From the Irish press at the Herald:
Irish adoptive parents fear that Vietnam may pull out of an adoption deal which will prevent more than 200 children finding a new home in Ireland.
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Fears are growing since a new Adoption Bill, which is due to be published by the Department of Health and Children, will change Ireland’s adoption rules, and could frazzle adoption relations with Vietnam.
Irish officials traveled to Vietnam recently to start discussions on new adoption agreements. Yet it is feared that both governments will not reach a new adoption agreement before the current agreement expires.
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Adoptions between Vietnam and Ireland are currently regulated by a state-to-state agreement, and the spokesperson says the department now needs “to ensure that the agreement reflects the Hague Convention as comprehensively as possible”.
You can read the full article here.
It is interesting that Ireland’s changing position on International adoption is following a course so similar to that of the US. Although it is certainly concerning that 200 children who were already matched with families may not be allowed to be adopted, it is also a positive step toward ethics in adoption. Hopefully simultaneous pressure from multiple countries on Vietnam to become a Hague signatory and to hold them to higher standards in adoption centralization and policy will produce a more transparent future program as free from corruption as possible.
3 Responses
It is my understanding that there is only a single Irish adoption agency licensed to work in Vietnam. Why not take the obvious course of action — grandfather in families who’ve already received referrals, and then issue no new referrals until a new agreement can be reached? That way 200 children don’t go without homes and the pressure to negotiate a stronger agreement between the countries continues?
There is only 1 agency in Ireland and it is possible to ensure 200 children do not go without homes. At the moment, only around 8-10 referrals are issued at any time, then aprox 4 mths later the couple travel to bring home their child. There is an 8-9 month wait now on referrals, and the agency are up to early april, so in my opinion it would be easy to ensure all referrals are completed before any closures. I really do hope Ireland sits up this time and takes notice and impliment a sound agreement.
I am one of those who applied to Vietnam to adopt. It is such devastating news for us. Please ensure all our hopes and dreams are not crushed. Implement a sound agreement