I thought the general process when you are adopting is that you tell the agency basically what age, etc, you want...whether you would like one with or without disabilities, and then they send you a picture of your child, and that is your baby. None of this going over to the country and picking the cutest one or something.
Madonna's Adoption Drama
- Thread starter Prada's Meadow
- Start date
Not a fan of Saint Ange at all, there is no way someone wih her mental history could have adopted legally. She bought & paid for her children & trots them out for pics at every occaision.She has done the excact same thing as Madge, used children to draw attention to HER & her cause. Zahara has a family, has everyone forgotten that, she has a grandmother & if they had the $$ then they could have raised her with the other children from her family. Why not donate $$ w/o bringing home a child & seperating him/her from their living relatives?? Oh yeah, no phot ops or praise for being such a saint that way.
Adopting from the heart & for llove is the right way to do it, not this way.
Also, I have not forgotten that she visited & "picked out" a Russian child but cancelled her order after finding out how hard the Russian process would be & finding a cuter trendier child in Zahara. AWFUL!
Oh! That's awful! I hadn't heard about that. But I have always wondered if she selected Maddox and Zahara because they were beautiful babies. What if they hadn't been? Would she have adopted them then (even sight unseen)? I can't imagine her and Brad Pitt raising unattractive children!
Madonna spends £15,000 on new nursery...while baby's father returns to the fields
By CLEMMIE MOODIE and GORDON RAYNER 18th October 2006
Yohane Banda tends to crops, while his son David starts a new live with Madonna
baby David Banda adjusted to his new life of bewildering wealth, his father has got back to the business of growing enough food to stay alive.
Subsistence farmer Yohane Banda spent the day tending to his potato and onion crops in the remote village of Lipunga, Malawi, watering them from a rusty old can and spraying them with pesticide in blistering heat.
Mr Banda, 32, insisted he had no regrets about his 13-month-old son's adoption and was happy that his only child had a new family to look after him.
Until he was whisked 5,000 miles away to London this week, David, whose mother died shortly after he was born, lived in an orphanage where his father had taken him because he was too poor to buy him milk.
But yesterday David was surrounded by £15,000 worth of toys in his new nursery, which Madonna has had painted with jungle scenes.
They include a child-sized electric BMW, a £5,000 wooden rocking horse, several giant cuddly toys and a surround-sound music system.
Although David may still be too little to make use of many of his gifts, and may not yet fit his wardrobe-full of designer clothes at his new £6million London home, the presents are intended to lessen his homesickness.
A source close to the couple said the gifts had been bought over the past six months, rather than in one giant shopping spree.
"Contrary to reports that Madonna and Guy have steamrollered their way through the adoption process, they have been planning this move for months and months," said the source.
"Madonna has had great fun choosing baby David's toys and accessories, getting him all the latest, coolest gear and both she and Guy have had a ball sorting out his bedroom.
"At the moment, they plan to have David sleep in a cot in their bedroom. But when he's ready and old enough, he'll be moved into his own huge bedroom which has been incredibly thoughtfully decked out.
"As well as a designer wardrobe, Madonna and Guy have laid his bed with cotton and cashmere sheets and blankets, and a surround sound music system which will pipe out classical music.
"The room's got a jungle mural on one side - lions, tigers, those kind of animals - and white painted walls elsewhere, but its piece de resistance is undoubtedly a small scale electric BMW car.
"I think Guy is particularly excited about this one and trying it out with David the minute he's old enough!
"Madonna's only stipulation was that there was to be no television in the room. As with her other two children, she doesn't want David growing up watching mundane rubbish.
"One thing is for sure though, David will not want for anything in the Ritchie household, either materially or emotionally. The family are already besotted with him."
Human rights groups in Malawi said yesterday they were still hoping to lodge an appeal against a judge's decision to allow David to leave the country, which they claim broke strict Malawian rules requiring parents to remain in the country for 18 months before they can adopt.
But Yohane Banda said he did not support the legal challenge, adding: "David is my son. I agreed that he be taken away and the whole village agreed with me. I am happy for my son because he will become a man of understanding."
Asked if he was missing David, Mr Banda, who lives in a thatched hut made from mud bricks, said: "No, not really, because we have agreed with Madonna that he will visit us here in three to four years time."
