There is a rumor circulating on the internet that Britney Spears is adopting 6-year-old twins from China. The primary sources of the rumor are from News of the World, a British tabloid newspaper, and Perez Hilton, an internet celebrity gossip site (you can read the article from either link--they're essentially the same). Other blogs and internet sites have quickly picked up on the story, spreading the rumor even further.
I can assure you that this is untrue.
There are essentially two aspects of international adoption: getting the child out of one country and getting them into the US. Britney fails on both accounts.
In order to be able to legally bring a child into the US as a citizen (and it's not like Britney could sneak one in under the radar) you must be granted what's known as an I-171H. Every parent must have one of these to bring a child into the country. Even Angelina Jolie.
To get an I-171H, you must submit a number of documents including, most importantly, a home study. The home study is conducted by a social worker who must, among other things, assess the physical, mental, and emotional capabilities of the prospective adoptive parents to properly parent the orphan. The social worker must approve the parent to adopt an orphan.
The home study is not just an arbitrary approval from a particular social worker. There are a number of other documents required from parents that substantiate the social worker's approval of the parent. These include things like a medical examination, in which Britney's drug and alcohol problems would have to be addressed, and a police clearance indicating that she has, among other things, no record, no arrests, no criminal history, no charges, and no incidents. She would also need to pass a state fingerprint check--the one that determines whether or not she's ever been involved in any child abuse cases (which she has). These are just a couple of the things that would disqualify Britney.
The home study then has to be reviewed by the state and approved by them, so even if she managed to buy off a social worker and the social worker's agency (who has to approve the social worker's recommendation), she'd have to buy off the entire state government of California, which might prove to be tricky for her. However, if the impossible did happen and she was approved by the US Government, she'd still have to be approved by China.
China is extremely strict in their adoption requirements. They pride themselves on being aboveboard and fair. Other celebrities who have adopted from China, including Meg Ryan, had to wait in line just like everyone else. Celebrities aren't given special treatment in China. The across-the-board consistency of the requirements are, in fact, one of the reasons we were drawn to China.
Britney fails just about every single one of China's requirements:
-Applicants must be a legally married couple
-Applicants who have had a divorce must be married to their current spouse for at least 5 years
-Applicants must be 30 years old
-Applicants must be in good physical and mental condition necessary to provide responsible care for an adopted child
-Applicants must have no criminal record or alcohol abuse within the past 10 years. Neither applicant may have committed any acts of domestic violence, sexual abuse or child abuse
-Applicants can have no history of illegal drug use
While it's sadly true that in some circumstances money can buy anything, I can assure you that no amount of money will allow Britney to adopt from China.
Posted by Shelby at November 26, 2007 01:58 PM