n September of 2022, at the start of her senior year at Indiana’s Purdue University, Mia Griffin was working in her bedroom, laptop propped up on her knees, when an e-mail came in from 23andMe saying that her genetic testing was completed. Mia was not in a hurry. She’d bought the kit a year before, when she’d seen a sale on Amazon. It was an impulse buy for which her enthusiasm had quickly waned. It took months before she got around to spitting into the tube and mailing it back in the prepaid package.

When she logged on, all seemed as anticipated. The test listed her ancestry as 99.9 per cent East Asian and Indigenous American. (At the time, the two were lumped together by the company.) No great surprise there—she had been adopted in 2002 from China, one of more than a hundred and sixty thousand children sent abroad to the United States and other countries in the course of three decades. Not knowing her family’s medical history, she had taken the test mainly to find out if she had a heightened genetic risk for cancer, and she was relieved to learn that she did not, although the test showed a propensity for lactose intolerance and an allergy to cats, two things she already knew about.

Mia knew that finding family was a possibility, but it wasn’t on her mind. She clicked anyway on the tab that listed genetic relatives. There it was at the top of the list: Zhou Changqi, born in 1956.

“You inherited half of Zhou Chang’s DNA,” the report stated. “Predicted relationship—Father.”

Hi Jay
InterCountry
I think you might be a Colombian adoptee?
InterCountry
lovely to econnect! You sent me a friend request. I'd love to hear a little about yourself and why you might be reaching out to connect to me as a fellow intercountry adoptee? My website has a ton of resources www.intercountryadopteevoices.com
My name is Lynelle Long and I'm adopted from Vietnam to Australia and I've been providing a space for intercountry transracial adoptees for 27 years. Looking forward to getting to know you ..
Cheers
Lynelle
Tue 17:12
You sent
Hello Lynelle, yes, I was adopted from Colombia, the orphanage Los Pisingo's, I have started recently to deal with my adoption and want to connect with other intercountry adoptees and share experiences.
You sent
Wow! Your website is impressive!
Tue 18:49
InterCountry
Happy to help support you in whatever way you need
InterCountry
And to listen and reflect
InterCountry
if you want a more "ease into adoptee spaces" group for you right now .. I can recommend some .. ICAV might also be a bit much for you straight away

How adoptees face hostility and human rights violations in Nepal’s citizenship system

A growing number of adult adoptees of Nepali origin have started returning to the land of their birth, and seeking not only emotional reconnection but formal recognition through the Non-resident Nepali (NRN) card or citizenship. 

But these returnees are too often met not with welcome, but with suspicion, obstruction, and at times, open hostility. 

After becoming the first adoptee to obtain an NRN card, I recently returned to Nepal to successfully claim NRN-citizenship. That success does not signify a welcoming state structure towards adoptees. On the contrary, it was an odyssey through psychological, legal and transnational hurdles.

TBIJ led legal bid to identify couple whose adopted children suffered emotional abuse, physical attacks and racism

Content warning: This story contains references to child abuse and racism.

A primary school teacher smashed their adopted children’s heads together, forced them to swallow soap and called one of them a “black bastard”.

At the address indicated or via videoconference: EFA and Fnepe are pleased to invite you to participate in the presentation of the action research report conducted by sociologist Laura Biteaud. The author's presentation will be followed by two roundtable discussions.

Between "trust" and "betrayal": the impact of illicit practices in international adoption on families' experiences 

A complex reality with multiple repercussions 

Based on testimonies, this report is a deep dive into the journey and experiences of families, parents, and adoptees, uncovering the illicit practices of international adoption, often revealed during the search for origins. In addition to the repercussions that, like a shock wave, reach well beyond the family itself, the study sheds light on the "adoption system" as a "sociological object" and its consequences, leading to proposals for improvement in the fields of adoption and the search for origins. 

The round tables

Submit written evidence to the inquiry: Improving family court services for children

In 2023, more than 130,000 children were involved in the family court system.  A large part of family courts’ work is dealing with disputes over children, such as deciding which parent a child should live with or whether a child should be taken into care for their protection.. The system relies on input from a range of bodies including  His Majesty’s Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS), an executive agency of the Ministry of Justice (MoJ); the Department for Education (DfE); and the Children’s and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), to provide adequate support and services for the children and families involved. 

