Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Overseas adoption unsuitable for tsunami orphans
abc.net ^ | January 4, 2005 | Australian Broadcasting Corporation

Posted on 01/04/2005 4:19:21 PM PST by tbird5

Adoption groups are advising it is unlikely children orphaned by the Asian tsunami disaster would be repatriated to Australia.

Agencies including Centrelink and support groups in the ACT have received calls and emails from people wishing to adopt victims of the earthquake event.

Julia Rollings, from the Adoptive Families Association, says it is often inappropriate for children affected by war and natural disaster to be adopted overseas.

She says the inquiries are well-meaning but are often unrealistic, especially in the short-term.

"Inter-country adoption is only appropriate for children who can't be placed in a suitable family within the country of origin," she said.

"So there's a lot of steps that have to be taken first before they decide that inter-country adoption is appropriate for any of these orphans."

Unicef Australia chief executive Carolyn Hardy says her organisation will not support or encourage inter-country adoptions.

"We believe children are best left where they are in environments that are familiar to them, in a culture that's familiar to them, speaking a language that they know, and in the schools that they're already going to," she said.

"To uplift them out of their country to Australia or anywhere else would be an absolute last resort."


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs
KEYWORDS: adoption; australia; orphans; sumatraquake
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-36 next last

1 posted on 01/04/2005 4:19:21 PM PST by tbird5
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: tbird5

Are these people insane? I dont see how they think they are somehow morally superior or better people than Americans. Going to another country would be like winning the lottery for these kids and they think they are doing them a favor by stopping it?


2 posted on 01/04/2005 4:21:42 PM PST by CaptainAwesome2
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: tbird5

Children sacrificed to the multicultural Gods.


3 posted on 01/04/2005 4:22:15 PM PST by Jonx6
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Jonx6

By Unicef.


4 posted on 01/04/2005 4:25:41 PM PST by Jonx6
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: tbird5

Two families from my church have decided they want to adopt tsunami orphans. I hope they are "allowed" to. . .


5 posted on 01/04/2005 4:28:52 PM PST by olivia3boys
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: CaptainAwesome2

Unicef will get funds for the "orphanages" they will run for these children. You do the math... how much money will they rake in from the donations if these children are never allowed to be placed?


6 posted on 01/04/2005 4:30:33 PM PST by dandelion (http://thequestionfairy.blogspot.com/)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: tbird5
Social engineering by NGO's at their very worst. I also bet this "person" answers to no one, especially the children given the chance to a truly better life. But what the hell, they'll just end up here as illegals or terrorists after a few years.

"I tried to see it their way once, but I couldn't get my head that far up my A...."

7 posted on 01/04/2005 4:34:02 PM PST by xcamel (Deep Red, stuck in a "bleu" state.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: tbird5

Ever notice how white couples who can't find a white baby seem to always choose Asian kids? Things that make you go "huummmmm..."


8 posted on 01/04/2005 4:35:13 PM PST by Clemenza (President: Liger Breeders of the Pacific Northwest)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Clemenza

No, I never noticed that. Care to expand ?


9 posted on 01/04/2005 4:38:56 PM PST by BartMan1
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: olivia3boys

Sorry, but it sounds to me like they want to adopt for the wrong reasons. There were plenty of needy orphans available for adoption from many countries prior to the tsunami, and those children are still languishing in lousy orphanages in countries not affected by the tsunami. Why do these families only want to adopt "tsunami orphans"?


10 posted on 01/04/2005 4:40:29 PM PST by GovernmentShrinker
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: tbird5

The risk is that Muslim children will be raised as Christians or (gasp!), even Jews. A fate worse than death!!


11 posted on 01/04/2005 4:42:35 PM PST by rbg81
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: tbird5
"We believe children are best left where they are in environments that are familiar to them, in a culture that's familiar to them, speaking a language that they know, and in the schools that they're already going to," she said.

My opinion differs from Ms. Hardy's.

First, we are talking about children who in many cases have gone through the greatest possible trauma -- urgently getting them into a loving family rather than packing them into a large group of equally traumatized children is far better for the child in my estimation.

Second, on her specific point about different languages and cultures, it is not hard for children to adopt new customs and new languages -- it's far easier to make this shift as a child than as an adult.

Let me be the first to admit that I know nothing about adoption -- perhaps there are deep concerns that a mere kibitzer such as myself is missing. But the most important thing is the welfare of the child, and quickly placing the child in a good adoptive family to me is clearly far superior to warehousing them until locals can be found. Anecdotally, I have known several people that have adopted from overseas, and from what I have seen, it has worked out well.

12 posted on 01/04/2005 4:50:06 PM PST by snowsislander
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: GovernmentShrinker

Perhaps their hearts were touched by the results of this disaster and believe the best thing they can do to help is raise a child who lost their parents. I think that is a good reason to choose a child orphaned because of the tsunami over a child from elsewhere. Are these children more worthy to have adoptive parents? No, I'm not saying that. I am saying that the motives of the prospective parents my be more than the usual ones.


13 posted on 01/04/2005 4:51:34 PM PST by freemama
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: GovernmentShrinker

Just my opinion, but possibly these people may think that the $30,000 (average) international adoption fees may be waived in a disaster situation. I don't think they are thinking of adoption for the wrong reasons, just unenlightened ones.


14 posted on 01/04/2005 4:52:01 PM PST by We Want a Shrubbery
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: tbird5

I was just discussing this with my friend today as an option. It's too bad...


15 posted on 01/04/2005 4:56:44 PM PST by sonserae
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Clemenza

I've heard all kinds of explanations that run the gamut. The most common one is that there's almost no chance of the birth parents showing up on the doorstep.


16 posted on 01/04/2005 5:01:01 PM PST by cyborg (http://mentalmumblings.blogspot.com/)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: sonserae

It is extremely difficult to get a child adopted from that part of the world to begin with.


17 posted on 01/04/2005 5:01:50 PM PST by cyborg (http://mentalmumblings.blogspot.com/)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: Clemenza

Ever notice how white couples who can't find a white baby seem to always choose Asian kids?

There were a lot of unwanted girl babies in China at one time. Also, China allowed and still allows I believe older parents to adopt babies. Many countries won't allow over 40 year old mothers to adopt infants.

18 posted on 01/04/2005 5:08:29 PM PST by katnip (Defeating John Kerry is like giving Vietnam Veterans the Homecoming they never had)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: Clemenza
I personally know some who have adopted from Guatemala and some others who have adopted from China. In part, some choose Chinese children since the girls have a "lesser" status over there and are sometimes aborted or even murdered after birth because of the 1-child policy.
19 posted on 01/04/2005 5:17:15 PM PST by weegee (WE FOUGHT ZOGBYISM November 2, 2004 - 60 Million Voters versus 60 Minutes - BUSH WINS!!!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: GovernmentShrinker

=== Sorry, but it sounds to me like they want to adopt for the wrong reasons. There were plenty of needy orphans available for adoption from many countries prior to the tsunami, and those children are still languishing in lousy orphanages in countries not affected by the tsunami. Why do these families only want to adopt "tsunami orphans"?



Hear hear.


20 posted on 01/04/2005 5:39:06 PM PST by Askel5 († Cooperatio voluntaria ad suicidium est legi morali contraria. †)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-36 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson