Global Trends in Intercountry Adoption: are these in the best interests of the child?

Authors

  • Peter Selman

Keywords:

adoption trends, intercountry adoption, statistics, receiving states, states of origin

Abstract

The decline in the number of intercountry adoptions over the past six years is well known and has been much discussed. The aim of this chapter is to go behind these numbers to explore this decline –and the previous rise– in a global context. Data on 23 receiving states have been used and the analysis will extend to the end of 2010 and so cover the impact of expedited adoptions in Haiti, the case of Artyom Savelyev and the ongoing problems surrounding other sending countries such as Guatemala, Nepal, and Vietnam. The implications of these changes and prospects for the future will be discussed with special reference to the debate about how these changes relate to the best interests of the child.

Published

2012-03-22