ePortfolio Math

Reflection

This certainly has been an exhausting fifteen weeks but I made it through and I am still standing.  I have learned several technical things that will help improve my writing skills and will continue to serve me in the future.  Having to look at my pieces through another set of eyes has given me an appreciation for the revising process and why it is so important.  One of the key elements I found most important was to choose subjects that were interesting.  This not only helps you become engaged in the subject but makes it easier to get excited about writing about it, especially when writing is not your favorite pastime.  Writing about community issues have helped me understand how important our role is in our community and how one person can make a difference.  In the beginning, I choose my community project because I was ordered to do some community service but after working eighty hours with fourth graders, at a Title I school, I have seen first hand how my time has been beneficial to these kids.  Some of which, I can say, I will miss.  Finishing the project was easy after that since I really understood the need.  This perhaps for me was what made the class worth it and although I know my writing skills can always improve, more importantly is what I learned along the way.

Changing Course: Closing Hope

Holt International’s approach to adoption is perhaps different from other agencies.  Their focus is on the child.  They have had years of experience, which has helped them develop and maintain programs to give orphaned and abandoned children safe environments.  They have had to jump over many hoops in regards to public policy because they deal with just about every aspect within government law.  Since they work in different countries, each public policy will be different within that country’s government, each issue or policy is forever changing depending on which country they are working with.

Lisa Vertulfo, Vice President of Adoption Services stated, when policies change, it will not only affect the child but, the perspective adoptive parents as well.  Many times the governments change their policies, or there is turmoil in their economic, political or culture arena leading to adoption requirements changing.  In some cases, the country will close their doors all together on adoption, not allowing any of their children the benefits of a better life.  However, Holt International continues to work hard in behalf of the children through other means until new policies can be put into place.

Adoption from Vietnam to the United States has a long and rather tumultuous history. In 1975, 2700 Vietnamese children were brought to the U.S. during Operation Babylift. Many Americans became aware of the plight of these children after an ad was placed in The New York Times and were so moved that they provided homes for the airlifted children.  With the start of Operation Babylift the number of children for Vietnam adopted to the United States rose dramatically (Martin).

In the fifteen years following Vietnam’s unification, Americans adopted only forty-four Vietnamese children.  However, after a long hiatus, adoptions resumed in 1995 as relations with the U.S. were re-established and the number of adoptions from Vietnam doubled that year.  Adoptions continued to increase each year and in 1998, 603 children were adopted to the United States (Martin). During its peak, in the late 1990s and early 2000s, Vietnam was one of the top 10 sending countries to the U.S.  Recent concerns of Vietnamese children being bought or stolen, and then offered for adoption, led the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service to announce a review of the Vietnamese adoption process (U.S. State Department, The Bureau of Consular Affairs).  Subsequently, the Government announced in 2003, it was amending its adoption regulations.  Changes included a requirement for countries to enter bilateral agreements with Vietnam and the creation of a central foreign adoption office to approve petitions. The U.S. State Department issued a notice stating, “In light of the uncertainties facing international adoption in Vietnam with the implementation of the new regulations, especially the likelihood of an indefinite suspension, American citizens who have not already done so are strongly urged not to enter into an agreement with an adoption service provider to adopt in Vietnam at this time.” On June 21, 2005, the United States and Vietnam signed a bilateral agreement on intercountry adoption. The current Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between the United States and Vietnam expired on September 1, 2008. As a result, intercountry adoption is suspended until a new MOA is signed and implemented.

The Governments of the United States and Vietnam are seriously concerned about the inconsistencies and deficiencies that led to a decision not to renew our previous bilateral agreement.  Vietnamese criminal investigations and U.S. field reviews revealed evidence of child buying, including forged or altered documents, cash payment to birth mothers (for other than reasonable payments for necessary activities), coercion or deceit to induce birth parent(s) to release children to an orphanage, and children being offered for intercountry adoption without the knowledge or consent of their birth parents.  Any effort to predict when the current situation will be replaced with a reliable, transparent intercountry adoption procedure is purely speculative (state.gov)

Because of these changes in public policies in Vietnam, Holt has had to suspend all adoptions and cannot process or guide perspective adoptive parents into the Vietnam program.  However, Holt continues to work with the Vietnamese government in hopes once again the doors of adoption will be opened so the children might have the opportunity to have a permanent homes.

