PEAR has been alerted to some very concerning issues surrounding China’s special needs adoptions. We believe that adoption service providers (ASPs) are stepping up the recruitment and engaging in unrealistic practices due to their financial pressures as well as pressure from CCCWA to place SN children via a rumored reward program: 1 additional non SN referral for every 5 SN placements. We also believe that the long wait for healthy young children has encouraged Prospective Adoptive Parents (PAPs) to underestimate the potential issues surrounding the parenting of special needs children, especially older children, and to overlook unethical practices in exchange for quicker placement of children. We are also deeply concerned with the magnitude of influence of unregulated adoption advocates in the adoption process. In addition to the above, we are dismayed at the lack of candor, transparency, and communication being provided by both Central Authorities involved in governing adoptions from China to the United States.Click here for additional details.
At this time, we believe that the special needs placement programs involving Chinese children are riddled with unethical, nontransparent practices that do not adequately safeguard the children involved. The result is commodification of children, dilution of the integrity of adoption, and the placement of unwitting children and adults into crises situations.
Talking about adoption, birthparents, abandonment, race, and China with my kids. That's not all we talk about -- but reading this blog, you'll think it's all we do!!!!!
Sunday, March 18, 2012
Ethical Issues in Special Needs Adoption From China
PEAR (Parents for Ethical Adoption Reform) has issued a warning about troubling issues in China's special needs adoption program:
I think there needs to be one major correction to that article:
ReplyDelete"...pressure from CCCWA to place SN children via a rumored reward program: 1 additional non SN referral for every 5 SN placements."
The rumor is actually that agencies are rewarded with 1 SN (Special Need) child for every 5 SF (Special focus) child placed. Still a big problem, but a HUGE difference. There are no rewards of extra non SN children to agencies.
Kind of sad that now days that SN is so common that it's considered non-SN by a platform so popular as PEAR.
Other than that error in reporting (which is pretty big), I agree. In fact, it's even more concerning than what's actually being reported, knowing that more PAPs are being encouraged to adopt SF children the same as they used to be encouraged to adopt SN children, just a year or two ago.
I see the whole thing going sour if this keeps up. Soneome's gonna snap...due to not being prepared for the task of SF.
I would really like to see some stats on disolutions with regard to China adoptions since more families have begun switching to SN and SF due to the wait.
ReplyDeleteThe 10-hours of training required by the Hague doesn't even scratch the surface of adopting internationally if there are no extenuating medical or developmental concerns.
From what I have heard so far regarding the increase in post placement reports-- it is just more visits from SW, more $$ being paid out, with no real increase in post adoption assistance to families who may need it. Granted, my experience pool is far from being statistically significant. Is anyone tracking this kind of info?