Intercountry Adoption has become much more controversial than what used to be the case. As a result of this, there have been many moves to “clean up” intercountry adoption that often seem to have a polarizing effect between agencies and adoptive families.  In addition, legislators, NGOs, and other interest groups have been prone to jump on the bandwagon of increased regulation in attempts to repair the causes that have led to the unfortunate minority of adoption cases mired by poor practices and controversy.

Because intercountry adoption is a very complex and intricate institution that crosses a multitude of geographic and cultural boundaries, Focus on Adoption is hesitant to endorse piecemeal measures that do not take the larger picture and total intercountry adoption environment into consideration.  These measures are often extreme, well intentioned compromises that unfortunately overlook child welfare in the name of rooting out corruption and can ultimately result in far worse conditions than those which led to the measures in the first place.

For this reason, Focus on Adoption supports the creation of a comprehensive National Adoption Policy prior to putting any more regulations or procedures into place.  Focus on Adoption believes that only such a policy, with input from all stakeholders in intercountry adoption, can create a foundation on which sound intercountry law and procedures can be developed.

Current Public Policy Proposals (click to learn about them):

ICARE Bill (Intercountry Adoption Reform of 2003)

Translation of Guatemalan Iniciativa 3217 Adoption Law Proposal 2/05

Lynda Smith's (Executive Director of the International Advocates for Children) Paper on the Hague

Betsy Bartholet's Keynote Speech from the Focus On Adoption Conference