There's a lot at play here. In thinking about it from all sides, the real loser is the kid, just as you cite. I have serious issues with an adoption/guardian clause that states that is temporary "until the family can care for the child again." While this is foster care, I think that the fact that it's an international issue complicates things. It's one thing to shuffle a kid between families in one location. It's another to ship a kid off to another country for "a better life" and then shuffle her back. There's absolutely no continuity. How could people do that to a child? They're both at fault. Adopt to adopt, don't take in child on a temporary basis and then expect that she's yours forever. And on the other end, if you plan to give your child up temporarily, don't send her to a family overseas. I'm sure that I'm missing a lot of information about China, adoption, and foster care laws...so please correct me if I'm wrong. It just infuriates me when people yank children around like this.

actually, i think the hes were already here when they gave the child up for temporary care.

as far as china, there are lots of children in china that are unwanted, most of which happen to be girls. some of them are adopted by foreign parents, some are not. it's tragic, but this family seems to want their child, so why not let them have her back?

I was quite upset after reading the article this morning, what I gathered from the articles is that the adoption agency took advantage of the Hes, by not disclosing what kind of agreement they were entering. And that from the start the Bakers never had the intentions of return custody of the child to the He's.

And the Bakers argument that the child would have a better life in the US because they will have the financial wealth to better support her is total bullshit! How does breaking up a family do any good for the child.

No matter how many time I hear about things like this, it's still mind boggling to me the whole idea of seeking to terminate someone's parental rights. Family is family, no amount of legal process can change that.

exactly keith. and why do they need more children? they already have four. i think they are trying to start some sort of cult.

I'm from Tennessee and living in China and this is the first I've heard about this case. Damn, this is embarrassing.

This is very sad. I mean, the child is definitely the victim here, even though she is clearly much loved. I hope the judge takes into account the many factors (culture, quality of life, motivations).

I'm also unimpressed that the one photo the Times publishes with the story has the Chinese family eating Chinese food with chopsticks. Chinese food may be very accepted, but it still makes they seem very "foreign" to use chopsticks.

brian, there are tennesseans (?) in china?

the print verstion also had a picture of the american couple. no "typical" stuff for them though. unless you count ties and such as typical white person gear.

Yep, there are a few of us living over here in the PRC.
You ought to come check out are blog community over here in Asia. We have a really nice group blog called LivinginChina.com. Also, if you do write often about Asia you might want to join The China Blog list over at Sinosplice. He has an overseas category.

i mean, it makes sense brian. but i guess you never really think of it. i don't really write that often about asia. just when something catches my eye.

how did you find the adjustment from tenn. to china?

Each side is saying something different. Both cannot be telling the truth. What is clear is that this child has been in the care and custody of the Baker's since she was three weeks old. She is now five years old. On one side she would be ripped from the only parents (at least to her) she has ever known and sent with strangers to a country she does not know. On the other side she would be reunited with her birth parents and the process of becoming a family would start. Either way the child loses. I wish there was a way that she could stay where she is and yet have free contact with her birth family. So sad!!