Profit Comes With Selling Chinese Orphans, but Questions Too

Not a pleasant title, is it? Wen Hua wrote in  Epoch Times on November 15, 2011 Profit Comes With Selling Chinese Orphans, but Questions Too about the US agency Children’s Hope International and some of its Chinese connections.

“Trafficking babies is good business in China: Infants can be sold to overseas buyers for as much as $22,000, and the authorities don’t seem to mind. In some cases, officials even confiscate children born outside of the one-child policy and sell them to foreigners.

One of the large organizations running an adoption service for foreigners, the International Children’s Relief Fund (ICRF), is run by the same people who are in charge of the NGO called Children’s Hope Relief Foundation (CHRF), which is supposed to take care of orphans, children with congenital diseases, and abandoned children, according to a recent investigation by Times Weekly, a Chinese newspaper.

The CHRF has been operational in China since 1992. It’s not clear when they began mixing their roles. According to Times Weekly, CHRF takes in children with congenital and complicated illnesses for treatment, persuades the parents to give up guardianship, and then puts the babies up for adoption under ICRF. Foreigners sweep in to buy the babies.

Times Weekly reports that ICRF’s agent in China is Zhang Wen, who is also in charge of CHRF. He earns more than one million yuan (approximately US$157,520) per year for his adoption services, the Weekly reports. Under Chinese law, CHRF can’t be involved in adoption activities, but Zhang has become adept at doing business with both hats.

The first foreign adoption of a Chinese baby was approved in 1985, and in 1992 the law was formalized. China has become a major provider of adoptees to the West since. By the end of 2011 there have been 120,000 Chinese children adopted by families abroad, of which more than 4,000 were supplied by the ICRF.

According to the official ICRF website (in Chinese; the English website is no longer operational), the cost of adopting a Chinese child in for U.S. citizens is about 175,000 yuan (approximately US$27,564). This includes US$21,780 in fees, including an application fee, a fingerprint fee, a home study fee, a management fee, and others, along with another payment of $5,513.9.

For all that, it is still cheaper for Americans to adopt a child in China than in the U.S.
American families adopted 3,401 children from China in 2010, or a quarter of total adoptions, according to official statistics.

The two main sources of children are those congenital illnesses, whose parents cannot afford the medical treatment and hand over guardianship, and babies who are abandoned.

Under the current adoption law in China, if a lost baby is not claimed within 60 days of the Ministry of Civil Affairs making an announcement, it will be treated as abandoned.

The China Center of Adoption Affairs was established in 1996 under the Ministry of Civil Affairs. This makes the Ministry responsible for registration of abandoned children, their adoption by foreigners, and the loopholes and irregularities in the system as well.

Times Weekly reported in July 2009 that the government of Zhenyuan County, Guizhou Province, allegedly confiscated from parents female babies that were born in violation of the one-child policy, and forcefully sent them to orphanages.”

Children’s Hope International and CCAA Computer System

This is a good time to connect the dots and inform you that almost one year ago, CHI was being praised because “On the morning of November 24, a ceremony for donation of computer equipment by Children’s Hope International and ASG, Co. was held in CCAA. Mr.Gantt and Ms. Zhang Wen from Children’s Hope International were present at the ceremony on behalf of the donor. Director-General of CCAA Mr. Zhang Shifeng, Deputy Directors-General Ms. Chu Xiaoying and Ms. Gan Weiwei, as well as Ms. Han Xiurong from the Section of Social Welfare of Shaanxi Department of Civil Affairs, the donee Ms. Cheng Chunying, director of Xi’an Children’s Welfare Institute also attended the ceremony.

