STATE OF OPPORTUNITY. Can Kids in Michigan Get Ahead?
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This special reporting project wrapped up in May 2017. Read more.

Reuters investigation: Families giving adopted children away on the internet

Anna Barnes is one of the children profiled in the Reuters investigation

Adopted children, largely from international adoptions, are being put into harm's way by adoptive parents often at their wits end. As Megan Towheyof Reuters finds,there are many internet-based forums where adoptive parents can advertise children they no longer want, and other people who want the children offer to take the children.

It's happening without any government involvement or oversight, and resembles child trafficking more than it does adoption.

The Reuters investigationfound several instances where children placed through these groups were put in danger. Ana Barnes is one of these children, and she offers her devastating testimonyof what it feels like to be passed around "like a dog" from family to family.  

The series exposes the difficulty many adoptive parents face trying to meet the needs of their children, and the failure of any system to safeguard the children involved. It is well worth a read and an issue all those interested in child welfare should be aware of.