Lisa Vertulfo is hopeful that agreements will be made in the near future between the U.S. and Vietnam Governments. “There are so many children who need good homes, and their chances of finding them in their own country is slim.”  Changing adoption policies, changing course and closing hope is not in the best interest for the child nor for the perspective parents involved.  When the governments realize this, then perhaps Vietnam will re-open its doors for adoption.  But until then, everyone waits.

Works Cited

Holt International. Holt International, 2010. Web. 6 Feb. 2010. <www.holtinternational.org>.

“Vietnam Adoption Notice.” Intercounty Adoption. United States Government, 2009. Web. 21

Feb. 2010. <http://adoption.state.gov/news/vietnam.html>.

Changing A Life Forever

The bus slowly pulls through the crowded narrow streets of Surin, Thailand as school children in uniforms line the curb waving as the bus goes by; unaware that one of their own sits on the bus anxious to see where she was born.

In 1954, Harry and Bertha Holt lived in the small town of Creswell, Oregon where they were busy raising six children. Harry was a farmer and run a sawmill company.  Bertha was a trained nurse.  One evening while watching a documentary on the Korean orphanages set up after the Korean War, they became concerned of the future of these children.  They were so devastated by the orphans’ situation, the Holts were determined that God was calling them to service and it was their duty to bring some of these children into their home.  After a short two months, Congress passed the “Holt Bill” allowing them to adopt eight Korean children.  Their act of love and kindness opened the door for other Americans to do the same.  That same year the Holts founded Holt Agency, run from their kitchen table, in order to help facilitate other overseas adoptions of Korean orphans.

After, Harry death in 1964, Bertha Holt continued to advocate for the rights of children.  Through her leadership and organization, she was able to work with twelve country government organizations to open communication and policies for homeless children and foreign adoptions.

Bertha Holt died in July 2000 at the age of 96. (wikipedia)

Today, Holt International continues to carry out the mission that was started over fifty years earlier.  With fourteen international programs all over the world, Holt works closely with government agencies within each county to establish and develop services that are in best interest of the child.  Holt has created models designed to develop programs to improve child welfare centers, develop foster care, create single mothers’ homes, and provide family services.  They have also continued discussions with lawmakers, government officials and orphanage staff allowing for reforms on child welfare concerns. With the recent earthquake in Haiti, Holt International responded quickly to the needs of the children and because of their long-term relationships within the county, many of Holt’s staff members were able to escort over forty children into the United States to finish their adoption process.

Beyond adoption, Holt International works to assist children in many countries around the world, providing financial assistance for medical issues as well as expertise in adoption issues.  Holt offers a child sponsorship program where the money is used to provide clothing, care, medical treatment and meals for orphans throughout the world. This allows people to help children in need of basic support while receiving progress reports and the opportunity to follow the child.  Holt International continues to provide services for birthparents, adoptees and adoptive parents throughout their lives by providing heritage camps, homeland tours, family picnics, search databases, forums, blogs and through their “Hi Families” magazine (Holt).

The little girl who sat on the bus is one of my two sisters who were adopted through Holt International’s Holt Sahathai Foundation located in Thailand.   In July 2008, my sisters had the opportunity to return to their birth country through Holt’s Heritage Tour.

As the bus pulled up to the rundown hospital, the social worker, my mom and my sister got off the bus and took several “Kodak Shots” trying to preserve this once in a lifetime moment.  With tears in her eyes, my mom tried to explain to my sister the importance of this town.  Not exactly a vacation destination, nor a place they will return, but a special place on Earth that will always be remembered and a part of my sister’s life.