Madonna, 48, and her 38-year-old husband, British film director Guy Ritchie, bypassed lengthy vetting procedures for adoptive parents in the UK, which can take up to a year, by using a California-based adoption agency to help them find David.
It also enabled them to get round strict guidelines on inter-racial adoption, which are strongly discouraged in the UK.
A fast-track system for international adoptions which operates in the US cuts the process down to two to four months, including home visits, fingerprinting and FBI clearance.
Malawi and America are both on the UK's 'designated list' of foreign countries in which adoptions are automatically recognised by British courts, meaning Madonna, a US citizen, was under no obligation to inform the authorities here that she had been granted an interim order to be David's guardian.
Carolyn Usher, an international family law specialist from Reynolds Porter Chamberlain solicitors, said: "Madonna does not appear to have done anything wrong, though it is a somewhat unusual way to behave."
Madonna and Guy Ritchie are understood to have used the Vista Del Mar adoption agency in Los Angeles, which was recommended to them by their friends Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt after they had adopted a daughter from Ethiopia.
During an 18-month evaluation period officials from Malawi will make visits to the UK to assess whether Madonna and Mr Ritchie are suitable parents. They may also visit the star at her 1,200-acre estate in Wiltshire or at her homes in New York and Los Angeles. Only after the 18 months is up will she be allowed to finalise the adoption.
By CLEMMIE MOODIE and GORDON RAYNER 18th October 2006
baby David Banda adjusted to his new life of bewildering wealth, his father has got back to the business of growing enough food to stay alive.
Subsistence farmer Yohane Banda spent the day tending to his potato and onion crops in the remote village of Lipunga, Malawi, watering them from a rusty old can and spraying them with pesticide in blistering heat.
Mr Banda, 32, insisted he had no regrets about his 13-month-old son's adoption and was happy that his only child had a new family to look after him.
Until he was whisked 5,000 miles away to London this week, David, whose mother died shortly after he was born, lived in an orphanage where his father had taken him because he was too poor to buy him milk.
But yesterday David was surrounded by £15,000 worth of toys in his new nursery, which Madonna has had painted with jungle scenes.
They include a child-sized electric BMW, a £5,000 wooden rocking horse, several giant cuddly toys and a surround-sound music system.
Although David may still be too little to make use of many of his gifts, and may not yet fit his wardrobe-full of designer clothes at his new £6million London home, the presents are intended to lessen his homesickness.
A source close to the couple said the gifts had been bought over the past six months, rather than in one giant shopping spree.
"Contrary to reports that Madonna and Guy have steamrollered their way through the adoption process, they have been planning this move for months and months," said the source.
"Madonna has had great fun choosing baby David's toys and accessories, getting him all the latest, coolest gear and both she and Guy have had a ball sorting out his bedroom.
"At the moment, they plan to have David sleep in a cot in their bedroom. But when he's ready and old enough, he'll be moved into his own huge bedroom which has been incredibly thoughtfully decked out.
"As well as a designer wardrobe, Madonna and Guy have laid his bed with cotton and cashmere sheets and blankets, and a surround sound music system which will pipe out classical music.
"The room's got a jungle mural on one side - lions, tigers, those kind of animals - and white painted walls elsewhere, but its piece de resistance is undoubtedly a small scale electric BMW car.
"I think Guy is particularly excited about this one and trying it out with David the minute he's old enough!
"Madonna's only stipulation was that there was to be no television in the room. As with her other two children, she doesn't want David growing up watching mundane rubbish.
"One thing is for sure though, David will not want for anything in the Ritchie household, either materially or emotionally. The family are already besotted with him."
Human rights groups in Malawi said yesterday they were still hoping to lodge an appeal against a judge's decision to allow David to leave the country, which they claim broke strict Malawian rules requiring parents to remain in the country for 18 months before they can adopt.
But Yohane Banda said he did not support the legal challenge, adding: "David is my son. I agreed that he be taken away and the whole village agreed with me. I am happy for my son because he will become a man of understanding."
Asked if he was missing David, Mr Banda, who lives in a thatched hut made from mud bricks, said: "No, not really, because we have agreed with Madonna that he will visit us here in three to four years time."
Madonna, 48, and her 38-year-old husband, British film director Guy Ritchie, bypassed lengthy vetting procedures for adoptive parents in the UK, which can take up to a year, by using a California-based adoption agency to help them find David.