The work of Cafcass was last examined by the Committee in 2010 when it determined that the service, which looks after the interests of children involved in family court proceedings in England, was not fit for purpose. However in the years since these findings Cafcass has been rated outstanding by Ofsted, although some past challenges identified by the PAC still apply today, including the pressure caused by high caseloads. 

The National Audit Office’s (NAO) work in this area in 2025 questioned whether the MoJ, DfE and other bodies involved in the family court system in England and Wales managing the system effectively to provide better outcomes for the children and families involved. In recent years the time taken to resolve cases in the family courts has steadily increased, with figures in March 2024 showing that families were waiting almost a year on average for decisions to be made.  

Based on the NAO’s work, the Committee will take evidence from senior MoJ and DfE officials, and representatives from other relevant bodies on topics including:   

A late decision to cut a support fund by 40% has led to a chaotic and distressing situation, with therapy for vulnerable children cancelled or delayed, writes Dr Leslie Ironside

As a consultant child and adolescent psychotherapist, I am writing to express serious concern about the government’s handling of the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund (ASGSF) this financial year. The ASGSF has long been a vital resource for adoptive families, enabling access to specialist therapeutic support for children who have experienced early trauma, loss and disruption. I have worked with many such families under this scheme and seen the positive, often life-changing impact it can have.

This year, however, the situation has been chaotic and distressing. The decision on ASGSF funding was left until very late in the financial planning cycle, leaving families and professionals in limbo. When the decision finally came, the funding had been cut by 40% – a severe blow.

How one experiences being adopted is not in itself unimportant. However, the experiences are not strictly necessary to be able to discuss the system.

Artist Jorun Stiansen wants nuance in the debate about intercountry adoption.

As a critic, I do not believe that one or the other experience should have less space than another. After all, they are experiences. These are not the objects of criticism and scrutiny.

The New York State Senate adopted a resolution commemorating the 75th anniversary of the Indian Constitution, introduced by Senator Jeremy Cooney, who celebrates his Indian origin. “Today, I had the privilege of introducing a Senate resolution to recognise the 75th Anniversary of the Indian Constitution. As an orphan from Kolkata, India, I'm incredibly proud to celebrate our Indian heritage and this important landmark with my colleagues and all New Yorkers,” Senator Cooney posted on X.

“I am introducing this resolution in honour of the 75th anniversary of the Indian Constitution, a time to celebrate Indian independence and the many brave Indians who risked their lives for the betterment of their fellow countrymen,’ Cooney said during his address.

“As many of my colleagues know in the Senate, I was adopted from an orphanage in Calcutta and throughout my life, I have worked very hard to maintain a strong connection with India and Indians in my community. That connection continues today as we honour the 75th anniversary of the Indian Constitution,” he stated.

What Jeremy Cooney revealed about his birth and birth mother

Cooney has extensively spoken about his Indian origin. In 2018, he penned his birth story in a blog, though he said he does not know much of it. "I don’t know much about my birth mother, but I know she was alone. She came to my orphanage, the International Mission of Hope Society, pregnant and unable to keep her child. She was able to stay at the Christian mission and deliver me under medical supervision. I was born weeks later with only a first name. No substantial records were kept, assuring her anonymity," he wrote.

He was adopted by his single mother Anne when she was 40. "Years later, I would return to that same orphanage as Jeremy Cooney, with my (adopted) mother, Anne. Single and at the age of 40, my mother took a chance and adopted a little brown boy from across the globe. She did so in the name of love. Nevertheless, it was risky at the time. I was first Indian male adoptee from India in upstate New York," he wrote.

The 13-year-old allegedly conspired with two men to kill her adoptive mother over her opposition to the relationship and to gain control of her property.

In Short

• Victim opposed girl's ties with older men Ganesh Rath and Dinesh Sahu
• Girl, 13, conspired with 2 men to gain control over Rajalaxmi's property
• Murder covered up by claiming heart attack, body cremated in Puri

A teen and her two male friends were arrested in Odisha for the murder of the woman who had adopted and raised her since infancy. The victim, 54-year-old Rajalaxmi Kar, was allegedly smothered to death on April 29 at her rented home in Gajapati district.

Police say the girl, just 13 years old, conspired with Ganesh Rath, a temple priest, and Dinesh Sahu to kill Rajalaxmi over her opposition to the relationship and to gain control of her property. The teenager was allegedly in a relationship with Rath and Sahu.