How to make sure your international adoption is ethical

Gregory Keck, PhD Attachment Therapist & Adoption Expert, shares advice on how perspective adoptive parents can check to be sure they're international adoption is done ethically
How To Make Sure Your International Adoption Is Ethical
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How to make sure your international adoption is ethical

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Many people go to another country to adopt with the thinking that our foster children have some kind of...they're damaged in a way that children in other countries aren't. And whenever I do training for prospective adoptive families I'm always telling them it's the same product, they're sexually abused kids, they're physically abused kids, they're abandoned kids, they're neglected kids. So whether they're in an orphanage in whatever country or in foster care here it's basically the same trauma that they've been exposed to. I think that people who are doing inter-country adoptions need to make sure that their agencies are ethical agencies, they have a history in that country for X amount of time, and to make sure that it's not one of the countries where they're really kind of exporting kids to this country not truly for adoption but for the purpose of education because very many children coming from certain countries are true orphans. They were placed in an orphanage so they would have the opportunity to come to America and get educated with the intent, perhaps, of going back to their country or sending money back to their countries, and I think there are many families that are disappointed when this occurs because they were hoping to be parents. And in fact we've seen children who don't want them to be parents because they tell us, “We have parents, I have a mom and I have a dad that I love, and my plan is to be back with that family.” So I think parents really need to look at the agency that they're adopting with in this country and exploring as much as they can, and there's tons of information on the internet about unethical practices in various countries.
ADOPTION, Types of Adoption

Gregory Keck, PhD Attachment Therapist & Adoption Expert, shares advice on how perspective adoptive parents can check to be sure they're international adoption is done ethically

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Gregory Keck, PhD

Founder & Director, Attachment & Bonding Center of Ohio

Gregory C. Keck, Ph.D., is the founder and director of the Attachment & Bonding Center of Ohio. He is an internationally known psychologist and trainer who addresses the issues of trauma, adoption, and post-adoption challenges. He and his staff provide attachment therapy for adoptive families whose children have experienced serious early childhood maltreatment prior to adoption. In 2012, he received the National Association of Social Workers State of Ohio Lifetime Achievement Award. He is the parent of two sons who were adopted in adolescence.

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