Why don't celebrities/movie stars adopt children from the USA?

Question

I work in an orphanage here in the states. These poor kids are praying for homes with a wonderful family. Why is that the stars who make most of their money here in America adopt kids from other countries? American children are just as needy as any child from Africa, Vietnam, Cambodia, ect. I'm tired of so many people praising Angelina Jolie, Madonna, to name just a couple. What have these celebrities really given back to America. The USA needs to start taking care of the USA. What we don't have homeless, starving, sick, citizens here? Yes I understand it is their money and they have the right to do what they want with it. I just wish they would visit some of the orphanages here and look into some of these childrens eyes. I really feel that celebrities buy there way into these other countries and boom they become ambassadors. Does anyone remember Angelina Jolie when she was married to Billy Bob Thorton? And the french kiss she planted on her brother on national TV? An Ambassador?Please

Answer 1

I totally agree with what you're saying, and the worst part is, the "adopt and save" strategy in 3rd-world countries hurts more than it helps!
Celebrities should focus on aiding community development projects which give people self-sustaining means of supporting themselves, therefore giving them enough money to feed their own village's kids and grandkids, without needing them to be "rescued".

Answer 2

Well, in countries like UK and the States, the waiting list for adopting younger children are phenomonally long. I know there are older kids looking for families but people don't want kids with baggage that could turn out problematic.. So they go to third world countries... Personally I don't have a problem with it... I don't see why anyone would have a problem with someone of wealth, adopting a child that would likely otherwise be brought up in poverty... As for helping the country itself, there are plenty of charities that do that, and lets face it, how many of these charities give the money they collect over to corrupt government officials instead of giving it directly to the population... I subscribe to Amnesty International and I know everything I gives them goes directly on Aid... Others like the red cross and the french medical one, (can't think of the name) do an awful lot in the third world...

Answer 3

Well I think it's partly a fashionable thing, but I'm sure there are some movie stars who have adopted kids from America. I guess I can see your point, because by doing this, they're encouraging other American couples to adopt overseas and adopting a child should never be about trends or fashion. Then again, maybe they are trying to raise awareness about poverty in these other countries. I know there is a lot of poverty in the US, too, but as one of the richest nations on Earth, it is up to the government to sort out the problems with the distribution of that wealth. Other countries have next to nothing, and their poverty is usually what allows us in the West to remain so rich. Our wealth is built on the hardship and suffering of others. Its important that this is publicised, that ordinary people in the West start thinking about the impact they have on people in other countries, and the effect that their individual choices can make. So by adopting a child from another country, high profile celebrities can raise awareness about worldwide poverty.
At the end of the day, though, a child without a home is a child without a home and it shouldn't matter one bit where they came from if they are taken out of suffering and given a loving place to grow up in.

Answer 4

Rosie O'Donnell's adopted children are American born and I believe many movie stars adopt american born children. Angelina Jolie, Madonna etc are making political statements with adopting children from non developed countries. But then. perhaps the adoption laws are so stringent in the US and Canada that perspective adoptive parents are shying away from adopting children because of the many court cases where adopted parents are having to give back children they've reared for so many years because all of a sudden birth fathers and birth mothers have grown up and gotten their acts back together and welsch on the deals they made and now want their kids back when they're not as much work and someone else has done the scut work of socializing them and teaching manners etc.

Also so many people want babies and toddlers ,not older kids because they anticipate emotional problems or disabilities with older kids.

It's not right but unfortunately it's a fact of life and female babies are available in far eastern countries because those countries prefer male children to female ones as well as those only children policies like China's.

Answer 5

I don't know about celebrities, but I know about why my aunt and uncle went foreign when they decided to adopt more children: they adopted their first from the States, and the process was excruciating. You always have to worry about the biological parents deciding they want their children back (after the adoptive parents have cared for them for almost a year and love them very much), and the waiting period, fees, and regulations are very difficult. They're not rich by any means, but they were willing to pay the money for the tickets to go to Haiti just to avoid that painful process again. I'm not saying these restrictions are wrong; in many cases they are very helpful. But it certainly discourages people from wanting to adopt in the States. And I think you would agree that this is a more realistic scenario since, in the States, there are relatively few "true" orphans (children with no one to speak for them or decide they want them back) anymore.
Sorry, though. That is an apologetic for regular people. As far as stars are concerned, I fear most simply do things like these because they want the attention or have a taste for the exotic.

Answer 6

Possibly because your laws on adoption are very strict with lengthy waiting times as background checks are being done, but that could just be an assumption on my part! (Some of them would definitely not qualify!)

Also they may want babies and they would have to wait in line like everyone else!

Home grown orphans may not be as good for free publicity.

Maybe they need some good PR now, not in a year's time.

It might be just - I'm a star, I don't want to wait!

Sorry - I'm being mean - I'm sure they have all the right motives, I don't like to think of any child having no family.

Answer 7

I'm so sick of people criticizing Angelina and Madonna for their efforts to help a child. It's a lot harder in the USA to adopt a child why do you think lots of people adopt from china or other places?. Plus Madonna doesn't live in the USA anymore. people are people no matter where they're from or where they adopt them from, it's all universal

Answer 8

I think Madonna adopted that poor little African boy (Sorry STOLE) so she could have a slave in her house. In the African country where that kid was it's illegal to adopt and that kid had a family and parents who loved him. It's simple. Celeberities are jerks.

Answer 9

You go girl - quite right. They are only doing it for publicity. Although I think Angelina rocks.

Answer 10

Because most celebrities are retards and they think theres only orphans in africa. lets face it, they are covered up from the real world so they dont know right from wrong!