From Carrie Craft,
Your Guide to Adoption / Foster Care.
FREE Newsletter. Sign Up Now!

Many people from around the globe have been affected by the tragedy of the December 2004, tsunami that hit South-East Asia. Many of the survivors left behind by the huge wave are children who have lost their parents. Adoption agencies have been flooded with phone calls from people with good intentions wishing to adopt these orphans. Many of the countries hit by the tsunami have put a ban on foreign adoptions at this time. The U.S. State Department has also stopped all such adoptions. Here are some reasons why:

1. There are many people who are using this as an opportunity to steal children for child slavery, sex trade, or adoption for major profit. Some people have already been arrested for trying to sell children that were orphaned by the tsunami.

2. Many people have been separated. It may take several months to figure out which children are in need of homes and which children have extended family who are willing to parent them. In other cases some children who have been dropped off at a shelter are not orphaned but merely waiting while their families assess the damage done to their homes.

3. It's usually a better option to keep children with family. This again will take several months to sort out.

4. Agencies that would be in charge of adoption or kinship placement are busy at this time with providing aid to the suffering.

5. Many of the countries affected by the tsunami do not allow international adoptions due to their religious beliefs. Other's have strict adoption criteria - again - the effort at this time is being placed on rebuilding and aid.

6. Needed documentation required for an adoption may be difficult to locate or has been permanently lost in the flood waters.

7. The children have lost their homes, families, friends, and schools - is it necessary to lose their culture, traditions, and country? The shock of a move to another country may be just another trauma for the children to endure.

8. It may be emotionally healthy and healing for the children to see their homeland recover from the destruction of the tsunami. It may give the children closure to a tragic and traumatic time in their lives. They can not just be loved out of this.

In times of crisis we must consider the big picture and put the children's needs first. Consider these organizations and check out other ways to send help:

Save the Children

Christian Children's Fund

UNICEF

U.S. Aid From the American People

Center for International Disaster Information

The above links are well known and safe bets for making donations. They are also usually very up to date on their information.