Spending three weeks in Thailand, seeing the beautiful landscape, tasting the food, experiencing the smells and working side by side the villagers as they planted a rice field, gave my sisters a sense of their culture.  It made them appreciate the chance they have been given and how lucky all of our lives have been enriched.  And although, they are US citizens, Thailand will always be a part of them and a part of our family.

Holt International has served thousands of children over the last fifty years.  It all started as a simple act of kindness and as spread throughout the world. Harry Holt said it best, “Every child deserves a home” and Holt International continues to be dedicated to carrying out God’s plan for every child to have a permanent, loving family.

Works Cited

Holt International. Holt International, 2010. Web. 6 Feb. 2010. <www.holtinternational.org>.

Wikipedia/Holt International Children’s Services. 25 Nov. 2009. Web. 6 Feb. 2010.

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holt_International_Children’s_Services>.

Holt International-Every Child Deserves A Home

Adopting children from others countries increased after the Korean War in 1955. Prior, to this time, foreign adoptions were rare.  Many Americans sought to remedy the plight of the growing numbers of children in Korean orphanages by adopting them and bringing them to the United States to live (Le).  Ellen Herman, Professor of Women Studies in Oregon stated,

“The adoption market became globalized as wars, refugee migrations, famines, and other disasters made the plight of dependent and orphaned children abroad more visible to Americans. Hundreds of United States service personnel stationed in Korea, Vietnam and elsewhere in Asia produced significant numbers of children in those countries. The story of these half-American waifs, many of them mixed-race and sometimes cruelly stigmatized in their countries of origin, attracted attention in the United States.” (Herman)

One couple from Oregon, Harry and Bertha Holt, took on a personal mission to remedy the plight of increasing numbers of children in Korean orphanages by adopting eight children from Korea in 1955.  The Holts’ acknowledged a problem, took action and changed a nation in the process. They subsequently established Holt International Children’s Services, inspiring and assisting other families in international adoption.  Today, over fifty years later, Holt International helps thousands of children in twelve countries find homes both within and outside their home countries.

Holt International provides a tremendous website and is a wonderful tool for any perspective parent considering adoption, adoptees who want to stay connected to their roots or those individuals wanting to provide care, donations or outside help to homeless children around the world.  Their domain address is www.holtinternational.org.  The website is user friendly allowing anyone to navigate and surf the site with ease.  Its layout is clean and simple with nice photos gracing each page.  The images interspersed throughout this essay are taken directly from their website and illustrates the many aspects of Holts’ mission.

Each link has several choices to choose from which provide a wide variety of information, both informative and interesting.  Among the huge data base the reader will also find articles, references, an online magazine, upcoming events, and sponsorships, with the most recent help going to the orphans of the Haiti Earthquake.  Important information graces the home page for those involved in the Haiti adoption program.  Links to Haiti announcements and press releases can be found easily and quickly for those wanting more information on the current situation affecting Haiti.  As global adoption issue change, Holt’s home page changes as well, making for an up-to-date website at all times.

For those who are prospective parents considering international adoption, the website has plenty of information to help answer questions they may have.  It provides information on the countries they operated in, adoption criteria and policies on each county including expected adoption costs, frequent questions asked, along with webinars that provide a personal touch for the prospective parent.  The application and forms can be done easily on line as well.  Each country’s web page also as added information about the country, news updates about policies and the benefits for adopting from that particular country.  For those parents who are interested in children with special needs, older children or those children who live in the United States, they can research information within Holt’s “waiting child program.”  Again, there is plenty of information along with a photolisting and a small biography about the child’s health issues or concerns.

Holt International not only provides adoption services but also works to improve the conditions and lives for children around the world through ways to give such as donations, sponsorships, gifts, campaigns and ambassador networks.  With Holt’s excellent reputation, the donor can feel reassured their money is being used properly and effectively.

