China Ends Foreign Adoption Program After 30 Years

China has officially ended its international adoption program, a policy shift that has left hundreds of American families in limbo. The new rules, announced by Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning, restrict adoptions to cases where foreigners are adopting children or stepchildren of blood relatives in China. This decision aligns with China's efforts to address its declining birth rates and demographic challenges. The international adoption program, initiated in the 1990s, allowed tens of thousands of Chinese children, mostly girls, to be adopted by foreign families, with the U.S. being the largest recipient. The U.S. State Department is seeking clarification from Beijing on how this policy will impact pending adoption cases. This move marks a significant end to a system that helped alleviate the burdens of China's former one-child policy.