Children’s Hope International and ASG, Co. have been devoted to the information updating of inter-country adoption in CCAA for a long time. ASG, Co. donated 60 sets of electronic equipment this time, making the total number 381. CCAA have distributed these to local welfare institutes, who use the equipment to work on the online special needs program and help more orphaned and disabled children find families. Many hard-to-place children were able to find families through this program. Mr. Zhang Shifeng granted a donation certificate to Mr.Gantt and expressed sincere gratitude to ASG, Co. for their devotion to China’s child welfare, and appreciation of Arthur and Carole Allen for their kindness and generosity. Mr.Gantt indicated that Children’s Hope International will continue to participate in China’s children’s charity cause and contribute to the welfare of orphaned and disabled children in China. The chilly wind in Beijing is beckoning the arrival of winter, but the international bond embodied in the donation ceremony has brought warmth to every one’s heart.”

  around here?

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A  November 1, 2011 cached copy of Intercountry adoptions gray screen by anran. Bear through the translation that this appears to be.

“The morning of October 9, friends’ Metro Zelin “in microblogging volunteers received a private letter help: Please help him to lean forward a father to raise a child surgery microblogging. Sure is the case, the “Metro Zelin,” forwarded to it, and this help microblogging soon under the enthusiastic users’ attention to the “spread.” A few minutes later, the father called, not only ‘Park Zelin “involved in a dispute, it is also so that the original simple things complicated, tricky.

“The children’s father and I said, he applied for a foundation contribution account, but the Foundation to receive donations of 5% management fee.” October 15, “Metro Zelin” to accept an interview with Die Zeit correspondent said at the time His first reaction was this foundation is a liar, because never heard of the contribution to charge management fees. He immediately made a micro-blog, called on everyone not to donate money to the Foundation’s account, go directly to the father.

Microblogging issue did not take long, a few certified as “Children’s Hope” staff microblogging account, beginning in the “Metro Zelin” microblogging in to various interpretations. Had sent private letters help of volunteers, but also to “Metro Zelin,” sent a private letter: “For the Fund, charge is normal, any charitable volunteer team all have to eat, want to live, not any saint.” One staff member is asked, “Metro Zelin,” a public apology on the grounds that “Metro Zelin,” issued by the micro-blog “slander” of the Chinese Children’s Hope Foundation.

“I do not know what the Foundation.” “Metro Zelin” wronged “father of the child requires a lot of users to disclose personal account, they want to direct donations.” But the father has yet to publish personal accounts, “Metro Zelin “anxious, he called to ask,” said the father, the Foundation would not let him publish personal accounts, that he published a personal account is private, is a fraud, is illegal and he was terrified. ”

Feedback came back, users are running out of patience. Some users are busy consulting a lawyer, more users began to flesh this donation platform owner – Chinese children want relief Fund (hereinafter referred to as “Chinese children hope”). Children hope for China’s continued negative news came, friends constantly questioned, with foreign adoptions Chinese children Healy to charge high fees; seriously ill parents of children forced to give up custody of the child; promise to unwed mothers having children by them to help raise and so on.

If the users of these questions is true, then no doubt that China has violated children hope in 2004 the State Council issued the “Foundation Management Regulations” of the relevant regulations.

Illegal operations, international adoption program?

In the eyes of new volunteers Xu Wu, a Chinese American children hope is to send missionaries to China Zhang Wen, a body set up, did not initially registered in the country, and no legal status. She said, hope children do volunteer to go to China, the Chinese hope children from orphanages around the country over to a group of children, “These children are more or less in need of treatment.”
Wu Xu Xin said Chinese children hope was to tell volunteers, pick up their kids to Beijing just a working form of treatment after surgery, will help children find adoptive families. “At that time, some suffering from cleft lip, congenital heart kids in the hospital for treatment. The basic rehabilitation of children who have been adopted, mainly to inter-country adoption.”

