This essay, written by an adoptive mother of a little girl from Guatemala, raises many important issues and questions… a very comprehensive look at the issues international-adoptive parents face:
Did I Steal My Daughter? The Tribulations of Global Adoption
The answers are never easy when you enter the labyrinth of global adoption.
By Elizabeth Larsen
Mother Jones Magazine
“There are cultural reasons why people give up children for adoption,” he says. “But when you have a situation where money alone, in relatively small quantities, would allow the birth family to keep the child””under current law you are allowed to take the child and spend $30,000 when $200 would be enough to avoid the relinquishment.”
As it stands, families who have forged relationships with birth parents often find it impossible to turn their backs on their economic needs. Some send a monthly stipend; others pay for the education of their child’s siblings, help finance businesses, or buy computers or cell phones to make it easier to stay in touch. And while all this is legal once the adoption is finalized, it’s a lot messier than writing a check for Save the Children. “We need to be careful what kind of impression that makes with other people in the village or area,” says Linh Song, the president of Ethica, a nonprofit organization that advocates for transparent adoptions worldwide. “Will they receive aid if their child is sent abroad?”
2 Responses
Very powerful article.
I think this article hits the nail on the head of what the last two posts were addressing, and what my comment on the previous post adresses.
Thanks ladies.