Decline in international adoptions in Belgium

The number of foreign children adopted by Belgian parents dropped by about half in the last four years, reports La Dernière Heure. In 2010, there were 394 international adoptions, compared to 213 in 2013.

According to Didier Dehou, head of adoption within Belgium’s French-speaking community, the decline is due to improved living conditions in developing countries, which has led to the creation of a new middle class that can afford to adopt. Dehou also points out the negative impact the economic crisis has had on Belgians’ willingness to adopt.

Although the number of foreign adoptions is on the decline, the number of intra-familial adoptions in Belgium has gone up significantly. In 2010, there were 171 Belgian children adopted in this way, and in 2013 the number increased to 275. The increase is mainly due to lesbian couples in which one of the two women had the baby, while the other one became a legal parent through adoption.