I came across this Townhall.com article today and it got me thinking about our presidential candidates and what stance they might have on adoption. I’ve been focused on other issues that matter to me, like affordable health insurance, abortion, humane immigration reform, stem cell research, etc. But it dawned on me that in spite of the fact that I eat, sleep and breathe adoption on a daily basis, I really have no idea how any of the candidates view adoption. I determined that I really should be researching something so important to my family!

Part of what got me mulling all this over is the story of the Evans family, part of whom are stuck in Cambodia with children Cambodia considers having been legally adopted, but who have been denied the necessary approvals and visas to return to the United States. This family is literally torn apart, with the father and older sister living in the U.S., and the rest of the family living in Cambodia. They’re in limbo – 18-months and counting – with no immediate hope of a solution. (By the way, please take a moment to email Senator Mark Pryor who has the power to help the Evans family. This family needs our help.)

Whether President Bush is aware of this family’s plight, I don’t know, but I can’t help wondering if having a President who believes in the value of adoption would benefit our nation and help families like the Evans have their request for help taken more seriously.

According to the June 11th Townhall.com article, adoptions during Rudy Giuliani’s tenure increased 133%. In addition, Mr. Giuliani forged a new, direct connection between the mayor’s office and New York City’s Children’s Service and established “Adoption Saturdays,” which are special court sessions held for the purpose of finding families for children in foster care. Sounds impressive, doesn’t it?

Unfortunately, just as other political issues are muddied by the views of opposing parties and candidates, the same seems to be true for Rudy’s adoption record.

A May 18, 2007 article on Democrats.org argues that Giuliani is knowingly misleading voters with false claims about adoption increases under his watch. In fact, they claim adoptions actually often decreased during the time he held office:

Adoptions Declined 5 Years Out Of Eight, Were Going Down When He Left, Only Went Up 17% Overall.

In fact, the independent group FactCheck.org has twice debunked Giuliani's misleading numbers. In a recent article they wrote that "Adoptions declined in five of the mayor's last six years," using the same set of official numbers that the Giuliani campaign relies on. They said this is "a classic case of how candidates and public officials sometimes use data selectively to create a false impression." The data shows that adoptions went down for most of the years he ran the city, by as much as 17% one year, including the last five years he was in office. Adoptions overall were "only 17 percent higher than at the start, and falling.

So who’s right?

Thankfully, adoption.com will soon be offering adoption position papers on all the major presidential candidates. While these papers shouldn’t take the place of personal research and prayer on the matter, they will offer a good starting point for adoptive parents and birthparents to determine which candidate’s ideas and record is most compatible with their own views.

Look for these position papers, as well as the new “Adoption News” blog, coming soon to Adoption.com and Adoptionblogs.com!

Further Reading:

Editor’s Blog (for the latest announcements about the position papers and Adoption News Blog)
Forum topic: Presidential Candidate Sam Brownback, Adoptive Father, from Kansas