Holt International continues helping adoptees adjust to their new homes and new families by providing post adoption services, Holt assists the parents while filling out the remaining forms, such as citizenship and finalization papers.  Again, this is easily accessed through their website.  Adoptee Camps and Heritage Tours scheduled on a regular basis help provide and maintain contact with the adoptees birth county and other adoptees from the same country.  Adult adoptee can also find a place on their website through their outreach programs and adoptee organization resources.  “Since the mid 1950′s Holt International has placed more than 40,000 children with adoptive families. Although many of the adoptees have grown up– whatever age they are– it seems that adoptees never outgrow the pleasure of connecting with other adoptees who share the unique life experience of being an international adoptee.” (Holt)

Anyone who is interested in learning more about adoption, wants to contribute time or money by sponsoring a child or an adoptee reconnecting with their roots, can find what they need all in one location.  Holt is also willing to listen to new ideas for those you want to get involved in other ways. “Holt International is dedicated to carrying out God’s plan for every child to have a permanent, loving family.” (Holt)  Their website has been a global resource to reach as many individuals who are willing to open their hearts and homes.

Works Cited

Herman, Ellen. “History of Adoption.” The Adoption Project. University of Oregon, 11 July

2007. Web. 7 Feb. 2010. <www.uoregon.edu>.

Holt International. Holt International, 2010. Web. 6 Feb. 2010. <www.holtinternational.org>.

Wikipedia/Holt International Children’s Services. 25 Nov. 2009. Web. 6 Feb. 2010.

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holt_International_Children’s_Services>.

Be Informed-Get Involved

In the book, Civic Responsibility and Higher Education edited by Thomas Ehrlich, it states: “Civic engagement means working to make a difference in the civic life of our communities and developing the combination of knowledge, skill, values and motivation to make that difference through both political and non-political processes.”  The University of Maryland’s Coalition for Civic Engagement and Leadership website continues by adding, “It is more than just volunteering or voting but exists when individuals recognize they have responsibilities not only to themselves and their families but also to their communities.” Civic engagement is reaching out and doing something for the common good by helping a neighbor, volunteering at the local food bank, and working on political issues.  Through civic engagement, individuals will act as agents for a positive social change in their communities, their nations and in the world.  Each citizen has the capacity to solve his or her own problems.   As each citizen becomes socially accountable directly or indirectly within their communities, nation or world, their civic engagement will begin to increase.

The issues facing our world are becoming more complex and as individuals’ participate in civic engagement, not only will it promote a better quality of life in their communities but also gives a deeper understanding of the issues facing their communities.  Becoming locally engaged increases knowledge about global issues as well.  This, in turn will give the community a stronger voice and have a greater impact beyond the boundaries of the community.  Ralph Nader stressed the necessity of civic engagement and emphasized how major social changes can emerge when individuals take an active role. A great city has many elements.  Good quality schools, a thriving economy, safe streets, clean air, and a vibrant culture.  However, neither the government, nor the nonprofit sector can create a great city.  Only engaged citizens, working together can do so. There are several ways an individual can become civically engaged:  1)

Become a volunteer or an active member in a group or association.  2) Participate in a local fund-raising activity or support a local charity.  3) Join discussions, petitions or protests.  4) Write letters to local leaders to provoke change.  By learning ways and getting involved will not only help the community, but will give you a sense of self-worth along the way.

Each citizen has a civic responsibility to some degree.  According to Astin, Astin and Associates (2001) civic responsibility is “the act of becoming effective social change agents by making a positive difference in society to help solve the problems that plague America.”  Today’s children will be tomorrow’s responsible citizens.  The attitudes they develop through their teachings at home or in their community, will shape the quality of life for all of us.  According to UCLA’s annual survey of the nation’s entering undergraduates, more college students exhibit record increases in commitments to social and civic responsibility, Two out of three or 66 percent entering freshmen believe it is essential to help others.  This is the highest this figure has been in the past 25 years.  The other portion of the survey revealed that their beliefs are reflected in their actions.  An all-time high of 83 percent volunteered occasionally while 71 percent volunteered on a weekly basis.  This proves college students find value in seeking change and influence in their communities and throughout the nation.

