Blood connection isn't everything

We are the happy parents of two happy intercountry adopted children (Columbia, 1971 and Brazil, 1973). Two more families with excellent intercountry adoptions (Brazil and Sri Lanka) live in our neighborhood. Our objection to the opinion article End Adoption(15/2) is twofold. First of all, it radiates an overvaluation of the blood ties. The lack of these does not in any way stand in the way of a happy life together (marriage between two strangers, successful adoption and foster family situations). What's even more disturbing is that in all the publications devoted to this topic, only the negative results have received attention. To our knowledge, no proper research into successful adoptions has been done. As long as that doesn't happen: don't throw the baby out with the bathwater and keep the option of (intercountry) adoption.

Octa and Ernst Raaymakers

Amsterdam

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