What are ethical international adoptions?

As a comment to the post "what is behind the Mowa decision?" we were asked: how do you define ethical international adoptions? This is a difficult question, but there are some explanatory notes on our website and a short answer is the following: An ethical international adoption is an individual measure for children without parents in the interest of the child, in order to avoid institutional care. The ethical side includes the following:

• a true and comprehensive documentation of the origin, the family development and physical and mental health of the child analog to the procedures of domestic adoptions;
• the exclusion of financial, political or other private interest in the adoption;
• the comprehensive information of the family of origin of the adoption process and the consequences of an adoption including respect for the rights of the parents;
• when it affects older children it includes also participation of the child in the adoption process;
• the comprehensive preparation and care for the adopting family regarding all aspects relating to the child.

If these criteria are met, an adoption is a useful measure for the benefit of the child even across borders.

First pubished in German on May 10th, 2011.