We all need to learn how to participate in a democracy.  We all need to develop decision-making and evaluation skills in order to understand the world or more locally, the community around us.  By learning the value of service, we will develop a sense of self-reliance and tolerance of others.  According to the National Community Service Trust Act, many educators believe that civic responsibility can best be developed when teachers work toward linking three components: community service, learning outcomes and civic education.  In it’s simplest form, civic responsibility is providing community service.

My mother works at a Title I elementary school as a tutor.  Not only is she providing a service to the children in need, she is helping them become better citizens as they work through their challenges.  She often mentions how fulfilling it is when the children show improvement and excitement in their small achievements.

As an Eagle Scout, I was required to become actively involved within my community.  I had the opportunity of feeding the homeless, distributing flyers, collecting food for the Food Bank, organizing a workshop to instruct children in basic self-defense and personal safety and providing neighbors with proper fire protection and adequate fire equipment.  While I was involved in these various opportunities, I found myself more concerned for others and less self-indulgent however as I have grown older and not required, perhaps I have forgotten the need and importance of both civic responsibility and civic engagement.  I think so many times, life gets the best of us and we get lost in ourselves.  Many problems in the world could be solved if we reached out more and gave of ourselves more.  Small acts of civic engagement will benefit others and continue to improve their lives for the future.

Being civically literate not only is the knowledge of how to actively participate but also how to initiate change in our community and society.  Since September 11, 2002, more and more citizens have become aware or civically literate of national issues and have become actively involved. Knowledge is information and the more knowledge we have politically and socially the better equipped we are as citizens.  Participating effectively in civic life through knowing how to stay informed is the key to civic literacy.  Exercising our rights and obligations of citizenship on local, state, national and global levels will lead us to understanding the local and global implications have upon our lives and the lives of our families.   The more we are informed as citizens, democracy will continue to work and positive change will emerge.

Reflection

As I reflect over the last few weeks I believe that I have made some process on understand the features of the position paper.  Certainly, when you have a strong opinion about a subject, it is much easier to write about.  I still do not feel comfortable with self-reflection and really knowing what I feel I am doing well on.  It is much easier to see where you are lacking, which in my case, I feel I still have a long way to go before writing comes natural and easy.  The evaluations and comments have been helpful but sometimes they feel overwhelming as if you need to start from scratch.  I guess all one can do is to continue trying to improve and realize that in the end the person you need to please is yourself.

International Adoption-Another Option

International adoption in the United States started after the Korean War and the war in Vietnam when many Americans wanted to help the thousands of orphans left in the aftermath of war.  But war and its aftermath are not the only factors leading countries to allow their children to be adopted overseas.  Poverty, social upheaval, government population control and overcrowded orphanages have also been critical factors in adoption.  Over the last three decades, (1971-2001) U.S. citizens adopted approximately 265,677 children from other countries (International Adoption Facts).

For many beginning to explore adoption seems to be filled with long waits and stringent requirements.  Older children, sibling groups and special needs children are available for adoption in the U.S., however few healthy U.S. born babies are available because birth control and abortion are accessible to most U.S. citizens, fewer unplanned babies are born.  In addition, most unmarried mothers are choosing to keep their babies.

International adoption has a number of benefits for everyone involved.  There is a huge demand for international adoption from countries all over the world and because of the need; many adoption agencies have developed programs that focus specifically on helping and guiding the prospective adoptive parents. The most obvious benefit of international adoption is the hope that is gives to the adopted child.  And although all orphaned children need loving families and stability, the situations and care in other countries are often far less than those children in the United States.  Adopting one of these children could make the difference between life and death.

