Lost in America
A young adopted Russian girl who appeared in a series of sexually explicit pictures taken at a Walt Disney World hotel was found and is now safe. Thirteen other Russian children adopted by American families over the past few years are not. They are dead. Though their numbers are small compared with the overall number of Russian Children adopted by Americans, the prevalence of their deaths within this sub-population of children, all due to child maltreatment by their adopted parent, is much higher than that for child abuse fatalities in the general American population.
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Federal Regulation of International Adoption
Introduction
It has been over ten years since the United States signed the Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoption. It has been nearly seven years since the White House transmitted the treaty to the Senate for ratification. It has been four years since the Senate ratified the treaty and President Clinton signed the enabling legislation, the Intercountry Adoption Act (IAA) into law. It has been over three years since the State Department held a series of public meetings to elicit information to inform the process of writing implementing regulations.
International ...
Intercountry adoption: Who are the good guys?
The January 5, 2005 CNN headline read, “Trafficking a threat to tsunami orphans.” Within days after the tsunami hit, Indonesia had begun putting into place policies which prohibited any child under age 16 from leaving the country. Why? The Indonesian Embassy’s press secretary in Washington explained that “"the government would like to protect the children from potential traffickers.” It had cause for concern – estimates of children trafficked each year range from a half a million to four million.
Is this concern sufficient to interfere with legitimate ...
The Capacity of a Mentally Retarded Parent to Consent to Adoption
It is universally acknowledged that persons with mentally retardation have, to the maximum degree possible, the same rights as all other people. As early as 1971, the United Nations passed its Declaration on the Rights of Mentally Retarded Persons. A key provision states that whenever mentally retarded persons are unable, because of the severity of their handicap, to exercise all their rights in a meaningful way or it should become necessary to restrict or deny some or all of these rights, the procedure used for that restriction or denial of rights must contain proper ...
Fox Asks “Who’s Your Daddy?”
Just when I think I don't have time for blogging . . . along comes the defender of red state America with "Who's Your Daddy?" - a reality television show featuring "a young woman, adopted at birth, and her biological father" who are reunited before a live national audience.
Sounds innocent enough, "but wait, there's a twist . . ." Before meeting her dad, "the young woman will be presented with eight men, all claiming to be her father (no comments about her biological mother now), and she must determine which one really is." Even better, "there is $100,000 at stake!" ...
Saks Pioneers Newborn Nursery Adoption Centers
Last month the Middleton Doll Company announced it will expand its Newborn Nursery® Adoption Centers into five additional Saks Department Stores.
"The expansion of this unique award-winning retail concept into additional Saks Incorporated stores will enable many more young girls to experience the 'adoption' of their very own lifelike baby doll in a simulated hospital nursery setting," said George R. Schonath, president and chief executive officer of The Middleton Doll Company.
With chubby cheeks, bright eyes, soft hair and an incredibly lifelike face, the Newborn ...
Pregnant by God or Blessed for Adoption?
First there was adoption music, then adoption sermons, even adoption recipes, jewelry and an ISP. Adoption.com is a virtual adoption marketplace; everything adoption is for sale except the children.
Then the National Center for Lesbian Rights sued Adoption.com for discriminating against same-sex couples.
The lawsuit alleges that among other for-profit services, Adoption.com permits prospective adoptive parents to post their personal profiles in hopes of connecting with potential birth mothers. They will not, however, permit same-sex couples to post their profiles.
Now ...