Lieven Vandendriessche

In the Best Interest of the Children Lieven Vandendriessche

'In the best interest of the children' describes the author's experience of his daughters' adoption in the US. For Belgium to recognize this adoption, the author's family even had to take the Belgian State to Court. This far-reaching experience encouraged the author to reflect about the topic of international adoption. Why is adoption being treated as a suspicious institution by the same agencies which claim to act only in 'the best interest of the children'? This book denounces the practices described above, and calls for action to change them. Professor Elizabeth Bartholet, Morris Wasserstein Professor at Law, Faculty Director Child Advocacy Program, Harvard Law School: "Key forces mounting the attack [against international adoption] claim the child human rights mantle, arguing that such adoption denies heritage rights, and often involves abusive practices. Many nations assert rights to hold onto the children born within their borders, and others support these demands citing subsidiarity principles. But children's most basic human rights to family are at the heart of the true meaning of subsidiarity, and children will often find family only in international adoption. This book is important because it tells the story about how governments and government officials, claiming to represent the best interest of the children, prevent good people from giving children the nurturing home they so desperately need. We need more adoptive parents like this to speak up and help change current international adoption policies and practices in the best interest of the children."