InterCountry Adoptee Voices (ICAV), previously known as ICASN (InterCountry Adoptee Support Network) began in 1998 in Sydney, Australia as a voluntary and unfunded support network created by intercountry adoptees for intercountry adoptees, of any country of origin.
ICAV’s network has grown to include adoptees and adoptee led groups from around the world. ICAV provides a platform for adoptees to connect in, share, educate, and advocate to the wider public about the issues we face – political, social and emotional, including the not so positive aspects of intercountry adoption.
We advocate for better pre and post adoption supports by our governments who facilitated our adoptions; to ensure those of us already adopted, have improved options to enhance the possibility of better outcomes, throughout our life long journey. Many of us also advocate to end plenary adoption worldwide as it does not respect our right to identity. We openly discuss alternatives such as family and country/cultural preservation, kinship care, guardianship, and simple adoption.
ICAV believes in the Rights of the Child as per the UNCRC and promotes within adoptee groups the need for greater education about this and The Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoption so adoptees can be informed in their advocacy.
Intercountry adoptees are finding their voices and speaking out enmasse!
ICAV hosts a private Facebook group for intercountry and transracial adoptees only, a Memorial page dedicated to honour those who die of suicide or are murdered, and a Public News Page where we share current information from around the globe on intercountry adoption. You can also find us on Twitter @ICAV16 or at LinkedIn.
The ICAV website and its resources are provided freely to our community. ICAV remains unfunded to this day, with the exception of a couple of key projects such as our book The Colour of Time and the Videos for Professionals. We observe that the financial aspects in intercountry adoption have always remained at the heart of the commodification and trade of us.