China has consistently been one of the most popular countries for U.S. parents to adopt internationally from since the mid 1990's. When people think of transracial adoption, many instantly picture a white couple with a Chinese baby, and when prospective adoptive parents first start thinking about where to adopt from, China is often one of the first possibilities that is explored.

The U.S. Department of State reports over 60,000 Chinese orphans receiving immigrant visas through adoption to come to the United States in between 1995 and 2006.

While there have been numerous reports in the media in the past about very poor conditions in Chinese orphanages, this article that was featured in Newsweek earlier this month paints a different picture. The article is titled "China's New-Look Orphanages" and is a first-hand experience for a volunteer care-giver who spent time in China's orphanages.

It has been estimated that there are over 600,000 orphans in China, with only 70,000 of them living in state-run orphanages, so this article is only taking a look at how a small percentage of China's orphans are living, and yet it does share a very different side of Chinese orphanages than what we usually see in the media.

The article talks about dedicated nannies who lovingly care for children, and special needs children getting every possible chance at living a full life. It is heartbreakingly sad to think about special needs children dieing in an orphanage, but this article shows that at least a small percentage of them are getting love in their last days.

Articles like this one and the last one I wrote about really remind me about the number of special needs orphans in the world. While adopting special needs children is not "right" for every adoptive parent, I would love to see more adoptive parents broadening their parameters of what makes a "perfect child", and more children who happen to not be "healthy babies as young as possible" finding loving, forever families.

It also shows the need for programs to be implemented that care for the children left behind who will never be adopted.

I hope that China will continue to put more money and effort into caring for it's countries orphans, and I hope that other countries will do so as well. What a wonderful thing it would be for the quality of life for every child, everywhere, to be valued.


Love Without Borders

China Adoption Blog

*Picture from Liquid Library