Madonna's Adoption

[houseelf]

Jenn wrote

Our system of foster care is horrible. It's very difficult to adopt from foster care, particularly if the parents are alive. The courts are still geared to think that returning a child to a birth parent is "the best thing for the child" when clearly some people don't deserve to be parents. and most of the time, the kids who are available are either special needs children (and most are severely retarded) or come in family groups.

This is so true. The children who tend to be the least traumatized tend to be the youngest born to a mother who has already had her parental rights terminated once or twice. Evidence of previous parental rights terminations make future ones easier. Soooo sad. At least the Court system gets it right by the sixth or seventh child born to an unfit parent. (Ack. Sarcasm is just so inappropriate for that last statement).

Further, at least in Minnesota, the State is mandated to try to find a family member before placing the child in general foster care. This familial preference isn't always in the child's best interests. So sad.

Kelly

[rainbabies]

Madonna's New Tot: 'Happy at Home'

Madonna ’s newly semi-adopted son is happily settled at home.

I’m told that on Sunday night, Madonna and Guy Ritchie introduced 13-month-old David to friends at their London estate. Today, Madonna will give a satellite interview for an episode of "Oprah” and receive what will no doubt be absolution from the talk-show star.

But what of little David’s life at Casa Madonna? According to my sources, David has already fit right in with Lourdes (Lola) and Rocco, Madonna’s ch
ildren respectively with Carlos Leon and Ritchie.

“They adore him,” says an observer, who also says that Ritchie — usually the absent man in these stories — is very happy to have David in the fold. No doubt Madonna will stress all this when she goes on "Oprah."

That's too bad, because Oprah's Angel Network and her new participation in Bono’s One Campaign are legitimately trying to get money and resources to Africa without attaching any strings. That is, red strings.

Meanwhile, back in London, the Ritchies are said to be trying to make their new family work. Despite Madonna’s PR crisis and the fact that the entire adoption business has been turned into a joke, my sources say that the pop star is a great mother.

“Lola and Rocco have impeccable manners. They aren’t spoiled,” the sources said.

And then there’s the actual adoption business. Even though David’s biological father, Yohane Banda , turned up and insisted he didn’t know what was going on when he signed the papers, there is another side to this story.

“He just turned up at the last minute,” says a source. “And for the right money, he was happy to tell the papers anything.”

Expect a lot of saber rattling in this case, but in the end it seems that Madonna and Guy will keep David and perhaps even adopt another child from the same orphanage.

Madonna’s friends say she really did give $3 million to the place, which is, after all, an orphanage. It’s expected that children who are placed there will be adopted. It’s not a dormitory or a way station. Little David’s father knew that from the start, Madonna will argue, and only changed his mind when he saw green.

I watched her on Oprah. I'll admit, she's annoying (but I would be too if I were a cajillionaire) - but I still think the adoption is legit.

I do have issues w/how her accent has 'developed' over the years. She's from Michigan. Please!

[pstone]

The Material Girl got another toy...yay!

[Stella]

The accent... Seriously...

[alison]

The accent.
Although, I work and teach for a German Dept and at home I've got a guy with an accent. I'm surrounded by German accents! My brother insists I've picked it up!

[Vishenka69]

I'm still trying to figure out what the big deal is. The whole issue is so blown out of proportion it's not even clear what the issue is anymore. I really don't understand why it matters what Madonna's reasons were, the baby is better off with her, period. The father is just trying to get his 15 minutes. I'm totally with DC Jenn on this.

Knowing that corruption is rampant in third world countries then it is not a far leap to believe that Madonna side stepped some rules and regs because of her celebrity status.

Third world laws are created to sidestep and increase the lining of beaurocratic pockets. Many laws are specifically done to make foreigners part with their money. While I don't know too much about Africa, I can give a zillion examples about Russia. Any American adopting from Africa would have done the same thing and given same bribes.

I'm still trying to figure out what the big deal is. The whole issue is so blown out of proportion it's not even clear what the issue is anymore. I really don't understand why it matters what Madonna's reasons were, the baby is better off with her, period.

I Agree

CNN's latest article....

KAZYOZYO VILLAGE, Malawi (CNN) -- The man whose son Madonna is trying to adopt said Thursday that he was prodded to "say things I didn't mean" about the controversial case and that he backs the pop superstar's right to adopt his boy.

Yohane Banda told CNN that he never should have said that he thought the celebrity and her husband, film director Guy Ritchie, only were going to have temporary care of 13-month David Banda.

"I was forced to say things I didn't mean," he told CNN. "The agreement with Madonna in court was correct, but after the agreement some people from NGOs [nongovernmental organizations] and civil society organizations came to me asking me questions and forcing me to answer contrary to what I had agreed with Madonna."

