19 July 2019
That was the main question during Romania’s accession to the European Union. Is fostercare and residential care suitable care. Or do children need to be adopted.
The EU insisted Romania’s child protection laws needed to be in line with the principles of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). Thus children in foster care and residential care should not become available for intercountry adoptions, since these forms of care come before intercountry adoption.
The US, however, took the opposite stand, which they base on the principles of the Hague Adoption Convention. As we know, the US has not ratified the UNCRC.
A group of US Senators tried to convince Romania to the adoption of children in foster care. According to these senators US children in foster care could also be adopted abroad! So, please Romania: be like us, the US.
That letter was handed to Minister Diaconescy by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in 2009. See this explosive article from 2009 (in Romanian and in English).
But is it true? Are American children adoptable abroad? In theory yes.
In practice, however, mainly new-born babies are adopted.
Not children from fostercare.
It’s just one of the may distortions of the reality that the adoption lobby uses. Tricks.
Nor are children from the old EU Member States available for adoption abroad. Never ever.
Romania has bit by bit changed their laws. And now sends children from foster care abroad.
Sorina is the ultimate example of a failed policy. Of the success of the adoption policy. Of the failure of the EU to uphold its European values.