Tuesday Term: Anti-Adoption
Anti-Adoption is a term frequently used in the adoption and child welfare community to discredit those who criticize adoption practices, particularly international. It is a term used to marginalize people and opinions much like the US political climate today where a person’s credibility can be diminished quickly with a well-placed label like “liberal” or “right wing.”
Let’s talk about what this term actually means and the implications for adoption. A person, organization or legislation that is “anti-adoption” means they do not believe in adoption as a legal means to bring a person into a family. That is what it means. Anti-adoption measures are meant to get rid of laws that allow an adoption to ever occur. (In some countries there truly is no such thing as a legal adoption as we in the West know it. It does not mean they are “anti-adoption”, just that their culture and legal system has no place for this legal transaction.)
Find our previous Tuesday Terms here .
REFORM Puzzle Piece
Thank you from all of us who have been called " anti-adoption" including me- a provider, adoptee and AP. I think adoption, guardianship, etc are all wonderful solutions if done in a child centered manner free from profiteering.
Reform includes being "anti-adoption" when that "adoption" is not legitimate. Maintaining identity of an adoptee isnt anti adoption. Asking to halt adoptions in corrupt countries is not anti-adoption. It is PRO- transparency and human rights.
So far "fixing" the system hasnt worked very well.
As for different forms of caring for un-parented children, I feel many options can help but the decision where the child will thrive best should never be made based on finances and currently the subsidiary principle of Hague is not being followed.
Many who call names like "anti-adoption" either have much to gain financially or do not wish to know the truth of what goes on abroad because it may be their only chance to parent. But at what cost?
If we do not fix the rampant problems, the remaining countries with legitimate orphans needing parents will close. No one wins here unless things change.