It also enabled them to get round strict guidelines on inter-racial adoption, which are strongly discouraged in the UK.
A fast-track system for international adoptions which operates in the US cuts the process down to two to four months, including home visits, fingerprinting and FBI clearance.
Malawi and America are both on the UK's 'designated list' of foreign countries in which adoptions are automatically recognised by British courts, meaning Madonna, a US citizen, was under no obligation to inform the authorities here that she had been granted an interim order to be David's guardian.
Carolyn Usher, an international family law specialist from Reynolds Porter Chamberlain solicitors, said: "Madonna does not appear to have done anything wrong, though it is a somewhat unusual way to behave."
Madonna and Guy Ritchie are understood to have used the Vista Del Mar adoption agency in Los Angeles, which was recommended to them by their friends Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt after they had adopted a daughter from Ethiopia.
During an 18-month evaluation period officials from Malawi will make visits to the UK to assess whether Madonna and Mr Ritchie are suitable parents. They may also visit the star at her 1,200-acre estate in Wiltshire or at her homes in New York and Los Angeles. Only after the 18 months is up will she be allowed to finalise the adoption.
The Latest
Father says had no idea Madonna adopting son
LIPUNGA, Malawi (Reuters) - The father of the Malawian boy Madonna plans to adopt added a fresh twist to the saga, saying he never intended his son to be adopted by the pop diva, but only for her to raise the child on his behalf.
if In an interview with Reuters Television in his home village of Lipunga on Saturday, Yohane Banda said Madonna asked that she be able to raise his one-year-old son on his behalf, rather than that the child should become her own.
Banda's statement is a major shift from his earlier remarks last week when he railed against human rights groups that have gone to court to stop Madonna from adopting his son David.
"Had they told us that Madonna wanted to adopt my son and make him her own son, we would not have agreed to that," Banda said in his local language of Chichewa.
"It would have been better for him to continue staying at the orphanage because I see no reason why my child should be given away forever when I can feed him," he said, speaking at his village of Lipunga near the Zambia border late on Saturday.
Madonna, 48, has angered rights groups with her plan to adopt young David Banda, who left his native country on Tuesday last week for the entertainer's home in London after she was granted temporary adoption rights by Malawi authorities.
The High Court in Lilongwe will on Friday start hearing the case lodged by the Human Rights Consultative Committee (HRCC), an alliance of 67 human rights groups, which argues current Malawi laws forbid international adoption, even by celebrities.
Banda told Reuters he signed papers he could not understand, but government officials assured him that the agreement was similar to what he had with the orphanage -- to nurture and educate the boy but not take him away for good.
"I cannot read and write so I relied on what the (government) officials told me that the papers said Madonna would look after the child the way the orphanage planned to educate him and then he comes back to me," Banda said.
Asked if he had any copies of the agreements he signed with Madonna, Banda said: "I am still waiting to get my copies."
He said the copies were still in the hands of the government officials who mediated the agreement. Banda said he would wait to see them before deciding what action to take after consultations with his mother and other family members.
Neither government officials nor Madonna's spokeswoman in London were immediately available for comment.
MOTHER DIED OF MALARIA
Banda said he gave the boy to the orphanage mainly for medical care and breast-feeding after the boy's mother died of malaria days after giving birth to him.
"We sent this child to an orphanage because at one month we could not look after him, we did not have a health center nearby and the orphanage was the ideal place for him," he said.
The American singer, who is married to British film director Guy Ritchie, hopes to make David a brother to her 10-year-old daughter Lourdes and son, Rocco, who is six. She has denied cutting corners to speed the adoption process.
David will stay abroad with Madonna for 18 months and be monitored by Malawi officials before final approval can be given for him to officially join her family.
Banda said people did not give him a chance to explain his position better because the media was only interested in knowing about David and Madonna.
"What we agreed with Madonna was that she looks after my child until he finishes school, becomes independent and comes back home to us," Banda said. Reuters
Father says had no idea Madonna adopting son
LIPUNGA, Malawi (Reuters) - The father of the Malawian boy Madonna plans to adopt added a fresh twist to the saga, saying he never intended his son to be adopted by the pop diva, but only for her to raise the child on his behalf.
if In an interview with Reuters Television in his home village of Lipunga on Saturday, Yohane Banda said Madonna asked that she be able to raise his one-year-old son on his behalf, rather than that the child should become her own.
