International Adoption

A Solution Not Yet Explored

Current world population:

6,900,000,000

Current Cost of an International

Adoption: $7,000 - $30,000

Number of children adopted

internationally in…

2008: 17,438 2004: 22,8842000: 18,477

Number of children orphaned worldwide: Over

100,000,000

Hague Convention on the Rights of the Child

The Hague Convention of 29 May 1993 on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption (Hague Adoption Convention) protects children and their families against the risks of illegal, irregular, premature or ill-prepared adoptions abroad. This Convention, which also operates through a system of national Central Authorities, reinforces the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (Art. 21) and seeks to ensure that intercountry adoptions are made in the best interests of the child and with respect for his or her fundamental rights, and to prevent the abduction, the sale of, or traffic in children.

www.hcch.net

Representative One

• Salary: $20,000 a year• Marital status: Single• Age: 24 • Education: Bachelors

degree• Looking to adopt from

China

Representative Two

• Salary: $50,000 a year• Marital status: Married

for 2 years• Ages: 32 and 44 (12

year age difference)• Education: High school

diploma• Looking to adopt from

Korea

Representative Three

• Salary: $100,000 a year • Marital status: Married

for 7 years• Ages: 35 and 37 (2 year

age difference)• Education: Doctorates • Religious preference:

None (atheist) • Looking to adopt from

India

Overpopulation

• Expected to reach 9 billion by 2050

• Population has increased by 70 million people (1.2%) annually since 1987

• Around 80% of the current population lives in developing countries

Effects• Not enough farmable land

to go around (only 13% of the world is considered farmable)

• Increase in human population will lead to decrease in animal and plant populations

• Greater prominence of communicable diseases possible

Assisted Conception

• Most commonly used types: In-vitro fertilization (IVF) and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI)

• Primary reason for use: medical problem preventing women from getting pregnant

Success Rate

Based on statistics from The Infertility Clinic of St. Louis

Normal Ovarian Reserve Low Ovarian Reserve

Age Pregnancy Delivery Pregnancy Delivery

< 30 years old 64% (108/170) 56% (96/170) 48% (13/27) 41% (11/27)

30-39 years old 57% (183/323) 47% (151/323)35% (62/175) 27% (47/175)

≥ 40 years old 37% (10/27) 15% (4/27) 20% (5/25) 16% (4/25)

Cost and Complications

• Average cost for one treatment: $9,000 to $15,000

• Complications include–Multiple pregnancies– Ovarian hyperstimulation– Infection – Ectopic pregnancy

Assisted conception vs.

adoption

Solution 1) Promote international adoption by…

• Increasing number of adoption clinics• Making the option more apparent for families

desiring children

Solution 2) Make the process of adoption easier by…

• Reducing agency cost • Making scholarship option for highly eligible

families

Solution 3) Revise adoption policies by…

• Requiring cultural awareness training for prospective families

• Reducing the amount of time it takes to process an adoption by hiring more people to complete the processing

Solution

Focus on the families and children in need instead of the meticulous

policies and regulations