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.
ISS (International Social Service) is a worldwide organization that works for the protection and well-being of children. In the context of its work, the organization is well placed to give an impression of the positive and negative feelings, but also the challenges that adoptees can face when searching for their roots. They made a brochure about this in English, French, Spanish and Dutch .
A process that varies from person to person
The search for roots is a process that takes place at different times in life and for different reasons. What this process looks like varies from person to person. For one adoptee, questions about roots never arise, while for another, solving these questions is of vital importance. The answers can look very different: from gaining access to the file, to traveling to the country of origin, to meeting the birth family.
Challenges along the way
Searching for roots presents challenges such as gaining access to information and files. Language barriers, cultural and financial differences also play a role in an intercountry adoption. A search can have a very positive result. Unfortunately, this is not always the case and the search itself does not always go smoothly.
Agartala: A few-days-old infant was rescued from Khowai hours after she was handed over to a childless couple by her biological parents in lieu of alleged pecuniary benefits, sources in the police department said.
The shocking incident occurred at Katlamara hospital where the baby girl was born. However, due to the timely intervention of the police, the baby was rescued.
The biological parents of the baby hail from the Katacherra area of Simna Assembly constituency.
According to police sources, the child's parents had been struggling to make two square meals.
They took the decision to ensure that the baby gets a good life. Admitting the fact that they had allowed a family to adopt their baby, the biological mother of the child, Laxmi Rani Sarkar (Das), said,
Truth and Reconciliation Commission confirms human rights violations, including false records of missing children as orphans by omission of parental consent by brokerage agencies , and first acknowledges the issue of state responsibility Insufficient data to find roots Even if an adoptee with a rare ankle disease needs genetic information from their family history, it cannot be disclosed without the consent of their biological parents The government must first issue a sincere apology and correct errors in adoption records to restore family reunions
May 11th is 'Adoption Day'. According to the Special Act on the Promotion and Procedure of Adoption revised in 2005, it became a legal commemorative day the following year to establish adoption culture and promote domestic adoption. The day before, the 10th, is also a legal commemorative day, 'Single-parent Family Day', which was established in accordance with the Single-parent Family Support Act revised in 2018 to increase public understanding and interest in single-parent families and to break down prejudice. Although it is not widely known, civic groups that opposed the establishment of Adoption Day played a major role until the government commemorated Single-parent Family Day.
The non-profit organization Root House, which has been advocating for the rights of overseas adoptees for 22 years, has been at the forefront. The organization's co-representative, Kim Do-hyun, pointed out, "(At the time of the establishment of Adoption Day), the Roh Moo-hyun administration was immersed in the romantic idea that if they increased domestic adoptions through campaigns, overseas adoptions, which were criticized domestically and internationally, would disappear," and "In reality, overseas adoptions have never decreased because of domestic adoptions." He criticized, “The purpose of establishing Adoption Day is flawed and its policy goals have never been achieved, but the government does not accept this reality. Every year, the Prime Minister comes out and gives awards to adoptive parents and adoption agencies at a large hotel attended by 2,000 to 3,000 people, saying, ‘Domestic adoption is a beautiful thing, so please participate.’”
Kim Do-hyun, co-representative of the non-profit organization Roots House, is proposing, “Let’s change ‘Adoption Day’ on May 11th to ‘Adoption Truth Day’” at the office in Changui-mun-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul, on the 28th of last month. Representative Kim said that related organizations have been commemorating ‘Adoption Truth Day’ since 2020, and that social awareness is changing as the ‘truth’ about human rights violations against overseas adoptees and biological parents is being revealed. Reporter Lee Jae-moon
Since 2011, Roots House, together with overseas adoption organizations, birth family groups, and the Unwed Mothers' Family Association, has independently declared May 11th as "Single Moms' Day" and has held international conferences in the National Assembly for nine years, ending in 2019, to raise our voices in minimizing child adoption. Ultimately, Representative Kim said that the government also designated Single-Parent Family Day right before Adoption Day, meaning that it should first focus on social reconstruction so that birth mothers and children are not separated.
