[ripples]

Screening Monday 22 June 2009 10.05pm

TV program, Compass, airs tonight on ABC TV (Australian Broadcasting Corporation). Here's the intro from the ABC web site:

Passport To Parenthood
Compass explores the changing nature of inter-country adoption in
Australia. In the 1970s hundreds of babies were airlifted out of
Vietnam for adoption by Australian families. Today increasing
affluence in the developing world, and tighter controls on adoption
procedures mean fewer babies are available to would-be Australian
parents. It's no longer common for overseas babies to be adopted. They
are more likely to be young children. This program explores what
happens when a child is adopted out of its birth culture, and examines
whether an adopting parent has an obligation to manage ongoing
relationships with their child's birth parents and culture.

http://www.abc.net.au/compass/comingup.htm

[ripples]

I just saw the program and thought it was quite well done. Perspectives of two inter-country adoptive parents as well as two inter-country adoptees. Topics covered include issues of cross-cultural identity, losses and gains, questions about one's heritage, birthdate, concerns of inter-country adoption becoming a 'demand driven' business/industry, etc;

If you'd like to see the program, the ABC typically posts the transcript and digital video of the program the following week in the Past Episodes section of their web site Compass - Past Episodes - ABC TV