Voices Against Illegal Adoptions Speak at the United Nations

On March 28, 2022February 2, 2024 By lynellelongIn 1993 Hague Convention, Adoptee Activism, Adoptees Educate, Adoption Agencies, Adoption Education for Adoptive Parents, Adoption Education for Professionals, adoption reform, Adoptive Country, Birth Country, Complexities in Adoption, Critical Thinking in Adoption, Family Preservation, Grief and Loss, Illegal Adoption, Illicit Adoption, Impacts to Biological Families, Importance of Connections to Origins, Is adoption the best option, Lifelong Impacts of Adoption, Multiple Identities, Not Knowing in Adoption, Origins Search, Politics of Adoption, Racism in Adoption, Reparation in Adoption, Rights in Adoption, Sense of Belonging, Transracial Adoption, Trauma in Adoption, UN Joint Statement Illegal Adoption, What is an Illegal and Illicit Adoption?Leave a comment

Lynelle represents Voices Against Illegal Adoption (VAIA) to the United Nations Committees who drafted a joint statement about illegal intercountry adoptions.

What Would My Utopia in Intercountry Adoption Be?

On March 13, 2022February 2, 2024 By lynellelongIn 1993 Hague Convention, Adjustment and Transition, Adoptee Activism, Adoptees Educate, Adoption Agencies, Adoption Education for Adoptive Parents, Adoption Education for Professionals, adoption reform, Adoptive Country, Adoptive parents silence on illegal adoptions, Alternatives to Adoption, Birth Country, colourblindness in adoption, Compensation to Victims in Adoption, Complexities in Adoption, Critical Thinking in Adoption, Family Preservation, Illegal Adoption, Impacts to Biological Families, Importance of Connections to Origins, Is adoption the best option, Lifelong Impacts of Adoption, Not Knowing in Adoption, Origins Search, Politics of Adoption, Racism in Adoption, Reparation in Adoption, Return to Birth Country, Rights in Adoption, Sense of Belonging, Transracial Adoption, Trauma in AdoptionLeave a comment

Lynelle shares at the CHIP webinar Feb 2022 on what her utopia of intercountry adoption would be, if anything were possible, listing the changes necessary.

What’s the Future of Intercountry Adoption?

On March 11, 2022February 2, 2024 By lynellelongIn 1993 Hague Convention, Abandonment and Rejection, Adoptee Activism, Adoptee Anger, Adoptees Educate, Adoption Education for Adoptive Parents, Adoption Education for Professionals, adoption reform, Adoptive Country, Alternatives to Adoption, Birth Country, Complexities in Adoption, Critical Thinking in Adoption, Family Preservation, Illegal Adoption, Illicit Adoption, Impacts to Biological Families, Is adoption the best option, Lifelong Impacts of Adoption, Politics of Adoption, Rights in Adoption, Search and Reunion in Adoption, Sense of Belonging, Transracial Adoption, Trauma in AdoptionLeave a comment

Presentation by Lynelle Long at the CHIP Webinar on 18 Feb 2022 on the topic: Respecting the Child's Right to Identity in Intercountry Adoption

Accepting Responsibility as An Adoption Facilitator

On February 8, 2022November 3, 2026 By Guest BloggerIn 1993 Hague Convention, adoption accountability, Adoption Agencies, adoption and power imbalance, adoption conversations, Adoption Conversations, Adoption Education for Professionals, Adoption questions, adoption reform, adoptive family dialogue, adoptive parent reflection, adoptive parent responsibility, Adoptive parents, Advocacy, Alternatives to Adoption, Birth family trauma, Complexities in Adoption, Critical Thinking in Adoption, Difficult discussions in adoption, Family Preservation, Finding biological mother, first family separation, Forced separation, human rights abuses in adoption, identity restoration, Illegal Adoption, Illicit Adoption, Impacts to Biological Families, Importance of Connections to Origins, intercountry adoption investigation, Justice Routes, Legal routes for illegal adoption, Lifelong Impacts of Adoption, Politics of Adoption, Reparation in Adoption, reparative justice in adoption, Rights in Adoption, State responsibilities in adoption, Trauma in Adoption, Uganda, USA, What is an Illegal and Illicit Adoption?1 Comment

Jessica shares on the legal case against the traffickers of Namata, European Adoption Consultants (EAC). Great to see justice happening but long overdue!

