The future of inter-country adoption: a paradigm shift for this century

Abstract

The only existing international framework for inter-country adoption (ICA) is a legal one. Current legal and welfare approaches have limitations in that ICA tends to be conceptualised in individualistic terms, while strategies that prevent ICA by strengthening communities and addressing structural inequalities in the first instance are neglected and divorced from ICA practice. A vision and an overarching framework based on a socioecological approach that informs other arenas, such as health promotion, are proposed. The article concludes that the development of collaborative, intersectoral approaches, the reorientation of public and private resources and international leadership from academics, legislators, policy makers, practitioners and communities are necessary for a paradigm shift for this century.