Road to Foreign Adoptions Gets Rockier
Tighter regulations, rising costs, and changing attitudes increase hurdles for those seeking children from other lands. FAMILY
By Bart Eisenberg, Special to The Christian Science Monitor FEBRUARY 28, 1990
SAN FRANCISCO — SINCE World War II, many Americans and Europeans have looked abroad in their quest to adopt children. But while the practice remains a highly rewarding way to build a family, the source countries are shifting, regulations are tightening, and costs are escalating. The biggest factor is a changing attitude in South Korea, which has provided more than half the foreign children adopted by United States families. That country is gradually reducing foreign adoptions with the intent of bringing the rate to near zero (see chart). Reasons include a declining birthrate, increasing affluence, and a growing acceptance of adoption within the country.
``It's been a long time coming,'' says Susan Cox, director of development and public relations for Holt International in Eugene, Ore., the agency that pioneered Korean adoptions. ``Some agencies have ignored this all-too-apparent trend and made promises to clients that they couldn't keep. Now, they are facing a cold reality. But Koreans have nothing to be apologetic for. They've done a tremendous job of trying to ensure that every child has a family. In emphasizing national adoptions, they're on the threshold of a new era.''