Intercountry adoption

There continues to be clear evidence of undue financial gain and illegal, illicit and/or unprofessional activity around intercountry adoption and violations of children’s rights in this regard in many countries of the region. This is evident by, inter alia, the fact that no fewer than eight countries have found it necessary to resort to moratoria on intercountry adoptions at different points between 1991 and 2004 in response to the scale of abuse: Albania in 1992; Romania in 1992, 2001 and 2004; Ukraine in 1994 and 2004; Russia in 1995; Belarus in 1997; Georgia and Kazakhstan in 1998 and 2001; and Moldova in 2001.

Violations of child rights in the context of intercountry adoption have clear links with the culture of institutionalization and the “pull effects” of institutions. The preponderance of current thinking on international adoption is that it is an exceptional response because it involves physical migration across borders and a substantive change in identity (name, family ties, nationality and, typically, culture). It is intended solely as an individualized child-welfare measure to provide a long-term care solution for a child who cannot be brought up by his or her parents and for whom no suitable solution could be found in the country of orgin. Intercountry adoption is one possible option in an overall spectrum of child welfare and protection responses, but care must be taken to ensure it does not become an easy option because the necessary safeguards, checks and balances are lacking or one that “pulls” children out of families and communities. In addition to adoption (national or intercountry), other responses include provision of support to the biological family to keep the child, various types of foster care, and placement in group homes or other types of small institutions.

Intercountry adoption is a highly significant issue.
• In the year 2000, over 12,000 intercountry adoptees–probably between 25% and 30% of the reported world total–came from the CEE/CIS Region.
• With the sole exception of China, by 2000 Romania and Russia had become the most significant countries of origin for intercountry adoptees in the world, and for certain countries of destination the two major “source” countries.

In 2003, more than 34,000 children were adopted from the region.
(Data do not include Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kazakhstan, Serbia and Montenegro, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan.)

Source: UNICEF transMONEE database 2004

Intercountry adoption rate vs national adoption rate per country in CEE/CIS
(graph, IRC)

Number of international adoptions, by country (graph, IRC)

Resources

Guidance note on Intercountry adoption (PDF)

Resources

The situation | Children in public care | Profile of children and risks| Reforming the system| Intercountry adoption