Child's Play

The AP is reporting that the waiting time for Americans to adopt a child from China is now triple what it was years ago. "Unfortunately we've had families who have decided to withdraw from the process," says Great Wall Adoptions' Leigh Ann Graf. Sadly, the wait is much shorter if parents agree to adopt a child with a physical handicap such as a cleft palate or congenital heart disease. Meanwhile, in a story in the Telegraph, psychologists warn that "Madonna-style" adoptions — from another country — are creating more orphans. Says professor Kevin Browne of the University of Liverpool: "We found that parents in poor countries are now giving up their children in the belief that they will have a 'better life in the west' with a more wealthy family." [AP, Telegraph]