Xi Chinese children involved in international adoption business? Master Ren Zhangwen Chinese children hope to be denied. She told Die Zeit reporter, said that the foreign adoption is in the International Save the Children Foundation to do it and hope Chinese children are the two institutions, but it is China’s one child hope the donors, “China’s only hope rescue children , does not participate in intercountry adoption. ”

If so? According to public information, the International Save the Children Foundation is a do intercountry adoption agency. Since 1992, the International Save the Children Foundation began doing foreign adoptions in China, is the first batch of Chinese children adopted overseas business intermediaries. International Save the Children Foundation, an agent in China is Zhang Wen.

“International Children’s Relief Fund made a pot of gold by the Chinese children, business development and then to Russia, Vietnam, Kazakhstan and other countries,” a source told the Weekly Times reporter, “Zhang Wen at the International Children’s Relief Fund as an important position, annual salary of more than a million. ”

In this regard, Zhang Wen, frankly stated to the Weekly Times reporter that he is still vice president of the International Save the Children Fund, the main work of the International Save the Children Foundation for the coordination and maintenance of relations with the Chinese government, “My salary is by the International Save the Children Foundation commitment, I do not want to disclose specific figures, staff is much higher than in China, but definitely not one million. ”

International Save the Children Foundation, Gantt in the “World Expo” (No. 5 of 2007), the International Save the Children Foundation, described the process of growth: “While our office is not only took $ 29 from a Wal-Mart bought a table, a fax machine and a laptop computer, but in the first half of 1992 and 1993, there are 24 orphans in China through our national organization by the U.S. domestic adoption in 1995 in Missouri I The Ao Fulan bought a small office, and increased office staff. That year, 240 orphans were adopted from China. By 1996, China became an international children’s children hope. ”

Children in China, the official website of hope, with this introduction: “China Children’s Foundation is a local Chinese want to rescue non-profit non-governmental organization specializing in the plight of Chinese orphans and Save the Children.”

Save the Children hope Chinese children began in 1992, but until March 29, 2010, was formally registered as an independent legal personality of the Foundation. This has been Henan Civil Affairs Administration of civil society organizations who confirmed. The sources said, in March 2010, China’s children hope in Henan incorporated private foundation, “private foundations and private foundations, the biggest difference is that non-public funds can not raise any public donations.” Council of a staff In an interview with Die Zeit reporter, said that to set up a non-public fund, the first unit in charge of looking for, and secondly, should the registered capital of 200 million into the Foundation special account, “only meets these two conditions in order to register successfully . ”

“Non-public funds have registered scope of business beyond the scope of business if there are other projects, investigation and verification, can be ordered to immediately stop the illegal operation of the project.” As for the punishment with the results, the staff said no country in this regard clearly defined, so they can not just punish the offenders.

Chinese children hope for the qualifications and business scope, its competent authorities in Henan Province Civil Affairs Department of Social Welfare and Charity Promotion Director at a surname, told Die Zeit reporter, Xi Chinese children registered scope of business is to help doctors, student, etc. relief work, does not involve adoption, “can also be said that the Chinese children do hope not eligible for adoption, whether domestic adoption or international adoption.”

Children hope in China in Beijing Metro Line 13 Liu Fang Hao Hongyuan station near the office, there are two classes of men, one Chinese child hope Beijing Office, First International Children’s Relief Fund office in China. “Only with office, but belong to two organizations, we all do different things.” Zhang Wen said.

Intercountry adoption charge high fees?

Althogh China is not involved in international child adoption services hope, but the International Children’s Relief Fund charges operating intercountry adoption program, it is an indisputable fact.

According to the International Save the Children Foundation, the official website of the costs out, the Americans adopted a Chinese child’s cost of 175,000 yuan, of which, application fee, file charges, fingerprint fees, home study fees, documentation fees, management fees $ 21,780, to the welfare of 3.5 million yuan.

Users pointed out that such high fees, is not looking at the children home, but to make money as a tool for foreign adoption.

