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Giving Every Child A Chance: The Need For Reform And Infrastructure In Intercountry Adoption Policy, Rachel J. Wechsler

Rachel J. Wechsler

This essay is both descriptive and normative in nature. Its purpose is to describe the current intercountry adoption regime along with its problems, and to propose a much-needed solution. At the outset, the paper explains the great need for intercountry adoption, highlighting empirical research on child development. Secondly, it gives an overview of past and present international adoption policy. Thirdly, the essay describes the problems in the current policy regime. Finally, it proposes an international agency and Family Court as a new approach to intercountry adoption that will solve many of the failures of the current system.