International adoption may not be for everyone, but it has become an ideal resource for couples or individuals seeking the joys of parenthood and a way to build their families.  Some of the advantages an adoptive parents should consider are: foreign children are legally considered orphans which means the birth parents do not have legal custody over the child, minimizing the risk of custody battles.  The waiting periods can be shorter but the parent should be aware that international adoption would require them to travel to their child’s home country making for added costs.  However, in many cases, the need for adoption is so great that the governments of foreign countries want to help facilitate the adoption.

Wanta was born January 24, 1999 to an alcoholic mother in a small province north of Bangkok, Thailand.  Her mother lived on the streets with two other small children.  Wanta’s mother knew she could not care for her and gave Wanta to a caregiver at a women’s shelter.  Luckily, the caregiver did the right thing and contacted the proper authorities that were able to find the proper care for Wanta.  Fifteen months later, Wanta was in a home over 8000 miles away, far from the poverty-stricken circumstances she was born into and in a home filled with love and with a bright future ahead.  Wanta’s mother continued to live on the streets and died three years later leaving her two other children orphaned and left to fend for themselves.  Wanta is now eleven.  I know her as Tia.  She is my sister and her story is not much different than the other thousands of orphans around the world.

International adoption opens a completely new dimension in your life.  Suddenly, you view your child’s homeland as yours as well.  You become more aware of news and concerns in that part of the world and their culture becomes a part of you and your family.  Word travels fast and more people will be eager to learn and celebrate your family’s diversity.  International adopted children will evoke social change and become the bridge between what people perceive about a country and what is the truth (Erichse)

Where Are the Children Adopted From?

(2008)

Region	2007 Kids Adopted	2008 Kids Adopted	Difference
Africa	1,748	2,315	567
Asia	8,277	6,735	-1,542
Europe	3,807	3,074	-733
North America	5,166	4,630	-536
South America	452	439	-13

Works Cited

Erichsen, Jean Nelson, and Heino R. Erichsen. “Is International Adoption Right for You?” Web.

13 Mar. 2010. <http://www.comeunity.com>.

International Adoption Facts. The Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute, 2002. Web. 27 Feb.

2010. <http://www.adoptioninstitute.org>.

“International Adoption Statistics 2008.” Adoption Under One Roof. U.S. State Government.

Web. 13 Mar. 2010. <http://ouradopt.com>.

Vietnam Adoptions-Closing Hope

Adoption from Vietnam to the United States has a long and rather tumultuous history. In 1975, 2700 Vietnamese children were brought to the U.S. during Operation Babylift. Many Americans became aware of the plight of these children after an ad was placed in The New York Times and were so moved that they provided homes for the airlifted children.  With the start of Operation Babylift the number of children for Vietnam adopted to the United States rose dramatically (Martin).

In the fifteen years following Vietnam’s unification, Americans adopted only forty-four Vietnamese children.  However, after a long hiatus, adoptions resumed in 1995 as relations with the U.S. were re-established and the number of adoptions from Vietnam doubled that year.  Adoptions continued to increase each year and in 1998, 603 children were adopted to the United States (Martin). During its peak, in the late 1990s and early 2000s, Vietnam was one of the top 10 sending countries to the U.S. By 2005, adoptions to the U.S. had ceased, as a new law was implemented, but resumed in 2006 when a Memorandum of Agreement was reached between the two countries. Under that agreement, adoptions were conducted at the orphanage and province level, with national oversight, over the next two years (The Adoption Guide).

However, in late April 2008, Vietnam announced it would end its adoption program with the U.S., in response to a report by the U.S. Embassy in Hanoi that alleged corruption within Vietnam’s adoption program. The existing pact allowing adoptions between Vietnam and the U.S. was to expire on September 1, 2008 but in a letter to the embassy, Vietnam officials, who deny the allegations, said they would not renew the pact, and would no longer accept new applications from prospective adopters after July 1, 2008, Vietnam will continue to process applications for families matched with children before July 1, 2008 until the pact expires (The Adoption Guide).

