China is tightening rules on foreign adoptions, barring parents who are unmarried, over 50 or obese, but said it will try to increase the number of children available to those who qualify, according to U.S. adoption agencies. The move comes amid a surge in foreign applications to adopt Chinese children. The United States is the No. 1 destination for children adopted abroad, but the number going to Europe and elsewhere is rising.
According to the NY Times, the new rules will come into effect on May 1 of 2007. Furthermore, additional guidelines stipulated by Chinese officials state that adoptive parents must have "no criminal record, a high school diploma and be free of certain health problems like AIDS and cancer. Couples must have been married for at least two years and have had no more than two divorces between them. If either spouse was previously divorced, the couple cannot apply until they have been married for at least five years. In addition, adoptive parents must have a net worth of at least $80,000 and income of at least $10,000 per person in the household, including the prospective adoptive child."
Ostensibly, Chinese authorities have stated that the new rules should reduce waiting times for couples, who often must wait for more than a year to adopt. The vast majority of Chinese children adopted abroad are girls who are abandoned by couples who want a son but are bound by rules that limit urban families to one child only. (Anyone ever watch that Oprah on the orphanages that are literally teeming with abandoned girls? Where so many girls die before they can be adopted? My wife and I watched that when she was pregnant with our daughter. Had us in tears for weeks.)
Personally, I disagree with these guidelines. If the ultimate goal is to place abandoned children with caring adults who will nurture and love these children, who the hell cares about someone's BMI, marital status or household income? Since China has proven to be unable to deal with their own child abandonment issues, I think their primary concern should be how best to ensure that any/all unwanted children are adopted as quickly as possible. Period.
There's a part of me that thinks China established these rules to get back at that bitch Rosie O'Donnell for her racist remarks last week. What do you think?
