RW Supply + Design’s mission is that we exist UNTIL EVERY CHILD IS HOME. Our mission began in China, as a result of business and mission partnerships there. Additionally, multiple families throughout our company have adopted from China. This week, the US State Department announced that China has officially ended its international adoption program.
In 1980, China’s ‘One Child’ policy began and lasted for 36 years. This policy allowed families one child, causing families to abandon girls and children with disabilities and/or medical needs. The influx of children abandoned overwhelmed orphanages. Consequently, international adoption from China began in 1992. Since that time, approximately 160,000 children have been internationally adopted from China. As with all things, this opened a complicated chapter. The One Child Policy remained the same, healthy children were ‘in demand’, while children with disabilities often remained in orphanages.
In 2016, China ended the One Child Policy, domestic adoption began to grow, and by 2019 there were less children internationally adopted from Chinese orphanages. In 2020,the pandemic halted international adoption. While some families were allowed to adopt (the Fowlers being one), most were left in limbo. And, this week, China officially ended this program…ending the largest international adoption program the US has had. Our hope is that this means more Chinese children will remain with their biological families, domestic adoptions will grow, and children with medical needs will receive the services they need.
To date, there are an unknown number of children living in Chinese orphanages – estimates range from 100,000 to 500,000…most are living with complex medical needs. Sadly, most of these children will never receive an education and will ‘age out’ of the adoption system by 14 years of age. Overall, separate from any government systems or political factors, our hope is to see each child experience HOME. The ability to have been involved in China and support multiple organizations there, is because of the work that you do each day!
