International adoption
Stories
E.J. Graff’s in-depth, multi-year investigation into fraud and corruption in international adoption began when international adoptions were at their peak. Far too often, children in poor nations were being defrauded away from their birth families. In a series of award-winning articles, Graff exposed the myth that “millions” of orphaned babies needed new homes in the West.
Her work helped prompt a new U.S. law and stricter regulations; was used to train U.S. government officials; and warned thousands of prospective parents about the risks. Awards included the Society of Professional Journalists’ Sigma Chi Delta award and the James Aronson Award for Social Justice Journalism.
The Lie We Love
Westerners believed the myth that poor countries have “millions” of babies in need of homes. But too often, those babies weren’t orphans at all.
They Steal Babies, Don’t They?
How Ethiopia’s humanitarian adoptions metastasized into a source of income for unscrupulous orphanages, government officials, and shady operators—and was cleaned up through diplomacy, regulation, and a new U.S. law.
The Makeni Children
In 1998, Americans adopted 29 children from Sierra Leone. Their birth families say they were stolen. Here are the stories of those involved.
The Baby Business
Policy proposals for fairer international adoption practices, drawn from major stakeholders from every part of the international adoption world.