SMC professors look overseas to fulfill their adoption needs
By JESSICA NEEDLES
News Writer
For many couples, adoption offers a chance to begin a family. Several Saint Mary's professors have made additions to their lives via other countries, adopting children from overseas.
Marc Belanger of the political science department is one such professor. In the fall of 1993 he traveled to Guatemala for the adoption of his son, who is now 8-years-old. Though not looking for any particular ethnicity or gender, Belanger leaned towards Guatemala because his wife and he share knowledge of that part of the world.
"At the time we had traveled to Latin America a lot, so we had some understanding of the culture and history of where the child was from, as well as the issues," Belanger said.
According to Belanger, it is important for a child to know himself while developing, questioning their identity. Therefore it was necessary to Belanger that he be prepared to answer his child's questions.
Living in Massachusetts at the time of the adoption, Belanger was aware of a yearly conference with panels on international adoption. Applying to two specific international adoption agencies, Belanger and his wife arranged for a social worker to do a mandatory home study that determines if the person wishing to adopt is fit to be a parent by demonstrating emotional and financial stability.
"In terms of adopting, we wanted to be parents and that was the only way we could be," Belanger said.
Mary Ann Traxler, a professor in the Education department, has had more than a little experience with the processes of adoption as well. Traxler has four children whom she has adopted from Korea. Her oldest son, Nikolas, now 15, was brought home at age 3 months. Elizabeth, now 12, was brought home at 3 1/2 months and 2 weeks. Traxler's son Alex, now 10, was brought home speaking fluent Korean at the age 3. Finally, the youngest, turning 6 in December, is Emily, who was brought to the U.S. at age 9 months.
Like Belanger, Traxler was not looking for a specific ethnicity.
"It just sort of happened," Traxler explained.
Traxler and her husband used the international adoption agency Bethany, with its headquarters close in Indianapolis. Bethany worked with HOLT, an adoption agency in Korea. Both are reputable and well organized.
"Everything went as expected," Traxler said. "It just seemed like the right choice."
Traxler and her husband started looking into local adoption agencies 16 years ago, but were unhappy with the long 3-to-5-year wait that accompanies adopting in this country. She also would have needed to take a mandatory six months of from work, forcing her to quit her job.
"When we came up with no real possibilities here locally, I discovered Bethany," Traxler said.
With adopting, for Traxler "The most important thing was having a family ... it's just the most wonderful thing I've ever done in my whole life."
Janice Pilarski, Program Coordinator in the department of justice, also adopted a child internationally. She recently brought home a little girl, now 12 months old, from China.
Although open to adopting a child of any ethnicity or gender, Pilarski and her husband decided on China for different reasons, mainly because of China's one child policy.
This policy, which allows Chinese couples only one child, is a population control measure mandated by the government. Since there is a bias towards having male children in China, there are many girls in need of homes.
Another reason concerned Pilarski's three biological sons. In some countries, adoption is limited based on the number of children one has. China, however, is a country open to having more children in the family. This, along with the country's restrictions on female children, led the Pilarski's to China.
"My husband and I felt strongly that we wanted to add a child to our lives at some point," Pilarski said. "When we looked into places available, we were drawn to China because of the country's one-child policy."
When looking into adopting a child internationally, Pilarski's first resources were others who had been through the process.
"I had known some people who adopted internationally, so I knew the basics," Pilarski said.
Adopting from another country can involve a lot of work, from travel to having fingerprints taken. For this reason, people typically work with an agency to guide them through the process. There are some countries that will bring the adopted child to his or her new parents, while others, China included, involve one or more trips.
Since Pilarski and her husband have three other children, they were unable to travel together. Pilarski traveled to China in August, where she was able see the country and better understand the culture and society her child is a part of.
"It was really a wonderful experience to soak up the culture and get a good understanding of the background she's from," Pilarski said. "It was an intense trip, but the people who were part of our adoption agency in China thought it was important for us to understand the culture."
During her stay in China, Pilarski visited the rural farming areas as well as cities. She found the people to be welcoming and gracious about the adoption.
"I came away with a great appreciation of China," Pilarski said. "The real treasure of the trip was encountering people in their everyday lives."
Many people believe an overseas adoption is more difficult than a domestic one, but those who have gone through an international adoption disagree. For instance, there is the issue of cost. In some instances adopting from overseas can be less expensive. The waiting period also tends to be shorter.
Information on international adoption is also more readily available than some know. The Adoption Network, Domestic and International Inc. (ANDI) is located in Notre Dame, Ind. ANDI is a not-for-profit charitable organization that is licensed by the State of Indiana.
There is also the Association for the Rights of Children Adoption Support and Advocacy Group, also located in South Bend. Last November, they held the Adoption Conference 2000 at Saint Mary's. The Adoption Conference provided an opportunity for those curious to go and learn more.
International adoption is not a mystery. There is information available locally, throughout the country, and on the computer. It is also a rewarding experience, as Mary Ann Traxler can attest.
"It's wonderful," said Traxler. "[Adopting] was the best decision of my life."
All News Stories for Thursday, November 30, 2000
