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I and my wife have adopted four children from India.  We had previously had two children biologically.  I was also adopted as a two year old.

I grew up in a very leftist Portland family and had a lot of the objections that some people have with international adoption (that it is a form of cultural imperialism that I have heard from some Indians and others).....but the truth of international adoption does not bare it out.

Our first son from Calcutta, was 11 pounds at 18 months, when I went with my best friend to India, to get him.  His health issues would have insured that he would not have lived.  Now he is a very short but brilliant young boy of 10.

Our second child from India was three and was misdiagnosed with epilepsy though she had severe seizures.  The epileptic medication reduced her mental capacity severely but after she was correctly diagnosed at OHSU she now reads and is at age level education.  She had several other health issues that would not have been resolved.

The third and fourth were siblings and the girl had polio.  She is now a state level swimmer.

The objections people have to adopting interationally that goes like "charity begins at home" which I have been told is best answered by saying "if you feel so strongly about this then maybe you should be charitable".  This is usually a red herring.  We have had lots of friends who have adopted through the state.  Internation Adoption is hard.  State adoptions, often through the foster parent system is brutal.  There are exceptions but that has not been our friends experiences.  I agree with your guest that the foster care system is not working and it actually prevents children from obtaining permanent parents.

The objection that we need to keep children with their biological parents is about 50 years out of date.  That is what all reputable agencies do.  I have lived in various countries and have been in dozens of orphanages.  This is what all reputable orphanages do.

posted 2 years, 7 months ago
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