subject: A Brief Synopsis of the Overseas Adoption [print this page] A Brief Synopsis of the Overseas Adoption
So you want to follow Madonna into the overseas adoption world? In all seriousness, this article will give you a brief synopsis of the main initial considerations involved when looking to adopt a child from another country.
This type of adoption is also called intercountry adoption. It is overseen by the laws and premises stated in the Hague Convention, which has applied to the US since 2008. Every nation that operates under this Convention must establish a central office that oversees all of the activities relating to their children being adopted by people from other countries, especially fellow Hague followers.
Overseas adoption can often be a sticky thing, because the morality of it can sometimes be called into question, as we have definitely seen from the recent Madonna case, where she was denied the right to take on a little girl from Africa. On one side, we have the argument that says, "Well she'll live such a better (material) life if she is allowed to be adopted by Madonna (or any other fairly well-off Westerner)." And on the other side, we have a seemingly equally valid argument: "All children should stay as close to their blood relatives as possible, even if this means some time spent in foster homes or in a poorer, less opportune, environment."
The two sides may never quite come to an agreement on this toughest issue of overseas adoption, but at least we can feel good about the fact that both of them are really thinking about what's best for the child. We have come a long way, humanity.