Banda's statement is a major shift from his earlier remarks last week when he railed against human rights groups that have gone to court to stop Madonna from adopting his son David.
"Had they told us that Madonna wanted to adopt my son and make him her own son, we would not have agreed to that," Banda said in his local language of Chichewa.
"It would have been better for him to continue staying at the orphanage because I see no reason why my child should be given away forever when I can feed him," he said, speaking at his village of Lipunga near the Zambia border late on Saturday.
Madonna, 48, has angered rights groups with her plan to adopt young David Banda, who left his native country on Tuesday last week for the entertainer's home in London after she was granted temporary adoption rights by Malawi authorities.
The High Court in Lilongwe will on Friday start hearing the case lodged by the Human Rights Consultative Committee (HRCC), an alliance of 67 human rights groups, which argues current Malawi laws forbid international adoption, even by celebrities.
Banda told Reuters he signed papers he could not understand, but government officials assured him that the agreement was similar to what he had with the orphanage -- to nurture and educate the boy but not take him away for good.
"I cannot read and write so I relied on what the (government) officials told me that the papers said Madonna would look after the child the way the orphanage planned to educate him and then he comes back to me," Banda said.
Asked if he had any copies of the agreements he signed with Madonna, Banda said: "I am still waiting to get my copies."
He said the copies were still in the hands of the government officials who mediated the agreement. Banda said he would wait to see them before deciding what action to take after consultations with his mother and other family members.
Neither government officials nor Madonna's spokeswoman in London were immediately available for comment.
MOTHER DIED OF MALARIA
Banda said he gave the boy to the orphanage mainly for medical care and breast-feeding after the boy's mother died of malaria days after giving birth to him.
"We sent this child to an orphanage because at one month we could not look after him, we did not have a health center nearby and the orphanage was the ideal place for him," he said.
The American singer, who is married to British film director Guy Ritchie, hopes to make David a brother to her 10-year-old daughter Lourdes and son, Rocco, who is six. She has denied cutting corners to speed the adoption process.
David will stay abroad with Madonna for 18 months and be monitored by Malawi officials before final approval can be given for him to officially join her family.
Banda said people did not give him a chance to explain his position better because the media was only interested in knowing about David and Madonna.
"What we agreed with Madonna was that she looks after my child until he finishes school, becomes independent and comes back home to us," Banda said. Reuters
Mark your calendars now. Call your bosses and tell them you're taking the day off. It was just announced that Madonna will appear on Oprah This week to discuss all the adopted baby hoopla!Tune in Wednesday to find out what Madge has to say about the adoption and the subsequent backlash she faced by the media.
I don't understand why she chose to adopt from Malawi (maybe for the attention it would bring to orphans there)??? Why not adopt from Ethiopia where it's commonly done? I don't think Angelina had a "quicky" adoption. I've actually checked in to the Ethiopian program awhile back and it relatively quick compared to some countries.
As for her not adopting the Russian boy, no one will ever know what happened. I read it wasn't able to happen because she was a single woman. Every country has their own set of rules for potential adoptive parents.
I commend her for adopting her children.
In Madonna's case it is a little odd that she was able to bond w/ the child beforehand. Usually, after approval, the prospective parents get a photo and either have the child escorted home or travel to get them. You don't actually get to "pick" your child, just what age range and in some countries gender. Who knows....
Any child adopted and taken out of poverty is a good thing in my book.
As for her not adopting the Russian boy, no one will ever know what happened. I read it wasn't able to happen because she was a single woman. Every country has their own set of rules for potential adoptive parents.
I commend her for adopting her children.
In Madonna's case it is a little odd that she was able to bond w/ the child beforehand. Usually, after approval, the prospective parents get a photo and either have the child escorted home or travel to get them. You don't actually get to "pick" your child, just what age range and in some countries gender. Who knows....
Any child adopted and taken out of poverty is a good thing in my book.
The dad says he thought he was just letting somebody raise the kid and then would get him back? Uh, okay! I bet lots of parents wish for that every now and then 
Father: I didn't want Madonna adoption - CNN.com
Madonna kidnaps babies - The Superficial - www.thesuperficial.com
that site said:
Father: I didn't want Madonna adoption - CNN.com
Madonna kidnaps babies - The Superficial - www.thesuperficial.com
