In the Best Interest of the Children? Romania's Ban on Inter-Country Adoption
Wednesday, September 14, 2005, 4:00 am
Witnesses
Maura Harty
Assistant Secretary for Consular Affairs
Department of State
H.E. Sorin Ducaru
Ambassador to the United States
Romania
Thomas Atwood
President & CEO
National Council for Adoption
Debra Murphy-Scheumann
President of the Board of Directors
Joint Council on International Children’s Services
Dana Johnson
Director
International Adoption Clinic, University of Minnesota
Elliott Forsyth
Prospective Adoptive Parent
Commissioners Sam Brownback (R-KS) and Chris Smith (NJ-04) expressed their displeasure with Romania's ban on adoption. Romania's international adoption ban had prevented over 200 Americans from taking adopting children from the Eastern European country, regardless of the prospective adoptive parents' qualifications. The law that enabled this ban came after the Romanians consented to ban inter-country adoptions in exchange for acquiring membership in the European Union.
Relevant Countries
Leadership