The Changing Picture of Adoption in China

Last month, while enjoying that wonderful White Swan American Breakfast buffet, and  looking around the dining room, that the face of Chinese adoption sure looked different than in April of 2006 when we got our oldest Chinese daughter. Still the same tired stressed parents, the babies highchairs surrounded by circles of food on the floor, the excellent staff and the soul-satisfying pancakes and French toast (oh for French toast after two weeks of congee, dumplings and mystery breakfasts in the provinces)- but the children were older, male and with a lot more special needs. In fact while waiting to be seated for breakfast, a woman behind us said, "You must have been a non special needs family" noting we had what appeared to be our completely healthy appearing infant girl-- until we pulled up her sleeve revealing her short arm and missing thumb.

Recent changes in the Chinese government allowing more domestic adoptions within China has dried up the number of healthy babies causing many of us to switch to specials needs children vs waiting till we are too old--either by their government standards or our own body standards (boy I'm feeling all sorts of new things as I approach 50. This is really a boon for the special needs children since now they have a much better chance of coming stateside where they can get the surgeries and therapies to help them reach their potential, and given a loving home and family. But it also places special stresses on parents adopting older children or those with multiple needs. It will be interesting to see how this new generation of Chinese internationally adopted children and their parents fare in the future.