Even as a child, I knew of horror stories of African people who "adopted" other African children into what can best be summed up as slavery. In African and some European urban areas, some of these "adopted" children are in white (sex) slavery. People in rural areas are often very willing to give/sell their young daughters to anyone who'll take them. The "house girls" at my grandparents' house send their allowances to their families and visit annually maybe which is actually quite generous. In exchange for their labor, they're sent to public school when the teachers aren't on strike (which is never) along with free room and board. I lived with my grandparents until the age of 10. When I left, there were two house girls younger than I. Some of my relatives in the UK have several who are basically free nannies/maids. These are poor, uneducated people who may or may not understand what they're doing but to say that this is new or increased just speaks to the ignorance of this child psychologist who obviously hasn't spent much time in any of these areas. His interpretation is a very Western one. If this has spread to urban areas, I have to laugh because they all should understand the potential dangers that lie ahead. Want to know how easy it is to get one? Call up someone you know to pick out a suitable child (if you're a single man, child must be male because we all know men **never** abuse boys), fill out the adoption papers, go through some B.S. interview, get on a plane, pick up your parcel and voila! Do whatever you want with/to her. If anything, there's a demand issue. What's different now? People are taking kids to legitimate orphanages?

If they're doing this with infants now, it's sad because they'll likely meet the same fate.

^^Good post.

These adoptions make me uneasy. I feel like the public pays so much attention to these "exotic" kids when adopted, but don't care about the circumstances that cause them to be put up for adoption. Poverty, war, etc. are ugly things so why not look at cute baby?!?

…and considering the quagmire that is the foster system in the U.S., I don't see much of an alternative. The fact is that the foster system operates as if biological parents and their families have some sort of inalienable rights, regardless of how neglectful or otherwise abusive they've been. Unless you have two parents willing to sign away their parental rights and disappear from day one or certifiable orphans, expect a lengthy battle. The rights of the biological parents come first. The welfare of the children is on the bottom of their list of priorities.

Lauren,

I think they are referring to them as "Madonna-style" instead of "Angelina-style" is because, if I'm not mistaken, all three of the parents of Angelina's adopted children were dead when she adopted them.

Madonna's adoptee, David, has a father who is very much alive. I know there were conflicting stories about the father placing David in an orphanage temporarily until he could "get on his feet", etc. I've always been suspicious of Madonna and the "way" she got David. IMO

ChynaDoll, it's not uncommon to place motherless children in orphanages. Unless the man has the money to get help, remarries or has female relatives around, there really aren't options. What's unfortunate actually is that there probably are orphans available but none had the joie de vivre that only comes from being loved to spark Madge's interest.

Zahara is a "rape baby" according to a tabloid that interviewed her biological mother. I cringed writing that. Her grandmother gave her up and stated that she was an orphan, and her mother was fine with that. I don't know if they were aware of this at first, but In Touch or Us Weekly made sure we all knew.

Ohhh Daria….. u brought up "house girls." Man I can tell u a whole lot about that. Are u African?

@ Daria r u sure u want to believe every thing that comes from those mags.. I mean it might be tru but i dont take any thing they say as being "gospel".

@daria: David Banda's father did remarry according to the British papers.

Zaharas' mother is very much alive.

Yes, David Bandas' father is alive, but he put him in the orphangae Madonna found him in. I'm sure there were/are economic reasons for that, but what is the reason he never visited the baby more than once in 2 years??

That child would have died if Madonna didn't adopt him. The same goes for Angelinas' adoption of Zahara.

Ike, yes. A house girl is basically a slave. They can have a good master, a so-so one, a cruel one or a sexually abusive one. These people must be looking at stats from white couples. I knew a bunch of families who had them in my area (in the US) during the mid to late 90s. They seem to have all disappeared.

Jerine, well, it came from the woman's mouth. It's not necessarily gospel, but no one seemed to want to talk about it or refute it.

ChynaDoll, that's odd because in those cases, new wife takes care of the kid. The orphanage probably wouldn't keep him. I could ask my mom how those things work. She's raising funds for one currently.

solitaire, also odd if that's true. Some of those men visit several times a week unless they live FAR which is also unusual.