The face of challenge, Zhang Wen explained that the charges must have, because the International Children’s Relief Fund for the adoption of Chinese American families to provide appropriate services, “not only charges the International Save the Children Foundation so, in fact, with the welfare of Chinese children Adoption Center of the world with hundreds of adoption agency are such charges. ”

International Save the Children Foundation has worked Lingling China office (a pseudonym), the Weekly Times reporters that when her work in the hope that contact with children of similar institutions, charges are similar with the International Children’s Relief Fund.

Ling-Ling in the International Save the Children Fund Office in China during the main task is to translate. For charges, Ling-Ling said that China offices to provide services only cost a flat fee by the U.S. side.

Zhang Wen believes that for Americans, the money is not too much, but installments, so American families and there is no economic pressure. In addition, “U.S. tax credit, the cost of adopting a child can be used to offset taxes can be said that a cost of U.S. households to adopt a child, can recover by way of tax deduction.”

In addition, Zhang called for local pay scales according to the U.S. to look at the adoption of the International Save the Children Foundation, the cost, “needs the appropriate U.S. agencies operating costs, labor costs are also, according to U.S. adoption fee is calculated local expenditures of International Save the Children Foundation is a professional services organization, all charges are transparent. “In her view, the International Children’s Relief Fund fee is not high, in her words, if fees are high, then there is no find people willing to adopt the International Save the Children Foundation to do a.

“This hs created a practice that if you lower fees, may be in this industry will be excluded, we are reluctant to cooperate with you, although this is not a normal phenomenon, but is indeed a fact.” An industry analysis.

China’s international adoption in 1992, “People’s Republic of Adoption” promulgation as a starting point. Welfare of the foreign families to adopt a Chinese orphan, adoption organizations through the application, there must be full and accurate reporting and investigation services to the family only after the material submitted to the China Center of Adoption and Child Welfare, Child Welfare and by the China Center of Adoption Affairs to foreign parents welfare arrangements for the child is waiting for adoption.

Above industry source said, “International adoption is a fat, spawned a number of international adoption agency, international adoptions by these institutions to make money, the International Children’s Relief Fund is just one.”

Unspoken rules of Intercountry Adoption

Die Zeit correspondent learned from Zhengzhou, welfare, welfare of the docking unit is the Chinese Welfare and Adoption Center, there needs to be adopted if the welfare of children, child photo and basic information will be uploaded to the District within the adoption system, a Web site, which a website that only people within the civil system can log browsing, “If you determine that a child has been designated a family adoption, adoption center will send us a notice, then, we began to go through relevant procedures.”

For Internet rumors of intercountry adoption agency will give welfare 35,000 yuan, Zhengzhou, said a staff welfare and knowledge, “the other party is willing to adopt our children, that is to reduce our burden, thanks had a chance, how could charged to the people so much money? “he said, there are many foreign families to adopt children, I feel that welfare support for their children so many years, should be thanked, are still to the welfare money, send something.

Weekly Times reporter from the China Center of Adoption consultation shows that the foreign families to adopt Chinese children, Chinese children’s welfare and the need to pay the cost of adoption center 600-1000 U.S. dollars range; where children with special needs (disability or mild disability children) $ 600 fee, health fee of $ 1,000 for children.

The 5% management fee, Zhang Wen said, according to the “Foundation Management Regulations”, the management fee charged is reasonable, “if donors requested the donation can not charge management fees, we will not charge.”

“Not unlikely, because it almost has become China’s charitable sector, a hidden rule, if you do not accept, it means that you break the rules.” Says one industry.

Adopted children come from

It is worth noting that the adoption of many international adoption agencies in the competition for this piece of cake, Chinese Children’s Relief Foundation, Zhang Wen hoped admitted the number of international adoptions are now in constant decline, the International Save the Children Foundation adopted in this regard is how to stand it?

Custody dispute

It has been said in the online broke the news in recent years, the International Save the Children Foundation hope to rely on looking for Chinese children ill children to convince their parents to give up custody, transferred them to the treatment and Adopted, “the most typical is the last free anal female Tianjin infants and small hope of things. “preceding the source said.

