Currently, the maximum number of international adoptions (almost half) falls to the United States (22,728). In 2005, second place went to Spain (5,423), third to France (4,136). The top five most child-loving countries also included Italy (2,840) and Canada (1,871).
The list of countries that supply children to the international adoption market is as follows (latest available data for 2004): China (13,418), Russia (9,345), Guatemala (3,404), South Korea (2,238), Ukraine (1,974), Colombia (1,741), Ethiopia (1,491), Haiti (1,159), India (1,043) and Kazakhstan (896). Most of these countries are neither among the world's poorest nor among those with record birth rates. For example, in China, Russia, South Korea and Ukraine, the birth rate is lower than in the United States. In turn, China and, especially, South Korea are not inferior, and sometimes even surpass in wealth the countries in which a foster family receives their children.
Kerry O'Halloran, author of the seminal study "The Politics of Adoption: International Perspectives on Law, Policy & Practice," notes that many countries began supplying children to the global market after experiencing wars, economic hardships, or internal conflicts. However, even after gaining relative peace and prosperity, they were unable for various reasons to abandon the practice of exporting children.
A group of American anthropologists in 2006 published a collection of articles "Cultures of Transnational Adoption," in which they noted the emergence of a relatively new phenomenon. Whereas previously children simply moved to a new country to new parents, starting around the 1990s, their home countries and adoptive parents began to pay more attention to establishing cultural ties with the former homeland. Such programs, for example, are funded by China and South Korea. They organize and pay for trips for adopted children to their countries, summer language camps, etc. The second notable trend is that adoptive parents are increasingly trying to maintain contact with the biological mothers and fathers of their children.
David Smolin, a professor at Samford University who researches the international adoption process, notes that today the search for children in other countries is evaluated from two opposing perspectives: on the one hand, it is an act of mercy, on the other, a cynical trade in children. Smolin believes that both points of view are entirely valid, because due to legislative problems, inept work of law enforcement agencies and relevant services in many countries, corruption, etc., many people who sincerely want to help children are periodically forced to act on the edge of the law.
"Child imports" into the United States
In 2006, 460 young Ukrainians moved to the United States (in 2005 – 821). Some former USSR countries did not even make it into the top 20 largest "child exporters," although the situation was different earlier. For example, in the late 1990s and early 2000s, quite a few young citizens of Belarus, Moldova, Georgia and the Baltic states left for the United States.
The list of countries from which children most often go to foster parents in the United States in 2006 also included China (1st place, 6,493 children), Guatemala (2nd place, 4,135), South Korea (4th place), Ethiopia (5th place), Liberia (8th place), Colombia (9th place) and India (10th place).
According to estimates by the Bureau of Consular Affairs of the U.S. State Department, this geography of adoptions is explained by the peculiarities of the legislation of the respective countries: the more difficult it is to take a child out, the less often Americans do it. Most countries in Africa and the Middle East forbid foreigners from adopting their children. The same policy is followed by many Western European countries, Canada and Australia.
According to the non-governmental organization Adoption Institute, American families choose international adoption for various reasons. Typically, the waiting times and cost of this procedure in the United States are higher than abroad – that is one factor. There are known cases where children are specifically sought from places where ancestors moved to the United States. Sometimes Americans take children into their families, for example, from countries suffering from wars, famine and devastation.
Since the 1990s, the number of foreign orphans adopted by Americans has been steadily growing, and only stabilized in recent years. If in 1990 there were 7,093 such cases, then in 1995 – 8,987, in 2000 – 17,718, in 2003 – 21,616, in 2005 – 22,728, in 2006 – 20,679. The record was set in 2004, when 22,884 foreign children found parents in the United States. All these years, Americans adopted more girls than boys. Girls accounted for at least 60% of all foreign children who found new parents in the United States.
According to estimates by the Children's Bureau of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, over the past two decades, foreign adopted children account for approximately 15% of the total number of children adopted in the United States (only children whose adoptive parents are not their close relatives are counted). The number of such adoptions across the United States fluctuates significantly from year to year. For example, in 1951 there were 33,800 (here and after, foreign children are also counted), in 1961 – 61,600, in 1970 – 89,000 (record), in 1975 – 47,000, in 2001 (latest available data) – 62,000. For comparison, in 2001, close relatives (grandparents, uncles, aunts, etc.) adopted or fostered 60,000 orphans. However, these data are approximate, since state statistics do not record all adoptions.
Long-term studies show that about half of children adopted by Americans from other countries were under one year old, 43% were no older than four. Only 3% of children who moved to the US are older than 9. This is partly due to the specifics of American immigration law. US residents are allowed to take into their families children no older than 15. Teenagers aged 16-17 can be adopted if their siblings live in the US.
