Intercountry Adoption in Prima Oct Edition

[Kewcumber]

There is a piece on intercountry adoption in Prima in the newly out Oct issue. Covering three families - China, Russia and kazakhstan.

You may recognise one of them...

(Terrible photo though)

Kewcumber, I read this and have just realised it was you! I so respected your choice of going somewhere there was such a good lead-in period where you got to know eachother.

The chinese adoption sounded as if they just arrived one day and were handed the child to take back to the hotel. Does that happen? Am I naive to be shocked at that???

You and your ds look so happy. He is a stunner

Yes it does happen Honoria with the majority of China adoptions, that is the way the authorites seem to prefer it (though I'm no expert on China). I'm sure the majority of adoptive parents would prefer it to be different but have no choice (other than choosing another country). Such a long stay in-country is not really an option for most people, I was lucky I could manage it and obviously I have no regrets

honoria - i believe that the chinese adoption authorities do not wish to have adoptive parenst visit the orphanages as they are concerned about the negative publicity that happened some years ago after westerners managed to film inside these institutions

sue - i been to asda to invest in my first ever copy of Prima . i think its a very good article for this type of magazine and much much more balanced and less sensational that many i have seen. you must be pleased

at my free " happy hippo" biscuit though

yes on balance i was pleased - asked for (and got) copy approval or I wouldn;t have done it but obviously had no control over the other two articles or headlines. On balance its OK I think for such a short piece.

I picked up a Prima to read on the plane over here, Kewcumber, and guessed that that was you in the article. I thought they devoted a reasonable amount of space to it; I hate those brief items that finish as soon as you get started.

Re the Chinese baby. How do the parents check their baby actually needs adopting? I've read awful articles about babies being stolen for adoption purposes, or the parents giving up their baby under coercion. When we lived in Indonesia you could buy a baby for $35.

PS You have beautiful hair!

Oooh, Kewc, will the Oct one still be available? I've only been to a supermarket once this week and forgot to get it!

I would think so wendy. bran got hers on tuesday this week and i just bought mine yesterday

sue - all chinese adoptions are done through the relevant government agency in china.

chinese centre of adoption affairs

i assuem that the British authorities feel that chinese adoptions are completely legal as the child does not have to be re adopted here in the Uk ie they accept the decision of the Chinese courts.

usually if there is any question about the legitimacy of adoptions, the UK govt suspend adoptions by UK citizens

Thank you, Kristina - have just written Prima on the back of my hand

China (and indeed Kazkahstan) are very careful to check that the child is available for adoption. Firstly adverts are generally placed in the local papers, secondly the child is not made available for some time in case the birth parents change their mind (usually six months) and even then (quite rightly) are made available to domestic adopters first.

In countries who stick to some sensible rules, there are rarely children available for adoption under 6 months and generally below 8/9 months is rare. In order to get a visa into the UK for your child you have to prove that the child was legitimately adopted and either have a letter from a birth parents signing away their rights or a court document (or both) to show that the parents couldn't be found.

I think the problem of being able to "buy" babies in some countries is more one of child trafficking than adoption. Most (all?) adoptive parens would be horrified at the thought that the birth mother of their child was deprived of them unfairly and will often to go to great lengths privately to try to trace birth parents.

and slightly shocked that you think my hair is lovely - it obviously photogrsphs better than it looks in reality!

I wasn't at all at the happy hippo, in fact I ate it while trying to find the article. I think I'm going to chuck the free mascara though, it looks very dodgy.

Some countries have very dodgy adoption practices. I was reading an article that claimed it is estimated that up to 80% of adoptions in Malaysia are illegal. They have a process that is similar to the UK one, but most people make a private arrangement with a pregnant mother who doesn't want to keep the baby. When the baby is born the adoptive parents simply pick the child up from the hospital and register it as their birth child.

I wonder if the parents of the baby adopted from China complained to Prima about that headline. I would be horrified to have a quote like that credited to me.

Yes I wonder if they complained - I would have. Couldn;t beleive it when journalist confirmed to me that they never said it!

having bought a copy for my mum too I ate 2 hungry hippos - any want 2 cheap and nasty mascaras for free?

bran - that is how most adoptions were done in the Uk until recently. i have an aunt who was adopted like that in the 1930s.

AFAIK that is still how babies born by donor insemination babies are registered here in the UK. there is no formal adoption at all - they are just taken home by teh birth mother and registerd as the child of their adoptive father

oops sorry, superfluous "babies"

note to self - must preview posts typed while bf