The "golden time" of international adoption of Chinese children is no more.
According to international media reports, adoption of Chinese children by US citizens has dropped 50 percent in three years, from 7,906 children in 2005 to 3,909 in 2008, as per figure given by the US State Department.
China's new laws on adoption, enacted in May 2007, that insist on a higher threshold for adopting family's financial asset seem to be emerging as the main cause of this decrease in adoption. The fees and expense can amount to 20,000 US dollars, according to a media report on Xinhuanet.
The family adopting the children needs to meet certain educational and financial stipulations. They must be married and be below 50 years, not be clinically obese, not have taken antidepressants in the past two years before applying for the adoption and lastly should not have facial deformities.
Child adoption in China has undergone a series of change in regulations even more the new set of laws came into effect in May 2007.
A foreigner with her Chinese adopted child.China Center of Adoption Affairs requires foreign applicants to submit a long list of documents, including home studies completed by social workers and federal background checks. The duration of administrative scrutiny and subsequent approval can last from one year to sixteen months normally. Sometimes the wait goes on for years making the process quite frustrating for the adopting couples.
Tina Charlesworth, a middle school teacher from Canada, is a case in point. "I am already 41 years old and my family is all set to add a new member but I was told to wait for two years and maybe longer. It is kind of hard on me," he says.
The family going in for adoption is reportedly required to have assets worth 80,000 US dollars, and the family's income average should not be less than 10,000 US dollars. So foreigners applying for adoption of Chinese kids have to be economically robust to even start the process of adoption.
This is turning out to be major deterrent for international families keen on adopting and not just in US but also from other nations like Canada, Australia, Spain, UK and Italy. All these countries share an official adoption policy with China.
According to the statistics released in a meeting on March 7 this year, by Vice- Minister of Ministry of Civil Affairs of China, Dou Yupei, there are about 5,000 orphans adopted by families every year while internat ional adoption accounts for one fourth of these adopt ions . China has 573,000 orphans and about 87 percent of them live in rural area.
The new adoption laws notwithstanding, growing domestic adoption too has contributed to the lower rate of international adoption of Chinese children. Adoption is growing within China too as an offshoot of the country's one-child policy.
"More and more people can not only afford to adopt a child, but culturally too it is now being more acceptable," says Cory Barron, director of the St. Louis, Missouri-based adoption agency Children's Hope International.
Besides, foreigners are not allowed to adopt orphans left in the wake of Sichuan earthquake, as per the directive of the China Center of Adoption Affairs. The authorities have been respecting the wishes of the children who wish to be around their extended family members.
Yet, for those have successfully managed to adopt children from China, the bliss after the long arduous wait is worth all the trouble.
Ken Chad, a US citizen, once posted as a teacher in Zhejiang province, is delighted to have adopted a child from China. Talking to Global Times, he says, "I am proud I made the decision to adopt my daughter Lily in Shenzhen 18 years ago."
The trade-off is between the long waiting period and money issues and complete, pure happiness. The families don't mind this. China Center of Adoption Affairs did a great deal of work, both in administrative procedures and personal help, in getting the new US ambassador Jon Meade Huntsman, adopt his Chinese daughter, Yang Leyi. Today the Huntsmans are proud parents of Yang Leyi.
International adoption in China needs the constant support of non-governmental organizations too. There is room for improvement and all children, whether on June 1 or other days, would do well with special love and care from all quarters.
Source:The Global Times
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