International Adoption
CHILDREN AND YOUTH IN ADOPTION, ORPHANAGES, AND FOSTER CARE, Lori Askeland, ed., Greenwood Publishing Group Inc., Westport CT, December 2006
26 Pages Posted: 31 Aug 2005
Abstract
This chapter addresses the ongoing tension in the area of international adoption between those supporting and those opposing this form of adoption. It describes the history and current trends: increasing numbers of children have been adopted internationally over the last half century, but at the same time many countries have adopted restrictive policies in recent years that either close down international adoption entirely, limit the numbers of children placed, or require that children be held in orphanages for long periods of time prior to being placed out of country. It describes recent legal developments, including the Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoption, and other laws placing a new emphasis on children's interests in being placed in adoption, and also describes the political movement to reject adoption in favor of increased efforts to improve the in-country options for children. It assesses the pros and cons of international adoption and urges agreement on the principle of working toward reforms that would provide children in need with nurturing homes.
Keywords: International, Adoption
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