Pain of Loss and the Joy at Seeing her Reunified with her Family

On January 9, 2022November 3, 2026 By Guest BloggerIn Adoptee vulnerability, adoption accountability, adoption and power imbalance, Adoption Conversations, adoption conversations, Adoption Education for Professionals, adoption reversal, adoptive parent reflection, adoptive parent responsibility, Adoptive parents, Advocacy, Alternatives to Adoption, Birth mother choices, Compensation to Victims in Adoption, Complexities in Adoption, Critical Thinking in Adoption, Family Preservation, Finding biological mother, first family separation, Forced separation, Generational trauma, human rights abuses in adoption, identity restoration, Illegal Adoption, Illicit Adoption, Impacts to Biological Families, Importance of Connections to Origins, intercountry adoption investigation, Is adoption the best option, legal identity erasure, Legal routes for illegal adoption, Lifelong Impacts of Adoption, Origins Search, Politics of Adoption, reparative justice in adoption, Return to Birth Country, Return to Birth Country, right to identity, Rights in Adoption, Sense of Belonging, State responsibilities in adoption, Uganda, USA4 Comments

Jessica Davis shares her grief from returning her Ugandan daughter back to her biological family but also the joy at seeing them together. Adoption is complex.

Adoption: Not a Default Setting

On December 25, 2021July 20, 2025 By Guest BloggerIn Adoptee Activism, Adoptee vulnerability, Adoptees Educate, adoption reform, Birth family trauma, Birth mother choices, Birth Parents Searching, Complexities in Adoption, Critical Thinking in Adoption, Greece, Grief and Loss, Impacts to Biological Families, Importance of Connections to Origins, Lifelong Impacts of Adoption, Politics of Adoption, Religion and Adoption, Rights in Adoption, Survival mechanisms, Trauma in Adoption, USALeave a comment

Mary Cardaras, Greek intercountry adoptee in the USA, critically examines Amy Conley Barrett's assumption that adoption is a default to abortion.

Does Justice or Accountability Happen in Illicit Adoptions?

On November 23, 2021November 3, 2026 By Guest BloggerIn adoption accountability, adoption and power imbalance, Adoption Conversations, adoption conversations, Adoption Education for Professionals, adoptive family dialogue, adoptive parent reflection, adoptive parent responsibility, Adoptive parents, Advocacy, Compensation to Victims in Adoption, Complexities in Adoption, Critical Thinking in Adoption, Difficult discussions in adoption, Exploring adoptive parent journey, Family Preservation, human rights abuses in adoption, identity restoration, Illegal Adoption, Illicit Adoption, Impacts to Biological Families, Importance of Connections to Origins, intercountry adoption investigation, Is adoption the best option, Justice Routes, legal identity erasure, Legal routes for illegal adoption, Lifelong Impacts of Adoption, Politics of Adoption, Reparation in Adoption, reparative justice in adoption, right to identity, Rights in Adoption, State responsibilities in adoption, Trauma in Adoption, Uganda, UN Joint Statement Illegal Adoption, USA, What is an Illegal and Illicit Adoption?3 Comments

American adoptive mum Jessica Davis shares her thoughts since the guilty plea from adoption agency staffer, Debra Parris, who facilitated the illicit adoption.

How transnational adoption practices in South Korea can challenge women’s ability to control their reproductive destiny

On November 2, 2021December 30, 2024 By Guest BloggerIn Adoptees Educate, Birth family trauma, Complexities in Adoption, Critical Thinking in Adoption, Family Preservation, Generational trauma, Impacts to Biological Families, Is adoption the best option, Korea, Lifelong Impacts of Adoption, Politics of Adoption, Rights in Adoption, South Korea1 Comment

Christla Petitberghien and her academic peers write critically about intercountry adoption from South Korea, looking at the reproductive rights of women.

