Legislative Update by John Towriss, Adoption Today Washington Bureau
Office of Children’s Issues: Adoption Downtrend Likely to Continue for Short Term
Director Sees Decline then Stabilization. Growth in African Adoptions
With the implementation of The Hague Treaty to regulate intercountry adoption, no department of the American government has become as central to the adoption process as the Office of Children’s Issues. Housed within the State Department in the Bureau of Consular Affairs, the Office of Children’s Issues was founded in 1994 to take on a variety of children’s issues around the globe. But, it was thrust into the forefront of the emotional and often volatile world of intercountry adoption in 2007 when it was appointed as the Central Authority representing the United States to other Hague compliant countries. Indeed, the primary role of the office is to implement the Hague Convention that has been in effect since November 2007. This has included establishing a process for certification of adoption agencies as Hague compliant, overseeing the consular process and determining if other Hague certified countries from which Americans are adopting are truly meeting Hague Convention standards. In short, the office oversees almost every aspect of the international adoption process. Recently, Adoption TODAY had the chance to speak with the director of the Office of Children’s Issues, Julia Furuta-Toy about present international adoption issues, future trends and the evolving role of the department she oversees. Furuta-Toy was appointed director of the Office of Children’s Issues in 2007, but has dealt with international adoption issues for nearly a decade. She has been posted to embassies overseas and positions at home in Washington and so has seen adoption issues play out from both ends. Even before being appointed director, Furuta-Toy was involved in some of the hot button issues and countries. She has worked through the closure, re-opening and now re-closure of Vietnam. She is working closely with the country of Guatemala, last year’s leading adoption sending country that is also now closed. She believes both programs will eventually open again. Earlier this year, she was instrumental in working with the government of Kazakhstan to get that program moving again after a significant slowdown.
Downtrend to Continue for Near Term
Furuta-Toy forecasts a continued short term decline in international adoptions. She has good reason. The decline has become significant and sustained. From a peak of more than 22,000 international adoptions in 2004, the numbers have slid to just more than 17,000 in 2008. The leading sending country in 2008 was Guatemala with more than 4,000 children finding American homes. But the Guatemala program is now closed, which will add even more downward pressure. Agencies report no significant let up of the number of prospective adoptive parents wishing to adopt which has in turn led to increased wait times in the programs that have remained open. Some critics have suggested one of the factors accounting for the decline is the Hague Convention itself, which will not allow one Hague compliant country to send or receive children to another if the strict conditions of the Hague Convention are not being met. Furuta-Toy denies the Hague Convention is causing a decline.“The Hague is not forcing a decline. The Hague Convention is trying to insure children have many options to find a home, including preserving the opportunity to stay in their birth family or their home country,” she said. Furuta-Toy sees the Hague Convention as ultimately smoothing out the adoption process as more countries become party To the Hague Convention. “The Hague Convention provides a framework for countries to communicate on issues of social welfare. Since we have established federal oversight of the adoption process we have found that more countries are willing to talk to the U. S. about establishing adoptions programs,” she said.
A Global Shift
Furuta-Toy noted recent studies that have shown there is a general decrease worldwide in the number of children younger than 2, which in some countries, has lead to fewer children being available for adoption. She says there are other natural factors, “Over the last few years, the four leading sending countries — Russia, China, Korea and Guatemala — have all had decreases. Korea and China have had increases in demand for domestic adoption and economies have improved in some of the traditional sending countries. She says the down trend will continue for the near term but once some countries are able to get their houses in order it should stabilize and there are others that will increase.“I think we will continue to see increases in the number of adoptions out of Africa even as some traditional sending countries slow down. We are also seeing an increase in non-infant adoptions and special needs adoptions,” Furuta-Toy said.
Role of the Office of Children’s Issues
Furuta-Toy says that until now the Office of Children’s Issues has largely been occupied with implementing the requirements of the Hague Convention. The office has grown to more than 60 employees since becoming the central authority for the United States and has spent much of its time handling questions from other countries. She says the central voice for American adoption procedure has been welcomed by other countries. In the future Furuta-Toy says the Office of Children’s Issues will evolve into a more technical focus on making sure regulations are followed. But as the office settles into its role she also expects more time to pursue bi-lateral and multi-lateral meetings with other countries to work through issues of adoption. She cites the current case of Guatemala where she says there are 15 countries that are assisting Guatemala in building an adoption infrastructure. Lastly, Furuta-Toy says new Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has shown great interest in children’s issues and in improving the intercountry adoption process. She says adoption is one of the issues on her radar screen and she has shown her full support.
(John Towriss is the Washington Bureau Chief for Adoption Today. He has three children adopted from Kazakhstan and one biological child. To contact Towriss, e-mail him at Towriss@aol.com. )
Posts
