‘DOE MIJ MAAR ZO’N KOREAANTJE’: A Historical Analysis of the Establishment of Korean Transnational Adoption to the  Netherlands, 1967-1969

Analysing the history of the beginning of transnational adoption to the Netherlands, and with it the history of Korean adoption to the Netherlands, reveals that this development was spearheaded by concerned Dutch citizens who organised themselves, with guidance from the government, to form the first Dutch adoption agency: Stichting Interlandelijke Adoptie. Korean adoption agencies, especially Korea Social Service, reacted eagerly to the demand in the Netherlands, driven by economic incentives and the maturation of the institutional space wherein adoption agencies operated in South Korea. As the number of children in childcare facilities peaked around 1967, adoption agencies sought to expand their adoption programme to more countries; outsourcing the childcare to foreign families (while getting paid for), compared to increasing the capacity of domestic care facilities, was the only financially viable choice. In a perfect storm, the confluence of socio-cultural and economic...Show moreAnalysing the history of the beginning of transnational adoption to the Netherlands, and with it the history of Korean adoption to the Netherlands, reveals that this development was spearheaded by concerned Dutch citizens who organised themselves, with guidance from the government, to form the first Dutch adoption agency: Stichting Interlandelijke Adoptie. Korean adoption agencies, especially Korea Social Service, reacted eagerly to the demand in the Netherlands, driven by economic incentives and the maturation of the institutional space wherein adoption agencies operated in South Korea. As the number of children in childcare facilities peaked around 1967, adoption agencies sought to expand their adoption programme to more countries; outsourcing the childcare to foreign families (while getting paid for), compared to increasing the capacity of domestic care facilities, was the only financially viable choice. In a perfect storm, the confluence of socio-cultural and economic circumstances led to the emergence of transnational adoption as a lasting phenomenon, in both the Netherlands and South Korea.Show less

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‘DOE MIJ MAAR ZO’N KOREAANTJE’: A Historical Analysis of the Establishment of Korean Transnational Adoption to the Netherlands, 1967-1969