Americans Lauren and Harrison Smith, who met in China as students, had been in the process of adopting a boy named Benaiah. However, after years of waiting, they received devastating news – China was ending international adoptions of Chinese children, leaving many families heartbroken.
The decision to end international adoptions, which had been in place for 35 years, was confirmed by a Chinese government spokesperson, Mao Ning. This decision was in line with the country’s efforts to reverse falling birthrates. The news left many families, who had been matched with children and were in the middle of the adoption process, devastated.
The announcement also raised concerns about the fate of children with disabilities and special needs, who often formed the largest proportion of international adoptions from China. With a lack of interest from local families in adopting these children, international adoption had been one of the only routes for them to have a real family.
The uncertainty surrounding the cancellation of international adoptions has left many prospective parents in limbo. Many have reported a lack of communication and difficulty in maintaining contact with the children they had been matched with. Governments, including Spain, have been lobbying Beijing on behalf of these families left in a difficult situation.
For families like the Smiths, who have not been able to speak to their prospective child Beniah for a long time, the hope remains that he knows he is loved and adored by his future family. The Smiths, along with many other families, are holding onto the hope that they will be able to continue with the adoption process and bring their children home.
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