Britney Spears Plans to Adopt 6-Year-Old Twins from China
November 27, 2007
In news you should take with a grain of salt (and I mean the tiniest, most microscopic grain of salt imaginable) the British tabloid News of the World reports that Britney Spears plans to adopt twin girls from China.
Given Britney's eccentric history (to put it mildly) she is one of the very last people on earth I would trust to take care of a child. Why would anybody in their right mind give her permission to adopt when the court has even taken away her own children?
Fortunately, even if this story proves to be completely false (which wouldn't surprise me) there is a substantial difference between planning to adopt, and being granted permission to adopt. Since 1992, China has been the land of opportunity for potential adoptees, but last May, it increased requirements for adoptive parents.
Some of the attributes that would disqualify you for adoption from China include obesity, singleness, and uncertain financial, physical or mental health. While Britney's definitely not poor or obese, I don't think I'd necessarily classify her as someone who is of "sound mental or emotional health."
But even though the regulations might brilliantly weed out candidates for adoption like Britney Spears, not everyone is pleased by China's stricter adoption policy. Many potential adoptive parents have been turned down, and the number of overseas adoptions has dropped.
Those on the wait list for a child from China understandably aren't too thrilled with the stricter standards, but some of the reasons for these new attitudes indicate positive changes withiin China. For instance, fewer babies are being abandoned, and the stigma against having girls isn't as pronounced as it once was.
According to unofficial reports, a record number of Chinese are adopting. A recent USA Today article attributes the increase of domestic adoptions to growing affluence within China, changing social attitudes towards adopted children, and empty nesters who were only allowed to have one child, but now have another chance to have more children.
The cost and paperwork for Chinese citizens wanting to adopt is substantially less intense than it would be for foreigners, which might also fuel the current trend. Some Chinese also believe that keeping Chinese-born children in China helps to establish a stronger sense of identity.
While this trend might result in disappointment for many foreign couples wanting to adopt from China, the fact that there are fewer abandoned babies with more Chinese families able to take care of them is a positive development for the country.
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