Question écrite n° 07698 de M. Edouard Le Jeune (Finistère - UC)
publiée dans le JO Sénat du 28/12/1989 - page 2154
M. Edouard Le Jeune attire l'attention de M. le ministre d'Etat, ministre des affaires étrangères, sur le drame particulièrement douloureux que vivent, depuis deux ans, un certain nombre de familles françaises désireuses d'adopter des enfants roumains. En effet, selon une procédure établie et qui avait été jusqu'alors appliquée, des familles françaises ont engagé auprès des autorités roumaines une demande d'adoption d'enfants roumains, orphelins ou abandonnés. Le gouvernement roumain a mis un veto, sans raison apparente, à la sortie du territoire des enfants adoptés. Ces parents adoptifs ont, à de multiples reprises au cours de voyages en Roumanie, rencontré ces enfants avec lesquels ils ont noué des liens affectifs et se retrouvent aujourd'hui désemparés. En conséquence, il lui demande quelles mesures il compte prendre afin que cette situation particulièrement inhumaine et scandaleuse cesse rapidement.
Réponse du ministère : Affaires étrangères
publiée dans le JO Sénat du 12/04/1990 - page 769
Réponse. - Dès le début des événements qui se sont produits en Roumanie, la question posée par l'honorable parlementaire a été évoquée par notre ambassade à Bucarest, par M. Bernard Kouchner, secrétaire d'Etat auprès du Premier ministre chargé de l'action humanitaire et par Mme Georgina Dufoix lors des entretiens qu'ils ont pu voir avec les nouvelles autorités de ce pays. Ces dernières ont donné une réponse positive qui répondait aux attentes de nombreux parents français. Dans les jours qui ont suivi, il est apparu que le recensement des enfants dans les crèches et la vérification de leur situation s'opéreraient plus rapidement à Bucarest qu'en province, et qu'il était préférable d'envisager la remise des enfants aux parents adoptants en deux temps. Dans ces conditions, un premier vol a été organisé le samedi 6 janvier, qui a permis d'assurer la venue en France de soixante-trois enfants (un 64e, qui n'avait pas été conduit à temps à l'aéroport a, depuis lors, été remis à sa famille d'adoption). Dans un certain nombre de cas (vingt-deux à ce jour), il s'est révélé que les enfants n'étaient plus adoptables. Les interlocuteurs de notre ambassade se sont montrés ouverts pour essayer de remédier à ces situations douloureuses. Les autorités roumaines s'emploient, maintenant en liaison avec notre ambassade à Bucarest, à faire le point des dossiers encore en instance, concernant notamment des enfants se trouvant dans des crèches en province, pour que ceux d'entre eux qui demeurent adoptables puissent être rapidement accueillis par les familles françaises concernées.
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) — The unsealed indictment in the Jason Carney case outlines the United States government’s case against the 2nd Milk co-founder in his federal wire fraud trial.
The 29-page document outlines how the prosecutors say Carney misappropriated donations intended to help orphaned children from impoverished villages in Africa.
The federal government alleges Carney and his family used portions of those donations to fund personal travel, boat loans, and routine living expenses.
Misuse of donated funds
In count one of the indictment, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, the government highlights 13 donations made to 2nd Milk from two companies, one individual, and one foundation.
Jason Carney ran 2nd Milk charity and found orphans in Malawi for U.S. families
Federal authorities have arrested Jason Carney, an American who ran a charity to feed African orphans and brokered adoptions in Malawi for U.S. clients.
Carney was detained Friday in Arkansas in connection with a U.S. State Department investigation, according to a local law-enforcement record and people familiar with the matter. Carney and his wife couldn’t immediately be reached for comment. It couldn’t immediately be learned what charges he faced.
The Wall Street Journal in August reported that the State Department was investigating Carney and his charity called 2nd Milk. Officials suspected Carney was using money raised for the charity to pay for his travel and lifestyle, according to an affidavit filed by a State Department investigator.
The Journal investigation found former employees at 2nd Milk who said that Carney represented to U.S. families that certain babies were available for adoption, even though Carney hadn’t gotten proper approval from their biological families or the Malawian ministry.
The Chief Resident Magistrate Court in Blantyre has set aside 12th March 2025 as a day it will start full trial of a case involving a Dutch national Wim Akster who is answering multiple charges of indecency. Akster who is a former Financial Director at Timotheos Foundation is accused of sexually abusing beneficiaries of a bursary scheme by the organization including former employees. Child Rights Activist, Memory Chisenga has since called for …