In 2000, the US House of Representatives passed the Intercountry Adoption Act, which provides for automatic granting of US citizenship to children adopted by US citizens upon crossing the US border. In 2005, the US adopted accreditation rules for intercountry adoption agencies. This step was taken within the framework of the Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption. The Convention was adopted by 66 countries in 1993, the US acceded to it in 1994. To date, 68 states participate in the Convention (Russia has entered but not ratified it; Ukraine and Kazakhstan do not participate). The Convention aims to prevent child abuse, including abduction, sale and trafficking, ensure proper consent for adoption, and ensure the transfer of adopted children to receiving countries and establishment of their status in those countries.
Adoption practice
According to US law, adoption of a child who is not a close relative is possible only for certain categories of US residents. In particular, a married couple must be married for at least two years. If an unmarried woman or unmarried man plans to adopt, then in that case they must be at least 25 years old. The income level of the family or single adopter must exceed the average income for that region of the US by 25%. In addition, each adoption applicant must provide fingerprints and undergo a check by the police and FBI - the special services will check whether they have committed any offenses in the past or have been involved in child abuse. A special social worker will visit the home or apartment of the potential parents and assess it for readiness to receive a child. Additionally, information is requested on tax payment, credit history, etc. At the same time, US laws prohibit international adoption by non-US citizens who permanently reside in the country.
According to the Adoption Institute, the expenses of an American family for adopting a foreign child usually amount to $10-30 thousand. Significantly less needs to be paid in countries that do not require the mandatory visit of adoptive parents. For comparison, according to the US Census Bureau, in 2005 the average annual income of an American family was $46,326.
Not all adopted children who have found new parents remain in the family forever. A study published by the Adoption Institute in 2004 showed that about 6-7% of adoptions end in failure. Interestingly, such families are stronger the less educated the parents are, have low income, and are not married. Educated and wealthy couples are three times more likely to give up adopted children - usually the crisis occurs during adolescence when the teenager turns 14-16.
The specialized magazine Adoptive Families provides information for US residents who intend to find a child abroad. Regarding Ukraine, it notes that the adopter must be at least 18 years old. The age difference between the adopted child and the adoptive parent must be at least 15 years. Both families and single people have the right to adopt. For paperwork, at least one trip to Ukraine is required (in reality two or three), with a total duration of 2-6 weeks. If a family adopts, both potential parents must come. Adoption costs exceed $30 thousand. As the publication notes, only 16% of children offered for adoption have relatively good health, and only 10% are aged five or younger. According to the Frank Foundation, Americans accept both boys and girls into their families with equal enthusiasm. 53% of young Ukrainians who moved to the US were aged one to four.
Adopted celebrities
Many adopted children have gained worldwide fame. For example, the 'pillars' of world culture include the historian Bede the Venerable, the poet Dante Alighieri, the composer Johann Sebastian Bach, and the philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau.
Among children who lost their parents were many heads of state - for example, President of Yugoslavia Josip Broz Tito, US Presidents Andrew Jackson and Gerald Ford, Emperor of the Central African Empire Bokassa. Eleanor Roosevelt was the First Lady of the US and authored the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Among cultural figures are known fashion designer Coco Chanel, directors Walt Disney (born in Spain and adopted by an American family) and François Truffaut; actors Edmund Kean (1787-1833, considered the greatest actor of his time), Jack Nicholson, Marilyn Monroe, Eddie Murphy, Pierce Brosnan, Ray Liotta; musicians Elvis Presley, Eric Clapton, Little Richard, James Brown, Vanessa-Mae (born in China, new parents moved her to the US); singer Ella Fitzgerald.
People who lost their parents also became famous writers: Herman Melville, Rudyard Kipling, Joseph Conrad, Edgar Allan Poe, Truman Capote, and Elie Wiesel.
Adopted children became famous generals (for example, William Sherman) and admirals (David Farragut - one of the founders of the US Navy). American journalist Henry Stanley became famous for his journey across Africa. Steve Jobs founded Apple and Pixar.
Children who once lost their parents and were raised in foster families are also among current US political figures. These include one of the long-time leaders of the US Republican Party Newt Gingrich, one of the popular religious and political leaders of African Americans Jesse Jackson, US presidential candidate and former governor of Iowa Tom Vilsack.
An example of a different kind: the famous diplomat John Negroponte, who was US ambassador to the UN and to Iraq (after the fall of Saddam Hussein's regime), and currently heads all US intelligence agencies, is raising five foster children in his family. Two boys and three girls were adopted by the Negropontes while he was ambassador to Honduras.
Based on materials from Washington ProFile.