President Sirleaf lifts moratorium on child adoptions in Liberia

President Sirleaf Lifts Moratorium on Child Adoptions in Liberia

President Sirleaf is making adoption policies in Liberia based on the best interest of children--not on national pride or any other political platform. Thank G-d. It's not that I am pro inter-country adoption. I am just pro-child.
Rates of inter-country adoption have plummetted and there is a media frenzy 'exposing' its abuses. I worry about the kids. But right after the relief I felt reading about Liberia, I felt an intense sadness. The lift on the moratorium comes in the wake of the Ebola virus, which left many children without parents or extended family to care for them. I wonder if that is why President Sireaf lifted the moratorium on inter-country adoptions...

There is an unexpected jolt of sadness when something/anything reminds me what it was like for us in Africa in 2012. Life is precarious everywhere and for everyone. But in Africa when people get sick, they do not necessarily get better. Our lives hang on a thread and can change at any moment. But some people's lives have fewer safety mechanisms and a whole lot less medical support. Something as tiny as an Ebola virus can destroy a community in an instant. I guess that is why I feel like this right now because honestly at this point I am so mixed up about the ethics and politics of inter-country adoption, I don't know how I feel most of the time. Except vulnerable for the kids. And sad.

Related:  Are Dropping Rates of Inter-Country Adoption a Sign of Progress