Local families grapple with international adoption pinch

Boston Herald, April 22, 2007

Bay State adoption advocates are warning of a hostile environment for Americans in the wake of a slew of new international restrictions.

"Many families are getting discouraged," said Vicki Peterson, an executive with Wide Horizons for Children, a Massachusetts agency that is one of the largest in the country to handle both international and domestic adoptions.

Prospective parents are facing eight months to two years of delays amid crackdowns by the three countries that account for the vast majority of U.S. adoptees: Russia this month stopped renewing accreditation licenses to U.S. adoption agencies. China next month will ban gay, single and obese parents. And Guatemala has increased agency scrutiny after charges of fraud and smuggling.

Slide rules: Max Stayton, 3, enjoys play time with his sister Maya, 1, who was adopted from China, with mom Kathie at their Sudbury home. (Staff photo by Angela Rowlings)

"These are all new restrictions that did not exist previously," Peterson said. "Things were quicker a year ago."

Massachusetts Rep. William Delahunt, a strong advocate of adoption who has an adopted Vietnamese daughter, said the issue is of concern on Capitol Hill.

"Those of us in Congress are on top of it, and we are having dialogue with those countries (that have restricted adoptions)," Delahunt said.

He urged prospective parents to be patient, noting Russia is responding to a declining population and Guatemala to charges of misconduct.

"The adoption process should reflect the requirements of the Hague Convention," Delahunt said, referring to the intercountry adoption treaty that applies uniform standards of adoption to all countries placing and receiving children. "We have to ensure that the best interest of the child is being served. Those of us who have adopted can testify it’s a profoundly joyous experience, but we want to ensure that the process has integrity."

The new restrictions have spurred some prospective parents to look in the United States and elsewhere to adopt. "Countries like Ethiopia, the Philippines, South Korea and Kazakhstan are receiving numerous applications from parents that don’t want to wait," Peterson said. "Many families are getting discouraged, but they need to remember that there will be a child, it will just take a little longer."

Kathy Stayton of Peabody waited two years to be matched with a child from Nanchang, China. "We went through all the information-gathering, paperwork, social worker visits, having our fingerprints taken, and all the red-tape stuff," said Stayton who finally got to bring 10-month-old Maya home in January.

"I would do it again in a minute," she said. "It was so worth the wait. She’s an amazing child."

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