Can you believe THIS? http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=125788721&ps=cprs A mother in Tennessee is being criticized for changing her mind and shipping her adoptive son back to a Russian orphanage. Apparently, the seven year old turned out to be a bit of a handful. More to the point, the lovable scamp displayed alarmingly violently tendencies and had threatened to burn down the family home – with the family in it. Mom claims the Russian adoption agency misled her by not informing her that the kid was a bad seed (or, quite possibly, a thirty year old dwarf with a drinking problem). The Russian authorities insist the little ragamuffin was in perfectly good condition at point of sale. For a floor model anyway. And, besides, the return policy clearly states they are not liable for minor defects. Mom insists they were more than minor defects. She was saddled with a lemon.
It’s hard to pick a side on this one without knowing all the facts but, for now, I think both fearful mother and devil child deserve our sympathy. Still, if movies like The Omen,The Good Son, and The Ring have taught us anything, it’s that children are inherently evil and extreme caution should be exercised in dealing with them. Especially if they begin to demonstrate weird psychic abilities or worship corn. So be warned. If shipping them back to the orphanage isn’t an option (granted FedEx has been annoyingly particular about what it will and won’t deliver of late), then I’d advise you to stay on their good side.
Apparently, this international incident has so enraged Russia’s foreign minister that he has threatened to suspend international adoptions with the U.S. Yeah, suuuuuuuure he will.
On a thoroughly unrelated note, and for those interested in purchasing adopting their own international child, here is the approximate cost of a kid the various fees and clearances listed by country:
China = $20,000 to $25,000
Columbia = $12,000 to $20,000
Ethiopia = $20,000 – $25,000
Guatemala = $25,000 to $38,000
Haiti = $15,000 to $18,000
India = $12,000 – $25,000
Kazahkstan = $30,000 +
Russia = $35,000 +
South Korea = $20,000 to $30,000
Ukraine = $30,000 +
Vietnam = $20,000 – $30,000
The prices vary. You can pick up a Haitian tot on the cheap or splurge one of those top-of-the-line Ukranian moppets. At $12,000, those base model Colombian toddlers are a steal. Alternately, you can get two modest Indian children for the price of a Russian one, but the latter comes with the burl walnut dash and tiptronic transmission so it’s a tough call.
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