May 16, 2011

Uncomprehensible Dilemma

One of the fears faced by families who adopt domestically is potentially becoming that of those who have adopted internationally – birth mom wanting her baby back. Chinese officials have begun investigating questionable adoptions of several Chinese children by family planning officials dating from 2000-2005. We all know China has a one-child policy in order to control population which is hard to fathom in our country. The cases being investigated were the one and only children in the family. It is said family planning officials abducted these babies and sold them to Chinese orphanages for overseas adoption. It is believed that most of these children were adopted into the U.S. This brings me to the fear adoptive families’ face and the laws or rights of these families whom adopted these alleged “abducted” children. Can the biological parents of these children seek them out and take them back? We believe 99% of adoptions, international and domestic, are legal, legitimate, consenting placements and the people who adopted these babies from China probably were confident they were part of that percentage. So now what? These children have now been a part of their American families for 5- 10 years. They have become American citizens and have known nothing different. The thought of removing a child from the only home he or she knows would be nothing short of traumatic. Equally traumatic as having a child confiscated from you without cause. Everyday we help people cope with the decision to place a baby for adoption or the choice by an adoptive family not to continue with adopting, but the dilemma facing all the people involved in these “wrongful” adoptions is incomprehensible.