Kelley McCreery Bunkers

International adoption and child protection in Guatemala A case of the tail wagging the dog

English Guatemala’s culture and history as well as its role as a major sending country for intercountry adoption are used as a context for discussing how intercountry adoption has influenced and affected the child protection system. A model for child protection development is offered. French La culture et l’histoire du Guatemala, aussi bien que son rôle en tant qu’important pays pourvoyeur d’enfants destinés à l’adoption internationale, sont utilisés comme contexte pour discuter la question de savoir en quoi ces données ont influencé et ont affecté le système de protection de l’enfance. Un modèle pour le développement de la protection de l’enfance est proposé. Spanish La cultura de Guatemala y su historia, así como su papel como el país de mayores envíos para la adopción entre países, es utilizada como contexto para discutir cómo es que ha influido y afectado el sistema de protección infantil. Se propone un modelo para el desarrollo de la protección infantil.

Family group conferencing as a culturally adaptable intervention: Reforming intercountry adoption in Guatemala

Intercountry adoptions prevent institutionalization but may erode children’s rights to their families and cultural heritage. Family group conferencing offers a culturally adaptable intervention that looks for domestic solutions before turning to out-of-country placements. Guatemalan social work education offers a hospitable environment in which to promote its extension to adoptions.

In an Era of Reform

Intercountry adoption (ICA) is a relatively common practice. Since its contemporary conception during the Second World War, approximately one million children have been adopted internationally. Controversy surrounding ICA includes ideas about human rights and notions of child rescue in the context of major reform to prevent child sales and abduction under the Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoption. Social work, as a discipline, is a central player in ICA practices, and at least, one historian asserts that social work academic literature is scant on the topic of problematic practice and reforms. A review of the social work literature was conducted, and four thematic areas emerged in the 87 manuscripts reviewed: (a) social policy; (b) exploitation, social justice, ethics, and human rights; (c) clinical perspectives to include identity, child development, and family transition; and (d) child welfare practices. Results indicate a small but robust body of social work literature, and highlights are presented as well as analysis indicating methodical trends.

The United States as a Sending Country for Intercountry Adoption: Birth Parents’ Rights Versus the 1993 Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoption

This article reviews the relatively new and emerging issue of children from the United States being placed in intercountry adoption. It specifically explores current practices of intercountry adoption involving the United States as a country of origin within the framework of the 1993 Hague Convention on the Protection of Children and Cooperation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption. Data from several receiving countries are explored to identify commonalities and concerns related to the practice of placing U.S. children with foreign families and the role of the birth parents in this process. The authors conclude with recommendations for future research and improved practice.

Best Practices for Residential/Institutional/Group Care of Children: A Harm Reduction Framework

Residential care, institutions, and group homes have been one of the main placement options for orphaned, abandoned, or vulnerable children (OAVC) for centuries. Many children in low- and medium-resource countries with underdeveloped child protection systems are living in residential settings. There is ample research available on the negative effects that institutional care has on the physical, cognitive, and developmental development of children. Informed by this evidence, there is growing global consensus on the need to promote family-based alternatives and end reliance on residential care as the primary option for children in need of protection. Yet, in the interim, until a range of family-based care options are secured for children, residential care will be a reality for many countries. It is the goal of this chapter to use a harm reduction framework to present policies and practices that can reduce the negative effects of residential care on children’s development. Improving institutional care so that it is less detrimental to children is a means to an end with the goal being the establishment of strong child protection systems. It is not the goal of this paper to justify nor promote residential care.