I think people go under the assumption that providing a better life for those that come from a third world country is the right thing to do, but forget that there are those here that need that chance too. In the end, so long as someone's life is saved, I'm happy...but I do understand what you're saying.

I swear I always think about this when I hear about Madonna or Angelina Jolie adopting from another country.

Too easy for the biological parents to get their parental rights back.

A major reason for international adoptions is that some foreign countries have much more lenient adoption laws. In the US adoption laws can be very strict and couples can be denied for many reasons- there are also longer waiting lists and such. Some couples turn to adopting from another country because they have been denied in the US or they simply don't want to wait. I am not sure, but it might also be cheaper.

I really don't know how to say this... but I think it has something to do with money. I'm ridiculously naive when it comes to this whole thing, but I think that adoption should be, in a sense, free. I also think that adoption in the united states cost a lot of money, and if you think about it, it doesn't really add up. If you're adopting, one scenario is you're adopting because you can't have a baby, so maybe you already spent a lot of money on fertility treatments and doctor appointments and other things, and adoption is your last choice. Another thing is that babies cost a lot of money, diapers, clothes... all these things. Oh, I don't really know what I'm talking about. I think I just heard somewhere that adoption fees cost more in the USA then in other countries :-(

Well, as an English woman I'd be less inclined to adopt an American child and more inclined to adopt an English one! Even though any child living in state care is a tragedy, there are definitely certain standards the US care system has (and the care systems of all developed countries) that make it better and safer for a child than say, an orphanage in Russia or China. Those countries often don't have the resources to look after kids, so babies and children will be left in their own filth, under nourished and locked up in cribs all day with little chance of being adopted or fostered. The people in Russia and China often can't and won't adopt children, or in China's case there's a much larger demand for boys than girls. In countries like the US, people are queuing up for babies, there are long waiting lists... many don't want to adopt an older child due to the obvious problems the child may come with. Adopting from other countries mean they get a baby and save it from a life of living in a crib and the obvious pitfalls growing up in a developing country brings.

I really don't understand why people are so egocentric when it comes to an "our country vs their country" thing. All orphans need a family no matter where in the world they had the misfortune of being born. A child is a child, what difference does it make where their little body happens to be standing? Now on to a list of reasons one might adopt outside of the US: 1) The US adoption system sucks. For non-private adoptions, at least in our county, in order to adopt you have to be a foster parent for at least 5 years. During that time you have to be willing to take any child or family of children into your home at any time. You may or may not get to adopt any of those children. If you are an older couple, five years makes a lot of difference waiting to get a child. 2) Waiting lists for the private adoption of babies are unbelievably long. Again, if you're an older couple, any length of time makes a lot of difference. 3) Our laws here make it much easier for the natural parents to get their children back after they've been adopted. Some people just can't handle the thought of having to go through that heartache after they've loved and cared for a child. 4) It does not cost less to adopt internationally, in fact, it can cost way more. How do I know all this? My husband and I adopted our little girl from Ukraine. Trust me, if you could see the conditions they lived in, you would understand why we know we did a good thing.

My husband and I use to talk about adoption and wanted to adopt right here in the US. We changed our minds once we found out that the birth parent could come and take the child away.

the answer is simply that orphans in other contreys are thought of as having worse living conditions then orphans on our contery. this is sometimes true, sometimes false.

Some people can't adopt in the U.S. Like Gays and Lesbians. Also it easier to find infants from other countries because the demand for infants is so high. Unless you are willing to take an infant with special needs. Also many parents go through the trauma of mother's changing the minds at the last minute. Since babies from other countries are often already abandoned or orphaned this is not an issue.

Adopting outside the USA: - Adoption procedures are easier. - Money makes the paper work go very quickly. - No guarantees as to the child's physical or mental health issues. - You don't run the risk of having the biological parents show up and claim the child in the years to come. - You have no future legal protection. Adopting within the USA: - The procedure is longer but very safe. - You have the opportunity to take an open or closed adoption. - You have full guarantees as to the child's physical and mental health issues. You must remember to request the child's family health record. - If you take a closed adoption you will not have the biological parents wanting to take the child back. - You have full legal protection. This is based on the information I have and from what I have seen. In both cases you don't have any guarantees if the child once grown wants to find their biological parents, it is up to you to be a good parent and love that child very much. Best regards.

My parents adopted me from Italy. Back in the day, American orphanages wouldn't give them a baby because they were mixed religion! (things have changed now)

Why send food to other countries when there are poor people here?

Because that's what this country does... forgets about it's own people, and focuses on helping people from other countries.

Because the adoption process in the US is often unnecessarily complicated and very lengthy. Since most adoption agencies' budgets are based on the number of children they manage, they have little incentive to expedite the process.

My husband wants us to adopt in a few years. He wants us to adopt a child with special needs like autism. Because those are the kids that do not get adopted, everyone has the right to be loved by a family. We will adopt here in the USA, even if it costs a little more, and we will take a older child. It does not matter.

I think one reason is because some people like to think they are making a difference by adopting children from less fortunate situations, like from third world countries, who wouldn't get as much help anyway, as orphans from the U.S. would. Thats actually my theory of it right now, but its mostly an idea. It could change. But you are right, children in the U.S. still do suffer emotionally though.

cuz like angelina jolie did it !

Because the process is usually faster in other countries and more people can adopt children in other countries compared to the United States i.e. single women. You also don't have to worry about the biological parents trying to take the child away from you in the future. On a downside, it is a lot more expensive to adopt from other countries...money talks.

I'll give you my experience. Back in the ninties we went to adopt, We contacted Social Welfare etc and the FIRST thing we were told - unasked mind you - was 'Sorry the waiting list for white babies is closed, there is a seven year backlist' Well - not a problem for us, we responded. We have no hesitations about adopting a african-american, bi racial or multi-racial baby. No can do, was the answer - White couples cannot adopt african american babies because they will 'deny them their cultural heritage. In fairness, that law - which was pushed for by the BLACK Social workers association of America was rescinded a few years later. However, by then we had adopted from China - AFTER passing stringent background checks from BOTH American and Chinese authorities by the way. IN ADDITION - no senile asterixhole judge in America will EVER be able to order that our daughters and son have to be handed back to some crack-head who just crawled out from under a rehab rock to claim 'parental rights' after sevn years - refer to the Baby Jackson case in Texas...

We can not afford to wait a long time to adopt in the USA. It took us 8 months to adopt overseas, and it would take years to adopt in the USA. We are not young parents. Time matters a lot for us.:)

What is the USA? I don't seem to remember God saying we had to draw lines across the landscape then think that "we" are different (always "better than") from those on the other side of the line. So when your parents (are they Sioux? Apache? Navajo? They are some of the natives of this place) decided to adopt you, I expect their decision was based on love, not politics.

easyer to get children less strict i aint sure to be honest

It costs 2-3x more here than overseas. It can be as much as $60K here but can be done for $20K overseas.

To adopt overseas took us 8 months total. To adopt local would take many years. We both were 57 years old then. We could not afford to wait many years. Does it answer your question? I am sure that what makes people go overseas. One of the reasons at least.