Celebrity Adoption Fast-Track
Angelina Jolie adopting again from Vietnam. According to newspaper reports, she decided to adopt the little boy after meeting him at the end of November, and submitted her paperwork to Vietnam within the last few weeks. Now, reports say she is on the "fast track" for her adoption and could bring her 3 year old boy home this weekend!
I know a single woman who was adopting from Vietnam, but finally switched countries because the process was taking too long. She is now adopting from Kazakhstan instead.
I find it interesting that when a celebrity wants to adopt, she is put on the "fast track" and able to adopt her child within a matter of weeks. Maybe the quickness is due to the fact that Angelina Jolie actually met the child she wanted to adopt before filing paperwork? Could that make the process quicker? Of course, most of us non-celebrities are not given the opportunity to meet adoptable children in an orphanage before filing our paperwork in-country. And even if we are given that chance (a missionary with whom I had contact had such an opportunity, and wound up adopting 3 brothers that way), the process still takes much longer than a few weeks.
While I don't begrudge Angelina Jolie her children or the family she has made for herself (more power to her for being able to get her children home quickly), I do find that I'm annoyed over how easily her adoptions seem to go through. It's not her fault, really. It is the fault of the adoption system, which makes the rest of us jump through an interminably long series of hoops, while at the same time, clearing the way for those PAPs with an elevated status in society.
When I read this story, I couldn't help but do the math. If her adoption does go through this weekend, or even this month, then in the time that some people have been waiting to complete one adoption, Jolie will have been able to adopt two children, as well as get pregnant and give birth to a third. It just doesn't seem right.
I know a single woman who was adopting from Vietnam, but finally switched countries because the process was taking too long. She is now adopting from Kazakhstan instead.
I find it interesting that when a celebrity wants to adopt, she is put on the "fast track" and able to adopt her child within a matter of weeks. Maybe the quickness is due to the fact that Angelina Jolie actually met the child she wanted to adopt before filing paperwork? Could that make the process quicker? Of course, most of us non-celebrities are not given the opportunity to meet adoptable children in an orphanage before filing our paperwork in-country. And even if we are given that chance (a missionary with whom I had contact had such an opportunity, and wound up adopting 3 brothers that way), the process still takes much longer than a few weeks.
While I don't begrudge Angelina Jolie her children or the family she has made for herself (more power to her for being able to get her children home quickly), I do find that I'm annoyed over how easily her adoptions seem to go through. It's not her fault, really. It is the fault of the adoption system, which makes the rest of us jump through an interminably long series of hoops, while at the same time, clearing the way for those PAPs with an elevated status in society.
When I read this story, I couldn't help but do the math. If her adoption does go through this weekend, or even this month, then in the time that some people have been waiting to complete one adoption, Jolie will have been able to adopt two children, as well as get pregnant and give birth to a third. It just doesn't seem right.
That may or may not be true. Other celebrity adoptions have seemed fast but were actually in the works for much longer than the media knew about it.
I'm not saying Jolie's is or isn't on the fast track... I really don't know. If it truly was fast tracked it isn't right. That's the type of finagling that causes more headaches for the rest of us. I know Madonna's so-called adoption makes me go GRR!
Yes Maggie, the reports may be inaccurate, and the time-line I have posted may be off. I hope so. I admire Jolie's advocacy of international adoption and her efforts to help refugee children around the world, and don't really think she would push legal boundaries to get her kids home. But it does bother me to think of people, like many of those we have met in the adoption blogging community, waiting so long to bring their child home, while others seem to get preferential treatment (and yes, Madonna definitely comes to mind!).
I'm just feeling a bit ranty today.
I agree with you too. I also dont begrudge Angelina, I think its wonderful that she is making a "rainbow family" as she has called it, but it does seem unfair to those in the system and process who have to wait months and even years to bring their child home too.
Yeah, I agree that it isn't her fault with the fast-tracking. However, if I remember right, she was adopting from Russia, but she stopped the adoption due to some problems with the media and things taking so long. (I hope that's accurate)
I admire her for bringing light to international adoption. I really think her heart is in the right place and she loves these kids. Its just hard to see her get all of the breaks while the rest of us have waited so long.
The part that really makes me sad, is that most of these celebrities just drop their kids off with the nanny, while families that truly want to love a child have to wait and jump through hoops....just to love "their" child...it is sad :-(
I think Angelina pays a lot to get things done for her. I know that things would have gone much quicker for us if I wasn't the one responsible for running around and doing everything. If I could have paid a staff to do the work- things could be getting done at the same time. I know she has to do the whole process- fingerprinting and everything- I am not sure how she can put a rush on somethings- but certainly she gets perks with the countries government because of who she is. I wish all adoptions could go so quickly and smoothly.