There are over 100,000 children in the U.S. to be adopted..why do so many people go outside of the states?

Question

Especially celebrities do this.

Answer 1

Because our beauracracy makes it nearly impossible to adopt. Its supposedly done for the benefit of the child (so it doesn't go to bad parents) but the reality is that most kids that would otherwise be adopted never are.

Answer 2

I can't answer for celebrities, but I do know that adopting a child in the U.S. can be incredibly hard for several reasons.

There is a terrible precedent of a birth mother changing her mind, or a father who had never been told he had a child coming to claim it. No parent wants to risk having a child for four years, only to have him or her removed because someone changed their mind or found out about a child they never knew.

Some of the processes are overly strict. While it's imperative that a child be placed with a wonderful home, some of the criteria automatically dismisses prospective parents who made mistakes when they were younger. I know a couple where one spouse had a DUI in his early 20s. They were denied their petition for adoption based on this, even though he had been sober and in AA for 8 years. They ended up being able to have children and he's an amazing father.

Going overseas can be more expensive, but the risks are far lower with regard to losing the child later. The criteria is also sometimes not as stringent as the U.S. criteria is, so those who might be wonderful parents have no choice but to go overseas.

Finally, while there are hundreds of thousands of children who need homes here, there are agencies who can take care of them at least adequately. Many of the children adopted from overseas come from orphanages that can't even keep them moderately warm in winter or feed them on a daily basis. Perhaps sometimes it's perceived as a question of "need." Yes, all children need a home, but a child in a children's home in Iowa won't freeze to death - but a child in an orphanage in Russia just might.

And then, some people want to make a show of things and adopting from overseas makes the papers (Oh look! Angelina went to Mongolia and adopted a child with a cleft palate, webbed feet and crossed eyes! What a humanitarian! - while John and Martha Smith went to the Children's Home and adopted a 7-year old child who'd never had a home of her own).

Answer 3

I am not from the U.S but UK so I can't say for US but the problem in the UK is that there have been incidents which have been reported in the paper where people have adopted and then the parent has changed their mind and had to give the baby back after a year, after they had bonded. In the UK a lot of children are fostered first before adopted and they believe a child is better with its natural parents so there is risk of losing the child. So people think it is riskier to adopt a native baby. Also the criteria for adoption is stricter i.e married a number of years, young age etc, it is not as strict for foriegn adoptions. Although I know for some foreign adoption is it difficult also (rightly so)

Answer 4

Some people go outside the Country because of different situations.

1. Maybe they don't want to deal the the parents of the child in the future!
2. Ethnicity of the child

Celebrities? More Fame!

Answer 5

Publicity

Answer 6

Yeah, Angelina some days ago adopted an orphan from my country. Maybe its because if an orphan from our country lives in your orphanage its like heaven to them but the children in US are very high class, please don't get me wrong I mean to say is that children who live in an orphanage in US have very good living conditions compared to our country's children living with their parents. Angelina must have known that.

Answer 7

I WISH I KNEW EVERYTIME I SEE THOSE COMMERCIALS ABOUT SENDING MONEY OVERSEAS TO HELP CHILDREN I WONDER WHY PEOPLE DONT HELP PEOPLE AT HOME FIRST I MEAN I KNOW OTHERS NEED HELP ALSO BUT I THINK WE NEED TO MAKE OUR OWN COUNTRY STRONG AND HEALTHY FIRST

Answer 8

To them, it's a possession. Like a pet or something.