I have known UNICEF and what they do as an organization from the days when I was in elementary school and trick-or-treating for change to help support their organization. Remember these?
Well, if you've allowed me to get on a a soapbox about international adoption, you may have heard me speak negatively about this organization I once blindly supported. In the most basic of explanations, UNICEF takes the stance that children are better off remaining in their culture, whether that means they may spend their childhood with a family or not. I argue that growing up in an orphanage is a culture all it's own, and not necessarily that of embracing the best of the heritage their country has to offer. In a country like Ethiopia, 1 in 6 children die before the age of 5, a statistic that accounts for ALL Ethiopian children including those with families and those without.
Do I think family preservation is the absolute best solution? Yes. I do. Do I believe that all adoptions, Ethiopian or otherwise, should be done ethically and that there should be a quality system in place to ensure the integrity of the adoption process? Yes. Of course. But I also believe that adoption (domestic and international) can bring beauty after the tragedy, recognizing that the tragedy exists in the form of loss.
I could go on, but I saw an article posted via Facebook today and I appreciate the points it makes regarding UNICEF's stance on international adoption. Check it out for yourself and you can make your own conclusions.
Well, if you've allowed me to get on a a soapbox about international adoption, you may have heard me speak negatively about this organization I once blindly supported. In the most basic of explanations, UNICEF takes the stance that children are better off remaining in their culture, whether that means they may spend their childhood with a family or not. I argue that growing up in an orphanage is a culture all it's own, and not necessarily that of embracing the best of the heritage their country has to offer. In a country like Ethiopia, 1 in 6 children die before the age of 5, a statistic that accounts for ALL Ethiopian children including those with families and those without.
Do I think family preservation is the absolute best solution? Yes. I do. Do I believe that all adoptions, Ethiopian or otherwise, should be done ethically and that there should be a quality system in place to ensure the integrity of the adoption process? Yes. Of course. But I also believe that adoption (domestic and international) can bring beauty after the tragedy, recognizing that the tragedy exists in the form of loss.
I could go on, but I saw an article posted via Facebook today and I appreciate the points it makes regarding UNICEF's stance on international adoption. Check it out for yourself and you can make your own conclusions.
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