As a growing number of states enact 'rehoming' laws, Facebook reportedly disables adoption page
Responding to news of parents placing children they find difficult to deal with in the care of strangers they identify as potential caretakers via the Internet, a growing number of lawmakers are enacting legislation to curtail the controversial practice.
Meanwhile, Facebook has disabled an “Adoption Through Disruption” page being used to “rehome” children, the Washington Times reports, relying on an investigation by a London television news station.
Colorado, Florida, Louisiana and Wisconsin have enacted laws addressing the rehoming of children, the Washington Post (reg. req.) notes, and a Center for Adoptive Policy memorandum discusses their provisions.
Legislation in Arkansas recently was passed unanimously in the state House, following news that one of the lawmakers’ own colleagues had been involved in a rehoming of troubled young adoptive daughters, as the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reported.
Two companion bills would require the Arkansas Department of Human Services to establish rules that make clear what the options are for parents who need help dealing with adoptive children.
They would make it a felony to rehome a child, but create a safe harbor against child-abandonment charges in “a situation in which a child has disrupted his or her adoption and the adoptive parent has exhausted the available resources.” Families who rehome children also could not continue to collect state adoption subsidies.
Related coverage:
ABA Journal: “States start to crack down on parents ‘re-homing’ their adopted kids”
ABAJournal.com: “When a foreign adoption doesn’t work out, the Internet offers a dubious option”
Arkansas Times: “Harris steps down from House committee vice-chairmanship “
Reuters: “Adopted Girl: I Was ‘Re-homed’ After Reporting Dad’s Alleged Sex Abuse”
