May 2021

May 25, 2021. Global Population Bust Will Change Domestic and International Policies. During the twentieth century, the world's population expanded at the highest rate in history. A combination of decreasing infant and child mortality as well as longer life spans saw population go from 1.6 billion in 1900 to 6 billion in 2000. From migration, international adoption, population control policies, government and international bodies made the "population bomb" a major policy priority. Fast forward two decades later, and everything has changed. Both China and the United States recorded the slowest growth of population on record, while countries from Japan to Italy to South Korea have seen shrinking birth rates for years. Clearly these changes will impact international adoption. To read the article, please click here.

May 19, 2021. State Department Reverses its Position on Citizenship on Children Born to Parents Through Surrogacy. The Department of State announced today that: "Children born abroad to parents, at least one of whom is a U.S. citizen and who are married to each other at the time of the birth, will be U.S. citizens from birth if they have a genetic or gestational tie to at least one of their parents and meet the INA's other requirements. Previously, the Department's interpretation and application of the INA required that children born abroad have a genetic or gestational relationship to a U.S. citizen parent." This change will apply to both heterosexual and same sex married couples. More Information.

May. 13, 2021. Out of the Vietnam Babylift, An Extra Mom and Dad. During April 197, 5 approximately 2,000 Vietnamese children in the process of being adopted by American families came to the United States. It was the last month of the Vietnam War and conditions in Vietnam were chaotic and desperate. The first Air Force cargo plane, loaded with over 200 children, mostly babies, took off on April 4 and crashed twenty minutes later. The crash killed 138 passengers, including 78 babies. One survivor was Aryn Lockhart, who was put on a different flight and adopted by a U.S. family. Aryn later connected with Regina Aune, the air force nurse who oversaw the flight. Today she considers Aune and her late husband as another set of parents. To read this story, please click here.

May 12, 2021. Adoption, Foster Care and Race, Part II. Yesterday we posted an article by Cheri Williams of Bethany Christian Service about the role of race in the foster care system. Today, we post a reply to the Bethany article, written by Naomi Schaefer Riley in favor of retaining the Multiethnic Placement Act. To access the article, please click here.

May 11, 2021. Two Views of the Role of Race in the Child Welfare System. We publish the first of two articles on the role of race in the child welfare system. Today's article is by Cheri Williams, the Vice-President of Bethany Christian Services, and Nathan Bult, urging that all best interests determinations take race into account To access the article, please click here,