In my personal/journalistic curiosity about international adoption, I’ve noticed that there are many factors that affect the ebb and flow of which countries American prospective adoptive parents go to for international adoption. During a period a few years ago where there was a scandal over possible substandard living conditions for children in Chinese orphanages, there was a small, but significant movement, a “switch” if you will, of parents becoming interested in other places like Eastern Europe.
And although my husband and I have decided we will only adopt from Korea, I can’t help but notice that each country has its own “reputation” for the adoption experience, based on rules, culture, legal issues, and of course–the thing that no one wants to talk about–money. Every time I’ve even made the slightest inquiry into Korean adoption, I’m always assured something like, “Oh, the Korean kids get the best medical care, and the foster care system means they won’t have the same institutional problems as kids from Eastern Europe.”
I’m sure I’d get a different perspective from an agency that specialized in Russian adoptions. It’s also very expensive to adopt from Korea, I’m noticing, perhaps they would push the economy angle, I don’t know.
But my lesbian friends just go straight to China. Korea won’t even allow single mothers to adopt. My gay male friends, however, are finding China difficult because of cultural attitudes toward male homosexuals (even though he is Chinese American), and so although he and his partner very much want to adopt, they are possibly looking into surrogacy.
Nothing about having children is straightforward, of course. But when you’re going outside a womb of one’s own, suddenly there are so many other factors…even a country’s political climate might affect your decision, or what’s available to you. Not to mention, when there is a demand for something, there are people right there willing to provide it for you…sometimes for no other reason than the almighty [insert favorite currency here ______] when we’re talking about children.
Stay tuned for the next installment, “Oh Boy, Talk about Outsourcing!” about the new trend of Americans going to India, not just for cheap plastic surgery, but for cheap surrogacy.
Related posts:
