossed on the street.

ETA: Should add, we're not wealthy.  We're pretty typical middle class and we know plenty of middle class families that chose to adopt internationally.

Answer 11

My children, whom we adopted, have asked the same thing.

There are no typical "orphanages" in America...foster homes and group homes (aka: residential homes) and emergency shelters are what we have over here.

But anyway, the crux of your question...why are people going overseas to adopt when there are children here that need homes...well, it's a hard thing to deal with, BUT, it was hard enough to deal with 5 miscarriages, much less to be told I can only adopt a certain way or in a certain region.

We adopted our children from foster care, but if I had wanted an African baby, why SHOULDN'T I be allowed to give this baby a home?

No child is any less deserving of a good home, regardless of race, gender, or where they were born.

Answer 12

I would say no,because for one the orphanages in America are alot better funded and have alot more laws then the ones in other countries.second they make it almost impossible to adopt young children in America.

Answer 13

No.  That would be implying that in some way American children are better or more deserving of good homes than other children.  It is ethnocentric.  All children deserve a loving family and good homes.  Plus, there are many differences between domestic and international adoption.  Adoptive parents should have the right to decide which they think is best.

Answer 14

i am going to tell you something.. when you adopt a child this is for 2 reasons : first because you cannot have a child ( problems of sterility) , second because you want to do an act of love by giving a poor child a family . When adopting a child in a foreign country and because over there real orphanages exist with real orphans , you can adopt a child that not only really needs you but you can consider 100% yours and part of your family. When you adopt a child in the US, most of the time you pass through the foster care system, means you may have to deal at some point with the real parents when they get out of prison, prostitution or other problems. Then the problems begin...You will automatically get your heart broken when your child will be claimed ( even if you have tons of legal papers) by the birth parents...

Answer 15

I have been told that in America, we don't have orphanages, that instead, the foster care system has been implemented.  We instead, need to make people more aware that it isn't as hard as some think to become foster parents.  That advertising needs to be directed to young people in their 20's and 30's.  When I was that age, I had been told by unknowing people that I had to own a home, that a rental wouldn't work, and that I had to make above $30 grand a year, and more mis-informed rumors.  Yes, there is a home study, and it isn't that hard to go through!  Now, I'm 41 and almost approved to be a foster parent.  Unfortunately in our area, they are going to have to have 3 more families sign up to become foster parents in order to teach the course, therefore, in our area, it would require evening travel in areas that could be hard to get help in (rural Mountains) if one had car trouble, etc.

I am the luckiest woman on earth to have very easily told some friends we wanted to adopt, and within 3 days, my son's first mom was introduced to us, moved in with us, and within 3 months, he was born, she in her own apartment, and we are finishing up the legal processes of the last court hearing.  

Also, many people want infants, and in our society now, women aren't giving them up like they did even 20 years ago.   The stigma that used to be attached to being a single mom doesn't exist now, and so many women keep their kids.  Unfortunately, many of these women are the ones who end up at their wits end, on drugs, can't pay tickets, etc, and end up losing their kids to the foster system, where at that point the kids aren't (and I'm using DHS's term!) marketable and/or placeable.  Many times, the kids in foster care have been through so much when they have been exposed to drugs before birth, alcohol, s*x, pedophiles, and the income level of some of the parents losing their kids also means that the kids haven't had proper nutrition, care, or nurtering, and as a result have severe emotional, physical, and mental problems, including ADHD, autism, debilitating illnesses and injuries, and emotional problems where they can't be placed in a home with other children, making the need to have foster care even higher.  With our economy now, more kids are entering foster care than ever before, and fewer people are signing up to be foster parents.  

I believe that we should be allowed to adopt children from international adoption, however, it seems this is only an option for the wealthy, and typical middle class families generally adopt from foster care, and domestic adoption.  I think our purposes would be better served to have laws that if a women does illegal drugs during pregnancy, she ought to just have her rights taken away immediately.  It might clean some idiots up!  I also believe that in many cases, kids should be taken away rather than re-exposed to harm more than 2 times over, which would make us need more adoptive families, but it would also satisfy the need to get families together at a younger age, which can help these kids where they aren't going through the same sins over and over.   The way we treat our kids, whether they be natural, foster, adopted, or just the neighborhood kids that knock on our doors, needs to be improved.  Kids need communication (not just the TV), one on one time, proper homes, proper education, and our time.  Sweden has a law that if a man fathers a child, whether through marriage or however, he must support not only the child, but the mother also, until the child is (or maybe is for a while) in school.   In a way, women's lib has actually hurt us, because now, we can't afford to stay home with our kids, and kids don't get the nurtering that they used to.  Don't get me wrong, I work, and I get mad when me get the same jobs I do at a higher pay, and I don't believe it ought to be that way, however, I think there ought to be more tax breaks and incentives for people who have a stay at home parent.  The entire system needs looking at through many areas, and the American people are going to have to make sacrifices, and compromises before everything works.

Answer 16

NO. Why should we deny any child a wonderful home.

Answer 17

What orphanages?  Name one.

America has group homes and foster care, but orphanages are a thing of the past.  They went out with the workhouses.

Answer 18

Yes, I think they should be banned. People are making money off babies in the blackmarket. Yes, couples should take from the pool here. There are alot of children that would love to have a home.

Answer 19

What should be banned is women who can't take care of the child they gave birth too..Thats what should be banned

Answer 20

No.  The criteria for adoption domestically is often different than internationally.  However, right now, some countries have a moratorium on infant adoptions because of fraud and possible infant kidnappings (basically sold for adoption by foreigners to bring money in).  Also, there are no orphanages in the US - just foster care homes and group homes.

Adopting an older child can be fraught with problems.  For instance, a couple I know (the wife was my coworker) tried for 6 years to adopt 3 different sibling groups.  They were turned down because they moved about every 5 years due to the nature of hubby's job.  Social Workers considered his employment 'unstable' despite the fact that 20% of the American population moves every 5 years.  Eventually, they gave up domestic adoption and have since adopted 3 siblings from another country.  That country's government continued contact for 5 years after the adoption and they exchange pictures and letters with the children's grandparents to this day (the kids are all in high school now).