[mschweber]

Well it isn't us this time but it sure sounds familiar (from the Korea Herald):

http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/SITE/da...0605100003.asp

Lawmaker pushes ban on overseas adoption



As the country's birthrate keeps plunging, an opposition lawmaker came up with a desperate measure: an outright ban on international adoption of Korean children.

Rep. Ko Kyung-hwa of the Grand National Party said yesterday she plans to introduce legislation that would prohibit adoption of Korean children by foreign parents outside Korea while systematically supporting domestic adoption.

"Even as we struggle to counter a dropping birthrate and the aging population, the number of international adoptions is higher than that of domestic adoptions," explained Rep. Ko.

"To make a fundamental change, foreign adoptions should be banned and the government needs to work proactively so that we could raise our children here."

To promote domestic adoption, the lawmaker also proposed a state subsidy for the child's foster care during the adoption process, an integrated database for adoption agencies and a reasonable adoption fee, among others.

Some experts, however, said that an outright ban on overseas adoption may be too early for the country.

Korea has long had a reputation as a "baby exporter," producing a population of 157,000 adopted Koreans over half a century. Although domestic adoption has been growing steadily in recent years, the number is still less than that of overseas adoptions.

Of 3,562 children that found homes through adoption last year, about 41 percent, or 1,461 kids, were adopted by Koreans while 59 percent, or 2,101, by foreign parents, which is the third largest number after China and Russia. (milaya@heraldm.com)k

[Katie63011]

Wow, very familiar. Kind of scary that international adoption as a whole is becoming so much more difficult. I was reading on the Guat boards that there are going to be implications of Guatemala joining the Hague and will slow things down there but not for a while. I understand that China is slower than normal right now. Let's hope that all the children who need homes end up with them. If these countries can promote domestic adoption and place the children in homes, that is fine, but it's the ones left behind when international adoption becomes so difficult that I worry about. I worry about all the parents who are waiting for children as much.

[lovestruck]

IHope they will reassess and see all the positives for international adoption!