Operation Babylift

The end of the Vietnam War precipitated increased adoptions of Vietnamese children by American families. As South Vietnam began to disintegrate due to the attack of the North Vietnamese, hundreds of thousands of citizens were trying to escape the county, fearing for their lives. Two years after the Americans signed a cease-fire accord with Vietnam, North Vietnamese troops spread through the South, Da Nang fell to the North Vietnamese.  Saigon was next and was under attack.  The country was literally falling apart and there were very little resources to care for the children that were found abandoned (Craft).  Some of these children were of American soldiers whose mothers feared for both their safety once the North Vietnamese found them.

On April 3, 1975, with South Vietnam’s agreement, some humanitarian groups working with orphans in Vietnam had planned their own evacuation for caretakers and children when President Gerald Ford announced his directive, known as Operation Baby Lift. According to his plan, military airlifts would fly several thousand children from orphanages to the United States. He allocated two million dollars for the 30 flights, some of which were cargo planes ill equipped to carry passengers (Craft)

One of the first flights, a C-5A cargo plane, crashed due to a mechanical problem, killing almost half the 330 adults and children aboard the craft (154 died). However, evacuation efforts continued with other flights; some commercial airlines, in addition to the military aircraft, flew the children out.

Information obtained from the adoption agencies or processing centers indicates that 2,547 orphans were processed under Operation Babylift. Of this total, 602 went on to other countries, leaving 1,945 in the United States (Herman). Service organizations such as Holt International Children’s Services, Friends of Children of Viet Nam and Catholic Relief Service coordinated the flights.

The motivations behind Operation Babylift became very controversial and sparked much debate.  From the beginning, the program encountered a number of problems.  Some questioned if the children would benefit from being way from their birth country and family members.  Others questioned if the children were bona fide orphans because some documentation was often sketchy or inaccurate.  In several cases, birth parents or other relatives who later immigrated to the United States from Vietnam requested custody of children already placed. The hasty evacuation in the final days of the war also led to debate over whether the rescue operations were in the best interest of the children (Craft)

Operation Babylift is an interesting part of Vietnam’s adoption history.  The migration of these children for adoption was shaped by national needs and concerns.  However, the U.S. involvement in the war and political concerns over Operation Babylift, opened up much debate regarding the problems in processing the children and the practice of proxy adoptions (Lovelock, 923).

Vietnam Program Closes

Much concern about Vietnamese children offered for adoption were bought or stolen led the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service to announce a review of the Vietnamese adoption process (U.S. State Department, The Bureau of Consular Affairs).  Subsequently, the Government announced in 2003, it was amending its adoption regulations.  Changes included a requirement for countries to enter bilateral agreements with Vietnam and the creation of a central foreign adoption office to approve petitions. The U.S. State Department issued a notice stating, “In light of the uncertainties facing international adoption in Vietnam with the implementation of the new regulations, especially the likelihood of an indefinite suspension, American citizens who have not already done so are strongly urged not to enter into an agreement with an adoption service provider to adopt in Vietnam at this time.” On June 21, 2005, the United States and Vietnam signed a bilateral agreement on intercountry adoption. The current Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between the United States and Vietnam expired on September 1, 2008. As a result, intercountry adoption is suspended until a new MOA is signed and implemented (Joint Council).

Until the United States and Vietnam governments can resolve and rewrite adoption policies, the children suffer, closing hope on a brighter future.

Statistics

adoption.state.gov

Works Cited

Craft, Carrie. “What is Operation Baby Lift?” What is Operation Baby Lift?

New York Times Company. Web. 28 Feb. 2010.

<http://adoption.about.com/od/international/f/babylift.htm>.

“Joint Council on International Children’s Services.” Vietnam. 2003. Web. 28

Feb. 2010. <http://www.jcics.org/Vietnam.htm>.

Herman, Ellen. Adoption History Project. Department of History, University

of Oregon, 11 July 2007. Web. 27 Feb. 2010.

