An Overview of Ethiopian Adoption

There were different waves of international adoption from Ethiopia. For decades, Ethiopian children who were “given up” were done so with the expectation that they were leaving to go abroad to get a good education and live a better life. Some of the earliest adoptions from Ethiopia were to Sweden in the 1960s, mainly due to the fact (true in several “receiving”countries) that there were not enough available children to adopt in-country. Adoptions continued in the 1970s, slowed down in the 1980s, and then started up again in the late 1980s and the 1990s, mainly to countries such as France, the Netherlands, and the U.S.

The biggest boom, however, seems to be between 1999 and 2017. According to the U.S. State Department, some 15,000 Ethiopian children were adopted to the United States alone. Adoption policy expert Peter Selman found that between 2003-2016, 32,000 Ethiopian children were adopted to eight countries, namely the U.S., Canada, Spain, Italy, France, Denmark, Switzerland, and Belgium. 

It’s important to understand that there are different factors at play that explain why adoption took place. A mix of internal dynamics within the country, such as urban migration, political crises, wars, famine, drought, HIV/AIDS, and other factors have impacted Ethiopian families’ ability to keep their children within the family or within their communities. Perhaps more importantly, the concept of Western adoption, i.e., the total severing of family and legal ties, was not a concept familiar to Ethiopian parents. Adoption was explained to them as a way for their children to have a good life and get a good education. Some did not realize they would not hear from or see their children again.  Parents and family members were often promised news and periodic updates, which they did not receive.

The widespread adoption fraud culminated in the country’s decision to ban international adoption in 2018, citing concerns about the outcomes of adopted Ethiopian children, especially in light of the death of Hanna Williams (aka Hana Alemu) whose adoptive parents were convicted of her murder and are serving decades in jail. Other reasons include the failure of adoptive parents to send in post-placement reports, and the wish that Ethiopian children not lose their history, language, culture, and heritage due to being adopted internationally.

We hope that this anthology will generate more discussion around the needs of families, in Ethiopia and elsewhere, and specifically about the actions needed to strengthen families and communities so they can support themselves and provide for their children, instead of relinquishing them out of desperation, too often losing them forever.