International Adoption: A Global Problem or a Global Solution?

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The number of international adoption has increased over the years. It now involves the transfer of more than 40.000 children annually (van Londen et al. 2007, 1249). Some people believe that intercountry adoption can be assumed as an appropriate solution for the problem of orphans because it provides underprivileged children with parental love and it gives them an opportunity to avoid problem of socialization that orphan children usually do have. On the other hand international adoption is criticized by others because of the loss of culture and the disturbance of identity formation that adoptees do suffer from. In addition, international adoption is often used in relation to the child trafficking. This paper will discuss whether adoption serves the best interest of child, who should be allowed to be adopted and the role of governments in regulating such decisions are frequent subject of debate. It will then critically determine the use of intercountry adoption for adopted children in the most disadvantageous conditions and argue that regulation of system of laws related to international adoption are required to guarantee that abuses such as abduction and trafficking of children are eliminated. This paper will be particularly focus on the adoption of Russian children by US citizens.

International adoption is a process that involves legal and permanent transfer of a child from the birth parent or parents to new caregivers across an international border. The child usually moves to a new country, to parents of different race, culture and language from the birth family and acquires a new nationality. Historically, International adoption has been associated with disasters, natural or man-made, and the poverty that follows thereafter ...

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...on & Society 52 (5): 71-78. Academic Source Premier, EBSCOhost (accessed March 8, 2011).

Van Londen, W., F. Juffer, and H. van IJzendoorn. 2007. Attachment, cognitive, and motor development in adopted children: short-term outcomes after international adoption. Journal of Pediatric Psychology 32: 1249-1258. Oxford Journals. http://www.oxfordjournals.org (accessed October 29, 2001).

UNICEF’s position on international adoption. 2010. http://www.unicef.org/media/media_55412.html (accessed February 25, 2011)

Wilkinson, H. 1995. Psychological process and issues in international adoption. American Journal of Family Therapy 23(2): 173-183. Academic Source Premier, EBSCOhost (accessed March 8, 2011).

Winkler, P. 2007. Domestic and international adoption. Social Work 52 (2): 189-190. Academic Search Premier, EBSCOhost (accessed March 10, 2011).

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