More children are adopted in the United States than in any other country. Recently, the National Council for Adoption gathered survey results from American households regarding celebrity adoption. Those being interviewed responded that celebrity adoptions draw the public’s attention whereas non-celebrities, including those in Wheat Ridge, Colorado, do not draw anyone’s attention. For them, this is a commentary on society.
As legal professionals sort through the complicated laws involved in domestic and international adoption, celebrities do not generally speak about this excruciatingly long endeavor, which may or may not work out. Perhaps that is why celebrity adoptions are not discussed until the adoption is finalized.
Actually, a celebrity goes through the same waiting period as a non-celebrity. The same rules and adoption issues apply, with one exception-money. Having money and connections allow celebrities to pay for the adoption right away and to expedite the legal process.
Although the public may think that celebrities have an advantage because they seem to have a little more control over the situation, experts believe this to be untrue.
Many celebrities argue that they do not, and cannot, bypass any roadblocks that often lengthen the adoption process. In fact, in some respects, they may have a more difficult time adopting a child because it is harder to protect the child’s anonymity. The celebrity’s inability to attend required seminars and training is often scrutinized as well. Training and seminars are an expected part of the adoption process.
As long as potential parents remain patient during the waiting part of the process, and as long as they are able to raise the child with his or her best interests in mind, everything will work out.
Source: USA Today, “When stars adopt, the world notices,” Donna Freydkin, April 2, 2013