French Adoption Agency has difficulty in satisfying waiting families

The French set up a new French Adoption Agency (AFA) a year ago, to double the number of intercountry adoptions. This has not happened, instead the number of adoptions decreased. Mainly because sending countries more and more prefer national adoption, or close down because of corruption.

In an article of 15 May 2007, AFA defends itself.

"AFA also has to face 'competition' from other countries,
like Spain and Italy, without speaking about the United States,
very offensive, which accompany their adoption requests
with humanitarian aid.

Classical adoption is over, confirms Laure de Choiseul, the
countries ask now in parallel cooperation actions. It is
something that not had been envisaged when AFA was
created. Which therefore has no budget for that.
AFA envisages creating a foundation to receive private
funding. It is also considering, with local regions and the
ministry of Foreign Affairs, to link cooperation actions
to adoption."

So, now that sending countries prefer national adoption, the French consider linking aid to adoption: no adoptions - no aid. Indeed, like the US threatened Romania.

No doubt the new Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bernard Kouchner, will like this. After all, the humaniatrian ngo he set up is also France's biggest adoption agency: Médecins du Monde.

However, it would go against the spirit of the Hague Convention, that concluded in 2005:

75. [...]Furthermore, it was highlighted that international
co-operation is essential for national adoption and such
international aid programs must be clearly delineated
from intercountry adoption.