ABSTRACT
Intercountry adoption is often viewed as an act of international charity, with families in wealthy receiving countries accepting orphaned children from poor countries of origin into their homes as permanent members of the family (Freundlich, 1998; Sargent, 2003). The adoptive family thus gets its wish for more children, and needy children are provided with a permanent family through the professional assistance of an altruistic adoption agency-an idyllic scenario in which everyone’s needs and wishes are fulfilled (Bartholet, 2007). However, this simplistic and benevolent view has been challenged by recent developments and raised awareness about the complexity of the issues, leading to a burgeoning discourse on human rights in the intercountry adoption process (Oreskovic and Maskew, 2008).