<www.adoption@uoregon.edu>.

Lovelock, Kirsten. “Intercountry Adoption as a Migratory Practice: A

Comparative Analysis of Intercountry Adoption and Immigration Policy

and Practice in the United States, Canada and New Zealand in the Post

W.W. II Period.” International Migration Review 34.3 (2000): 907-49. JSTOR. Web. 05 Mar. 2010. <http://www.jstor.org/stable/2675949>.

Martin, Allison. “The Legacy of Operation Babylift.” The Legacy of Operation

Babylift. About.com, 2000. Web. 02 Mar. 2010.

<http://www.adoptvietnam.org>.

United States. United States Government. Department of State. Bureau

of East Asian and Pacific Affairs. United States Government, Oct. 2009. Web. 04 Mar. 2010. <www.state.gov>.

“Vietnam Adoption.” The Adoption Guide. Adoptive Families. Web. 3 Mar.

2010. <http://www.theadoptionguide.com/options/adoption-from

vietnam>.

Changing Course-Closing Hope

Holt International’s approach to adoption is perhaps different from other agencies.  Their focus is on the child.  They have had years of experience, which as helped them develop and maintain programs to give orphaned and abandoned children safe environments.  They have had to jump over many hoops in regards to public policy because they deal with just about every aspect within government law.  Since they work in different countries, each public policy will be different within that country’s government, each issue or policy is forever changing depending on which country they are working with.

Lisa Vertulfo, Vice President of Adoption Services stated, when policies change, it will not only affect the child but, the perspective adoptive parents as well.  Many times the governments change their policies, or there is turmoil in their economic, political or culture arena leading to adoption requirements changing.  In some cases, the country will close their doors all together on adoption, not allowing any of their children the benefits of a better life.  However, Holt International continues to work hard in behalf of the children through other means until new policies can be put into place.

This happened most recent as concerns of Vietnamese children offered for adoption were bought or stolen.  This led the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service to announce a review of the Vietnamese adoption process (U.S. State Department, The Bureau of Consular Affairs).  Subsequently, the Government announced in 2003, it was amending its adoption regulations.  Changes included a requirement for countries to enter bilateral agreements with Vietnam and the creation of a central foreign adoption office to approve petitions. The U.S. State Department issued a notice stating, “In light of the uncertainties facing international adoption in Vietnam with the implementation of the new regulations, especially the likelihood of an indefinite suspension, American citizens who have not already done so are strongly urged not to enter into an agreement with an adoption service provider to adopt in Vietnam at this time.” On June 21, 2005, the United States and Vietnam signed a bilateral agreement on intercountry adoption. The current Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between the United States and Vietnam expired on September 1, 2008. As a result, intercountry adoption is suspended until a new MOA is signed and implemented.

The Governments of the United States and Vietnam are seriously concerned about the inconsistencies and deficiencies that led to a decision not to renew our previous bilateral agreement.  Vietnamese criminal investigations and U.S. field reviews revealed evidence of child buying, including forged or altered documents, cash payment to birth mothers (for other than reasonable payments for necessary activities), coercion or deceit to induce birth parent(s) to release children to an orphanage, and children being offered for intercountry adoption without the knowledge or consent of their birth parents.  Any effort to predict when the current situation will be replaced with a reliable, transparent intercountry adoption procedure is purely speculative (state.gov)

Because of these changes in public policies in Vietnam, Holt has had to suspend all adoptions and cannot process or guide perspective adoptive parents into the Vietnam program.  However, Holt continues to work with the Vietnamese government in hopes once again the doors of adoption will be opened so the children might have the opportunity to have a permanent homes.

Works Cited

Holt International. Holt International, 2010. Web. 6 Feb. 2010. <www.holtinternational.org>.

“Vietnam Adoption Notice.” Intercounty Adoption. United States Government, 2009. Web. 21

Feb. 2010. <http://adoption.state.gov/news/vietnam.html>.