Data show that, due to gender discrimination, family planning policy, an illegitimate child, born of multiple factors such as disability and poverty, China’s abandoned children and orphans annual increase, the vast majority of girls and infants with disabilities, but can into the welfare of these orphans are not hospital, have a direct death, there were black adopted (without any formalities of adoption). According to statistics, as of 2006, the country’s welfare by the adoption of at least 100,000 children as much. Up to now, China had approximately 120,000 children adopted by foreign families, and since 1992, through the International Save the Children Foundation to send the children out of about 4,000 people.

Zhang Wen that small hope that things deeply hurt her children hope and Chinese volunteers, “We did not think so much, but want their children to live.” Zhang Wen said, she saw the child records, and Parents say it is not serious, “they deliberately exaggerate the disease did not want to rule the.”

“These volunteers said at the time, the parents give up custody of children after, she’ll want to go abroad for treatment of small.” Mention this, the insiders still agitated, “how could they use this method to our children sold? ”

The name of a knowledgeable person, was a member of Chinese children hope to see relatives and children online help, that child has been transferred to a hospital in Tianjin, when hospice care, regardless of whether the child on the specific circumstances, to force the child from the hospital, “grab” to a hospital in Beijing, but also through the Women’s Federation, the police and the network to put pressure on the child’s parents, “forcing” their parents to give up custody of the child, asked for them to manage and care for children.

“Little hope born with multiple congenital anal fistula, cardiac patent foramen ovale, patent ductus heart, tricuspid regurgitation, spine straight, hydronephrosis, pneumonia, and she in Tianjin Children’s Hospital 13 days can not be cured, and discharged to other hospitals for care of dying. “insiders say that name, in the hope of some Chinese children where staff and volunteers, a small hope that the condition becomes a simple anal atresia,” If, as they say , how could the parents to abandon the take five years to conceive a child? ”

Last March, less than 2 months of the death of a small hope in Tianjin. Zhang Wen Tan Chen, they were the parents do have to give up custody of the idea, but it is to make your children’s sake, “If they were to give up custody of their children, then the child is still alive.”

Intercountry adoption market pressure

“International adoptions from 2000 to 2005 the number has more than 10,000 people per year, down to recent years, two or three thousand a year.” Zhang Wen said, do not want to send, but no child can be sent out.

The end of 2008, the International Save the Children Foundation, Vietnam and Kazakhstan, for some reason lost two important emerging markets, which increased its market in China and Russia on the pressure. According to the International Save the Children Foundation Annual Report, 2008, the Americans apply for an adoption to reduce dramatically the number of Chinese children, reduced from 292 cases to 54 cases, more than the highest point of 828 cases in 2006 decreased 93.5%.

“No children means no income, no income, how to maintain a big body of work? So they can send around to look for ways out of the child.” The source said.

Insiders to provide the name of the “International Children’s Relief Fund,” the financial statements may explain some things. Reports show that in 2008, the number of children sent from China to 171, Zhang Wen income of $ 78,720; 2007, 231 children sent Zhang revenue of $ 106,770. Based on these figures, calculate, send a child, Zhang Wen can earn $ 460, or about 3000 yuan or so. This, perhaps Zhang Wen want to restore the number of international adoption is an important reason.

terview with Die Zeit correspondent despite an interview, Zhang Wenjian hope that China does not carry out child adoption business, but in an interview with the Office of Chinese children who hope Henan Chen Hui, the Die Zeit correspondent learned an important message: there is indeed hope Chinese children receive some abandoned the child’s behavior and help children find adoptive families.

“Some time ago, we rescue a child was burned when a lot of money to cure, and his family are very happy. But suddenly a few days before the child’s grandmother called me on the phone, said the child they do not , and let us figure it, if you, how do you do? “Chen Hui asked,” we can only find a place to foster first, then see whether there are suitable families willing to adopt. ”

Unmarried mothers by suicide

Is not that simple.