Governments Finally Recognising Illicit and Illegal Intercountry Adoption Practices

On September 4, 2021January 31, 2024 By lynellelongIn 1993 Hague Convention, Adoptee Activism, Adoptees Educate, Adoption Agencies, Adoption Education for Adoptive Parents, Adoption Education for Professionals, adoption reform, Adoptive Country, Adoptive parents silence on illegal adoptions, Birth Country, Compensation to Victims in Adoption, Complexities in Adoption, Critical Thinking in Adoption, Family Preservation, Illegal Adoption, Illicit Adoption, Impacts to Biological Families, Importance of Connections to Origins, Is adoption the best option, Lifelong Impacts of Adoption, Multiple Identities, Origins Search, Politics of Adoption, Reparation in Adoption, Rights in Adoption, Transracial Adoption, Trauma in Adoption, UN Joint Statement Illegal Adoption, What is an Illegal and Illicit Adoption?1 Comment

This is one common scenario, it doesn't cover children overtly stolen from hospitals and many other ways I'm an adoptee remaining hopeful I’m very excited and feeling hopeful after hearing Belgium’s recent news, that their Minister has announced his intention to ask Parliament to suspend all adoptions for the next 2 years as a result …

Continue reading Governments Finally Recognising Illicit and Illegal Intercountry Adoption Practices

Korea’s Revised Adoption Process

On July 22, 2021July 27, 2025 By jaymekyopoIn 1993 Hague Convention, Abuse in Adoption, Adoptee vulnerability, Adoption Agencies, Adoption policy, adoption reform, Birth Country, Compensation to Victims in Adoption, Complexities in Adoption, Critical Thinking in Adoption, Difficult discussions in adoption, Family Preservation, Gratitude in Adoption, Illegal Adoption, Illicit Adoption, Importance of Connections to Origins, intercountry adoption investigation, Is adoption the best option, Korea, Politics of Adoption, Post Adoption Support, Rights in Adoption, South Korea, Transracial Adoption, Trauma in Adoption, USALeave a comment

Jayme Hansen applauds South Korea's revised adoption process more aligned with Hague Convention guidelines, creating more oversight of vulnerable children.

Lifelong Impacts of Identity Loss

On July 4, 2021November 3, 2026 By lynellelongIn 1993 Hague Convention, Adoptee vulnerability, Adoptees Educate, Adoption Education for Professionals, adoption reform, Citizenship in Adoption, Compensation to Victims in Adoption, Complexities in Adoption, Critical Thinking in Adoption, Family Preservation, Forced separation, Generational trauma, Hague Special Commission, Illicit Adoption, Importance of Connections to Origins, Is adoption the best option, Lifelong Impacts of Adoption, Multiple Identities, Not Knowing in Adoption, Origins Search, Politics of Adoption, Rights in Adoption, Search and Reunion in Adoption, Sense of Belonging, Survival mechanisms, Transracial Adoption, Trauma in AdoptionLeave a comment

Lynelle shares about the impact of identity loss in intercountry adoption, including the views of other adoptees to help build a more in-depth understanding.

Adoption: From Charity to Justice

On April 1, 2021November 3, 2026 By julietteviaIn Adoptee Activism, Adoptees Educate, adoption accountability, adoption and power imbalance, adoption conversations, adoption reform, Advocacy, Biological Connections Matter, Complexities in Adoption, Critical Thinking in Adoption, Difficult discussions in adoption, first family separation, Forced separation, human rights abuses in adoption, Illicit Adoption, Is adoption the best option, Justice Routes, Lifelong Impacts of Adoption, Malaysia, Politics of Adoption, reparative justice in adoption, Rights in Adoption, Transracial Adoption, Trauma in Adoption, UK2 Comments

Marie Gardom explores what adoption would look like, moving from a charity to justice model.

Cancelling My Adoption

On December 14, 2020February 2, 2024 By Guest BloggerIn Adoptee Anger, Adoptee vulnerability, Adoptees Educate, Adoption Agencies, Adoption Discharge Annulment, Adoption Education for Adoptive Parents, Adoption Education for Professionals, Compensation to Victims in Adoption, Complexities in Adoption, Critical Thinking in Adoption, Denmark, Family Preservation, Grief and Loss, Importance of Connections to Origins, India, Is adoption the best option, Lifelong Impacts of Adoption, Not Knowing in Adoption, Politics of Adoption, Racism in Adoption, Rights in Adoption, Search and Reunion in Adoption, Sense of Belonging, Therapy, Transracial Adoption, Trauma in Adoption7 Comments

Netra Sommer is adopted from India to Denmark and endured abuse in her adoption and talks about undoing her adoption and the lengthy process to reclaim herself.