Some of those Haitian orphans who are matched with families abroad are being evacuated to safety. I don't know all the details, but have read a few personal stories on internet groups. Some of the children are missing (or were taken back by the birth parents, who want them to be safe.)
Our thoughts and prayers are with all those - adults, children, and animals - affected by the earthquake.
A related topic is "how many children will ultimately be orphaned" after the dust settles. Of course people want to help, and many people want to adopt. However, it's very complicated. From my observation over the years, it all boils down to two questions:
1. Is the child truly an orphan? Imagine you are the birth parents who were separated from your child in such a disaster. Maybe at the time you couldn't do much. But later you could search for the child, and the child had been adopted abroad.
2. Is the adoptive family trustworthy? How thoroughly have they been checked out, and what are their motives for adopting? Do they really have the resources and stability to support this child? Have they thought it through?
And of course, does the child want to be adopted (if old enough to decide)? Are adoption laws and procedures in place for both the orphan's country and adoptive family's country? How cooperative are these countries (how much red tape)? How does the orphan's culture view adoption, especially transracial adoption by foreigners? Are corruption, bribery, and child trafficking very common?
So it's not as simple as swooping in to rescue a needy child. That's the case in any type of adoption.
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