The aforementioned source said, in 2007, China hope to start a child called “aid unmarried mothers,” the project to assist some of the difficulties of single mothers living safely gave birth to a child, “this way they get some of the custody of the child, then and then give these children the foreign adoptive homes, in order to earn the intermediary costs. ”

“In 2010, a small hope that things happened shortly after the project was subsequently abandoned.” This name the source said, according to the web page snapshot, the text referred to the time the project first appeared in 2006, and now can see The earliest version is August 2009, “removed a number of terms, this post is the last Zhuantie record in early February 2010. The disappearance of the moment, quite interesting.”

In the survey, Die Zeit correspondent found that in March 2007, the cradle of the ID line called dieschatz sent an article entitled “A mother is facing life-threatening unfortunately need your help,” the post, in this post, poster claiming to be Chinese children hope volunteers, due to work to know the name of unmarried mothers, due to family environment is complex, difficult life, she volunteers to help give birth to children admitted to hospital.

Post said: “As a young unmarried mother, she does not have the ability to raise the child, the child had to give someone else … … March 19, 2007, volunteers D tells us, the day the child reaches 100 days, had She had postpartum depression, mood disorders depression, committed suicide … “Posts Last, the poster published an account, call us for this poor girl donations.

Octobr 16, Die Zeit correspondent found this post talking about unwed mothers in Showtime (a pseudonym). Shin said she did not give birth to children, but choose abortion, “I am not committed suicide because of postpartum depression, but because of wearing high heels step on the sewin machine to take on something or go without care.”

Showtime to Die Zeit correspondent recalled the case of the year, “November 2006, and her boyfriend broke up and found I was pregnant, unwed mothers, assistance in a web page on the QQ group number, I added a go.”

Showtime said that in that group in the hope of volunteers with Chinese children and many unmarried mothers, “They encouraged me to give birth, that you will help me support.” Although these words so that Showtime is moving, but reason told her, can not give birth to this child, “I was adamant to be induction of labor.”

Showtime has always kept in mind that once helped themselves called “Dandan” The children hope volunteers, “she said I applied for two thousand dollars for surgery, but also to help me find the acquaintance.” Shin said, was a hospital in Qingdao, women director of obstetrics and volunteers Dandan very familiar with, so they did not take the normal registration channels, directly into the delivery room.

“I remember I was a shot in oxytocin needle, not long after the child came out, I did not spare some time to look at the child.” Showtime so strange that no one to tell her about the child’s situation, she only to see their children taken away by the nurses put a black plastic bag, “because the doctor said, playing a needle, the children suffocated in the amniotic fluid in the.”

Showtime hospital, Dandan came twice after disappeared. “After leaving the hospital to contact me Dandan, but was told that her phone number is not used the same time, I also found that unmarried mothers group of being kicked out.”

In 2009, married Showtime pregnant again, this time, she adopted an online community forum Adopted children found a post, post that there is a single mother unable to raise their children, the children wanted to give it away. ” The above information and my complete match, even my phoneis, but the QQ number is not me. “Showtime was very angry, some fear, to find the community moderator, asked to delete posts.

Assistance projects for unwed mothers, Zhang Wen told Die Zeit reporter, said, “This child was a boy called Xi made volunteer projects, and the other agencies are doing, how long we have no reason fund-raising is too difficult a few years, we probably will help unmarried mothers less than 10 bar. ”

Zhang Wen said the matter for Qingdao unwed mothers, she did not know, “We just help them to the child and, after the things that they own. You think a child born without identity, and we want to this child, it must give him an identity, it must go through relevant procedures of many government departments, is a cumbersome thing. ”

The insiders do not think so, “they get the child, can be directly sent to welfare, then, after finishing through the welfare-related procedures, then take the child out, and then to the children find adoptive homes abroad.”

REFORM Puzzle Piece