[s_asher]

Why is there a surge of foreign applicants to adopt kids? What about all the orphans in their own country?

[the_devils_advocate_666]

Exactly... My wife and I start foster parenting classes in February in hopes to eventually adopt a few siblings in need of a good home.

[timsbella]

Most people still want to adopt babies, healthy babies. Little interest in children over three. I've never understood why, I mean a diaper free child would be perfect.

[Dr. Marten]

"Why is there a surge of foreign applicants to adopt kids? What about all the orphans in their own country?"

While there are children in every country who are in need of a good home, those in developing countries such as China have no government funding and the children live in far worse conditions.

[sittnick]

Why is there a surge of foreign applicants to adopt kids? What about all the orphans in their own country?

That is an important question with a whole lot of answers.

There are FAR more families looking to adopt infants in the U.S. and Europe than there are orphans available. Europe has extremely onerous restrictions on adoptions. The U.K., for instance does not like to mix groups, as in not letting a Welsh adopt a Scot. Some families are concerned about the complications that come with "open adoptions" (birth mom known from start, and continuous contact). Some states (e.g. Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Colorado) have nasty regs that make make domestic adoptions extremely expensive. Babies born to unfit mothers are usually not made available for adoption for YEARS, by which time the poor child may have developed behavioprs that would put other children in the household at risk.) Some families seek to adopt a child who looks like the parents, ethnically (it cuts down on stares and questions), and eastern Europe or Russia is often the only likely option for them. (Remember the brouhaha over Roberts' adoption?) Finally, a domestic adoption may take six months or six years, if you do the searching yourself. An international adoption will vary with the country, and policies can change, but you typically know where you stand.

For the record, we have adopted two infants domestically, but will consider both domestic and international adoptions in the future.

[mvpel]

Why is there a surge of foreign applicants to adopt kids? What about all the orphans in their own country?

There's millions fewer unwanted American children than there would otherwise be:

Thankfully our wonderful and beautiful new son who's been home from Russia for six months was permitted to live by his mother.

[MeanWestTexan]

"What about all the orphans in their own country?"

In USA, for example, you face: (1) typically mandatory open adoptions (e.g., you babysit and the birth mother hangs around; (2) many/most kids up for adoption are special needs kids, drug addicted(and it takes a very special parent to manage that); and (3) the constant possibility that the mom gets out of prison (or whatever), shows up, sues and demands her kid.

Or the like.

My sister went through this, replete with drug-addled crack whore showing up years later demanding money or she'd take "her child" away. (My sister moved away, the family changed their name our family name, and basically lives off-the-grid now, far, far, away.)

Foreign adoptions are generally much more "final" and "closed."

That, and many, many people are especially moved by the disgusting fate that awaits Chinese girls in these orphanages if not promptly adopted.

[keats5]

We adopted three kids from foreign countries during the 80s and 90s. Our original intent was to adopt domestically. However, like many others, we learned that US policies favor neglectful/ abusive/ incarcerated/ drug dependent birth parents over prospective adoptive parents.

My husband and I first applied with our county. We sought to adopt a child up to five years old or a sibling group. We were open to some disabilities. We were 28 years old at the time. The county social worker told us that we would be on the waiting list until we would be over 40 for any preteen child, and then we would be considered too old. We asked about older children and were told we would be too young to adopt teenagers.

We went to a "hard to place" meeting, where several white couples listened to a two hour talk about needy kids. When we finally got to see the notebooks full of kids, we learned that not one couple in the room could adopt any of the kids. The kids were black and the social workers were only allowed to let them go to white parents as a last resort. As a result, the kids who needed parents were kept in foster care for years until their parents could get their act together. If and when they're released for adoption, they have serious issues.

We applied to several private domestic and international adoption agencies after that. We adopted three kids from overseas before we ever moved to the top of the domestic agencies list. They're great kids, we don't have to deal with any birth parents and the adoptions were irreversible according the the foreign countries' laws the day the kids came home.

[Reddy]

"Why is there a surge of foreign applicants to adopt kids? What about all the orphans in their own country?"

I know many people who have adopted domestically, and many more people who attempted domestic adoption, only to come away heartbroken or worse.

Just last week, a couple who had fostered to adopt 3 small children for 22 months had those children taken away from them. Where did they go? To the birthmother's father, who had LOST CUSTODY OF THE BIRTHMOTHER MANY YEARS AGO! The grandfather had not shown any interest in the children for the almost 2 years the children were in foster care. Yet suddenly when the case was winding to a close (so that the foster parents could adopt the children they had raised and loved so much), the grandfather (undoubtedly persuaded by the unfit birthmother) rushed in to take the children. The children are black, the family is white, Christian and homeschool- a deadly combination. It's much better for the children to go live with a man they have seen once in their life (who lost his custody of his own child years earlier) than to stay with the family who has lovingly raised them for almost 2 years. (sarc)

Sadly, the grandfather told the foster family that he did not want ANY of their toys or personal belongings. The children left with the clothes on their backs, and will never be able to see the family they grew up with (the youngest is just over 2).

When we went through foster/adoption classes, the social worker said, "The courts in our county are hesitant to sever the rights of parents, so the children that are available for adoption will be SEVERELY abused and neglected."

I could go on with other domestic adoption debacles.

That is why people adopt internationally.