新闻来源：www.foxnews.com
原文地址：Families waiting to adopt children in China shocked by sudden policy change: ‘Gut-punch’
新闻日期：2024-09-17
中国上周宣布将终止国际收养计划，这让数百个美国家庭感到震惊。这对正在等待完成收养的家庭来说是非常残酷的消息。“这些家庭已经坚持了很多年，他们相信总能找到一种方式让这些孩子——很多孩子他们早已见过——通过干预被带回家。”Lifeline儿童服务组织总裁赫伯特·纽厄尔在接受福克斯新闻数字频道采访时表示。
自1999年以来，美国父母已从中国领养了超过8万名儿童，占所有美国海外收养的29%。美国国务院表示，中国政府通知驻华大使馆称将不再处理任何阶段的国际收养案件，只接受血缘亲属或继子继女的收养。
“这是一个符合相关国际公约精神的决定。”中国外交部发言人毛宁在新闻发布会上说，“我们感谢有关国家政府和收养家庭对中国的孩子表现出的意愿和爱。”
纽厄尔在得知这一突然变化后感到十分惊讶。他说：“从个人的角度来看，这感觉像是一个朋友去世了。因为中美两国多年来一直稳定地为需要家的孩子找到家。”自1992年中国开放国际收养以来，他们已经与中国的联系保持了三十年。
“最令人不安的是，在疫情之前已经有200到400名中国儿童被匹配给美国家庭。这些家庭一直在等待将孩子带回家。”纽厄尔继续说道。“自2020年2月起，我们还没有再为中国儿童找到新的美国家庭。其中12个孩子已经在通过寄宿计划访问过美国家庭，并相信最终会得到一个家。”
“此外，那些已经见过新家庭并信任美国家庭的中国孩子们的家庭也感到十分震惊。”纽厄尔说。“这些家庭还曾有机会给孩子们寄送礼物和信件，让他们知道我们没有放弃。我们会为你们而战。所以这个消息对很多人来说都是一大打击。”
“这次决定对于无法继续参与的孩子们来说是悲剧性的。”他补充道，“他们可能成为这一决策中的‘ collateral damage’。”美国国务院表示，有数百个家庭仍在等待完成收养程序，并同情这些家庭的处境。
纽厄尔说，自疫情开始以来，Lifeline一直在为这些家庭向中美两国政府寻求帮助，希望能够顺利完成收养程序。“我们仍然会继续为这些家庭战斗，提供答案，并希望将那些处于pending adoption状态的孩子们带回家。”
原文摘要：
China announced last week it was ending its international adoption program, devastating hundreds of families in the U.S. in the process of adopting a child. “A lot of these families have persevered, believing that there would be a way for these children, many of whom they’ve met face-to-face, to be brought home through intervention. So this announcement was a real gut punch,” Herbie Newell, president of Lifeline Children’s Services, told Fox News Digital. Lifeline Children’s Services is a faith-based ministry that helps vulnerable women in unexpected pregnancies and facilitates adoptions both domestically and internationally. The group works with 17 nations across the globe, including China. That relationship is uncertain now after Beijing told U.S. diplomats in China last week it “will not continue to process cases at any stage” except for blood relatives adopting a child or stepchild, according to The Associated Press. CHINA TO END FOREIGN ADOPTION PROGRAM, LEAVING HUNDREDS OF U.S. FAMILIES IN LIMBO “This is in line with the spirit of relevant international conventions,” China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said in a news conference. “We are grateful for the desire and love of the governments and adoptive families of relevant countries to adopt Chinese children.” Newell was “flabbergasted” to learn of the sudden policy change after three decades of working with China since the country opened its doors to international adoptions in 1992. “It really felt like from a personal perspective, it felt like a good friend had died because there had been such long term, stable participation with the People’s Republic of China and the United States in finding homes for children with needs, children who were languishing in orphanages, to families that wanted to provide a loving, stable home here in the United States,” he explained. I’M A CHRISTIAN AND I’M SUING MY STATE BECAUSE IT REFUSED TO LET ME ADOPT CHILDREN Families were also left “reeling” from the sudden decision after waiting years to bring their children home. “I think the thing that hit the hardest was that we know there are anywhere between 200 and 400 children that had been matched with U.S. families pre-Covid 19. And those families have been in the process waiting to bring these children home,” he continued. Since February 2020, no additional U.S. families they’ve worked with have been matched to Chinese children, he explained. Twelve of the children had already visited their adoptive families in the U.S. through a hosting program, he said, and trusted that they would eventually be brought to the U.S. “The families have actually had the opportunity to send care packages and to send via liaison communication to these children to let them know we’re not giving up. We’re fighting for you. So this comes as a huge blow,” Newell said. “Again, I’m sad for ongoing participation. I’m sad that the program is ending. It’s tragic for these kids that could become the collateral damage in this decision,” he continued. The State Department said last week that the embassy is seeking clarification in writing from China’s Ministry of Civil Affairs. “We understand there are hundreds of families still pending completion of their adoption, and we sympathize with their situation,” the State Department said. Newell says Lifeline has been petitioning the U.S. government and Chinese government on behalf of these families since the beginning of the pandemic. He pledged to continue fighting for these families to get answers and hopefully bring home children with pending adoption cases. Over 80,000 children from China have been adopted by American parents since 1999, making up about 29% of all U.S. overseas adoptions, the U.S. State Department says. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Fox News’ Joshua Q. Nelson contributed to this article.
