MPR: One Family, Two Countries

One Family, Two Countries: The Changing Face of International Adoption
By Lynette Nyman
October, 2000

An Adoption Diary
"After leaving no personal or financial detail untouched, we get a call from the adoption agency that an 18-month-old boy is available in Bulgaria."

Reporter's Notebook
"The best thing about doing this series on adoption is that I learned that there are thousands of adopted children who share a similar experience."
- Lynette Nyman

Credits:
Editor: Mike Edgerly
Online News Editor: Bob Collins
Sr. VP News: Bill Buzenberg

In 1999, American families adopted more than 16,000 children from other countries. That's more than double the number adopted a decade ago, when most adoptees were Korean. Today, half come from Russia and China. The dramatic shift has brought new issues facing these children. How will they adapt? Should they retain their culture? Are parents prepared for the children who are often developmentally disabled?

		From the Orphanage Besides being at a greater risk for contracting infectious diseases, institutionalized children usually lag in physical and mental development. Researchers with the International Adoption Project want solid data that may help them, adoption agencies, and families prepare to serve the needs of all children adopted from overseas. Read \| Listen

		Chasing a Long-Distance Love When families adopt a child from overseas, they often know little about the child. Some have a few lines from an orphanage doctor, or maybe a postage stamp-size photograph. Over the past decade, videos have become increasingly popular as a way to introduce a child to prospective parents. The videos are sometimes useful in determining a child's health, but some conditions are not visible on tape, leaving many parents unprepared for their child. Read \| Listen

		Who Am I? Children adopted from overseas are born into one culture and raised in another. They grow up aware that their origins are far different from their parents'. "Adoption tours" are gaining popularity for internationally-adopted children and their parents. Adoption experts say these are emotional journeys that can fulfill adopted children's desires to learn who they are. Read \| Listen

Links and Resources

Adoptive Family Travel
Children's Home Society of Minnesota
International Adoption Research
National Clearing House for Adoption Information
University of Minnesota International Adoption Project

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