Malawi's High Court granted Madonna and Ritchie an interim adoption order on October 12. Meanwhile, 67 human rights groups have sued the government, arguing that Malawi's laws forbid international adoptions unless the prospective parents have lived in the country for 18 months.

"It's not like we are blocking the adoption, but we want laws followed to the letter," said Justin Dzonzi of the Center for Human Rights and Rehabilitation, according to The Associated Press.

Dzonzi told AP that his coalition was worried about the child's inheritance rights and was concerned that the child would suffer if the celebrity couple went through a divorce played out in the media.

"We want these issues clarified," Dzonzi told AP.

A hearing on the adoption is scheduled for Friday.

If Madonna gives David back, he will end up like his siblings -- dead -- Banda said.

"Madonna, whatever is happening, maybe it's because you are famous, that's why all this is happening," Banda said." Please be strong and don't give up the fight. My David will be a good son to you."

Madonna told Oprah Winfrey this week that her celebrity status did not work to her advantage.

"I assure you, it doesn't matter who you are or how much money you have, nothing goes fast in Africa," Madonna said, according to oprah.com. "There are no adoption laws in Malawi. And I was warned by my social worker that because there were no known laws in Malawi, they were more or less going to have to make them up as we went along."

Banda, an illiterate, 32-year-old vegetable farmer, on Sunday told the media through a translator that he didn't realize that Madonna and Ritchie would have custody "forever."

But Banda has since said he favors the adoption, and his reversal has caused a media barrage in this tiny country in southeast Africa.

Banda, who has moved in with a sister to avoid the massive scrutiny, became defensive when CNN asked if Malawi officials forced him to change his story.

"No one in the government has forced me to say anything. This is my doing," he said. "I gave my son, David, to Madonna with all my heart, and what is happening does not reflect the truth of the matter. I gave David away and he now belongs to Madonna."

Last week Penson Kilembe, director of the Malawi agency that handles adoptions, told The Christian Science Monitor that adoption would be just.

"Child adoption is also a rights issue, and these NGOs do not seem to understand that as a government we have both a moral and ethical obligation to mitigate the plight of children. Madonna has set a precedent worth emulating," he told the publication.

Banda said he would tell court officials that "that what we agreed with Madonna stands."

Banda insisted he hasn't profited from the adoption and he doesn't want any money. He said he just wants what is best for his son. Banda does hope that his boy grows up to be a healthy and happy.

[Stella]

Meanwhile, 67 human rights groups have sued the government, arguing that Malawi's laws forbid international adoptions unless the prospective parents have lived in the country for 18 months.

"It's not like we are blocking the adoption, but we want laws followed to the letter," said Justin Dzonzi of the Center for Human Rights and Rehabilitation, according to The Associated Press.

Dzonzi told AP that his coalition was worried about the child's inheritance rights and was concerned that the child would suffer if the celebrity couple went through a divorce played out in the media.

"We want these issues clarified," Dzonzi told AP.

1 - Don't these SIXTY-SEVEN human rights groups have something better to do? WTF?

2 - It's none of their damn business one way or the other.

:disappointed:

[Vishenka69]

Meanwhile, 67 human rights groups have sued the government, arguing that Malawi's laws forbid international adoptions unless the prospective parents have lived in the country for 18 months.

"It's not like we are blocking the adoption, but we want laws followed to the letter," said Justin Dzonzi of the Center for Human Rights and Rehabilitation, according to The Associated Press.

Dzonzi told AP that his coalition was worried about the child's inheritance rights and was concerned that the child would suffer if the celebrity couple went through a divorce played out in the media.

"We want these issues clarified," Dzonzi told AP.

1 - Don't these SIXTY-SEVEN human rights groups have something better to do? WTF?

2 - It's none of their damn business one way or the other.

:disappointed:

Seriously, since when is being adopted by a millionaire a violation of your human rights. I want to be voilated like that.

[rainbabies]

kinky

[Stella]

[Lo]

Re: Madonna's Adoption

Yeah - she's line jumping, but is there any way this child would not be better off getting out of the orphanage ASAP?

Apparently, this baby wasn't in an orphanage. I read that he lived with his father who happens to be illiterate. Apparently he thought that he was just sending his child away to be raised by Madonna and then when the child was 18 he would come back to him. I think this whole celebrity adoption thing is just getting a little out of hand if you ask me....damn Angelina

[DCJenn]

Really? From what I've read in the international adoption sites, he was in an orphanage and the father has recanted everything he said.

I still say any kid is better off than staying in some of those orphanages.

I'll have to post pictures of Nikolai's so you all can see what I'm talking about.

jenn