Renewed US concerns about Vietnamese adoptions leave American parents in limbo
The Associated Press
“We have conveyed our concerns to the government of Vietnam, and they are assisting us in our investigations,” said U.S. Ambassador Michael Michalak. “We’re trying to fix the system. It’s going to take time. And it’s a painful situation all around.”
Nguyen Cong Khanh, deputy director of Vietnam’s international adoption agency, agreed that the system needs to be improved. Too many American adoption agencies have been licensed in Vietnam, and the demand for babies is greater than the supply, he said.
Vietnamese law requires that foreign adoption agencies make humanitarian contributions to orphanages. These orphanages often don’t disclose what they receive or how they use it, Khanh said.
“The agencies mostly pay in cash, and it is hard to ensure that the money is used transparently and correctly,” Khanh said. “This may have created fertile ground for corruption.” …
Last year, 826 American families adopted babies in Vietnam, including Hollywood star Angelina Jolie, up from 766 in 2002, the last full year of adoptions before the suspension. Americans accounted for roughly two-thirds of the foreign adoptions in Vietnam last year.
Before adoptions resumed, Vietnam agreed to set up a central authority to regulate adoptions in the country’s 64 cities and provinces. But U.S. officials say that individual provinces have continued to set their own rules and adoption fees, increasing opportunities for corruption.
With more than 40 U.S. adoption agencies operating in Vietnam, the competition for babies is intense. An adoption can cost more than $20,000, not including travel costs.
While many agencies follow the rules, U.S. officials believe some do not.
3 Responses
I would love to see more oversight of the provinces…and not just those that are breaking VN law on the short end. There is at least one province that is taking at least 3x the length stated in VN law to approve dossiers. I’m feeling a little cynical about how effective the VN law is at the moment.
I have to say I am glad to see another side of media reporting in the Vietnam adoption world.
While many people are very negative(I have even heard strong warnings against starting an adoption right now) I continue to have hope that both governments will do what is needed to ensure that children who need families get them.
We adopted from VN in 2006 and didn’t have the best experience, to say the least. However, we did end up bringing hom a wonderful baby boy which makes everything we wnet through worth it.
We are ready to start the process again to adopt from VN. However, with all the recent problems, I am really not sure what to do about starting now. I know that in March negotiations start again with the MOU (I think). Does anyone know if we will know what the outcome is in March, or will it take longer? And, if we do sign, how long will it be for?
I might not even have my information right, I am just really confused about whether to start again now, or wait a few more months. Any help would be greatly appreciated…