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[paedraggaidin]

Alright, can someone please explain to me, because I genuinely do not understand, why American parents seek to adopt children from other countries (often spending thousands of dollars and years of time and effort in the process) when there are thousands of children in America who need adoption?

Because I really don't get it.

Comments

[garpu]

I have no idea, but in the interest of full disclosure, I"ve never wanted kids and don't see the attraction of them.

[miafeliz]

Wow... that's wonderful. You two will make wonderful parents to a child.

David and I would adopt if we can't have a child of our own and I've often thought of adopting a a child in addition to having one. Of course, I'm not sure that will happen.

[chaeri]

The Lie We Love is a long but really good article on exactly that.

It is also about a quarter of the cost to adopt from out of the country and in country through private adoptions.

Foster care exists because the state is puts too much emphasis on keeping families together, and that can be detrimental to a child. Kids get bounced around the system because their parents can't or won't give up custody and the state lacks the resources to have a trial to determine their fitness. They can't be adopted if they aren't orphaned.

[ewans_gal_4ever]

My best friend is in the process of adoption now and I can only give you why she (originally) went to look out of country. Her reason was because the standards are different there. She is a single woman and she said out of country adoptions are more favorable to single parent adoptions than US adoptions. Ultimately, she went with a US adoption because the cost alone with out of country adoption became too much. She WANTS an older child and is more than willing to take on one with emotional issues - "baggage" as I called it once. Her biggest challenge right now is finding a child that is personality compatible with her. She's had several kids "fall through" (for lack of a better word) because she's very introverted and most of the kids that have been candidates for placement are more outgoing and want big families and she doesn't. I know it's been a very emotional grueling process for her.

Speaking of your OP, we're taking bets around here on how long it takes Angelina Jolie to adopt a Haitian baby. :)

[ex_restless]

My best guess is because waiting lists for American children are really, really long, often years, and it's often much quicker for a couple who is really looking forward to starting a family to adopt a child from overseas.