Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Expecting Honesty and Ethical Practices

There is an article and video that is sweeping across the adoption community right now that I feel I need to share with everyone.

Please be aware that this video is not fun to watch.

watchhttp://www.abc.net.au/foreign/content/2009/s2686908.htm

Why would someone, who is in the process of adopting from Ethiopia, post such a video on her blog?

The answer is simple - to educate and make others aware that unethical practices in adoption do happen and are happening.

How many more countries have to shut their doors to IA? How many more children, truly in need of a family, have to be left in orphanages or living on the streets because some agency has decided that they need to go out and harvest children for adoption?

Okay, I'm not saying that Ethiopia is going to close her doors to IA. What I am saying is that we've seen similar things happen in many other countries. Some of those countries no longer have adoption programs in place. Orphanages are overflowing with children who may or may not ever become part of a family. Children are living on the streets. Babies are being found abandoned, some alive, some dead. It is so very, very sad to me that this is happening. Agencies know this and yet they still practice unethical behaviors that puts the entire system in jeopardy. That part of it makes me very angry.

How do I know that our agency is handling everything in an ethical manner? I don't know with 100% certainty that they are or are not. Yes, I did my research and I chose the agency based on that research. I have to hope and trust that they have and will continue to be ethical.

How do I know that the orphanage is handling everything in an ethical manner? Again, I don't know with 100% certainty that they are or are not.

What I do know with 100% certainty is that Ethiopia does in fact have millions of children who need families. What I have to trust is that Naomi comes to be part of our family in the most ethical way possible.

Adoption is a wonderful way to build a family and I encourage all AP's and PAP's to make sure that their agencies are practicing ethics in adoption. Our children deserve to know that they became part of our family the right way and should never have to question that.

2 comments:

Sam's mom said...

Thanks for this posting Debbie. I think we all need to post this and raise awareness. The VAST majority of Ethiopian adoptions, heck, the VAST majority of IA is VERY ethical. We just need to keep vigilant about that small, small minority...to protect the orphans and the families trying to adopt them.

Mel said...

i could only watch to 9 minutes and was really angered and had to stop. i get sickened by how the media wants to put IA into a bad light, and makes you feel GUILTY for adopting from a foreign country, where indeed the needs for children finding loving homes are big.
hague-schmake- a pain in the rear, made it super hard to adopt. we're overseas and CANNOT even adopt out of a country that IS hague.
i totally agree that agencies that practice fraud, child trafficking and paper forging need to be rooted out and shut down, BUT there are many, many ethical agencies out there, that have successfully been placing children into loving homes.
it angers me when i hear or read from the media, makes me sick, when they hawk over ONE or TWO stories, and in their wicked way "corrupt" the view on IA.
sick, sick........
our second adoption was an open adoption where the mother could not take care of her baby. she chose us to raise her child. what is wrong with that? NOTHING!!
it saddens me to see that ET is taking a similar path as guatemala and vietnam did. i hope and pray ET will stay open and that as many children as possible will find a forever home.
blessings,
mel