Just a couple follow-up notes on the “Chinese Adoption, the Jinjiang Orphanage, and the One-Child Policy” story:

• I heard from another parent whose adopted child was cared for in this orphanage, and–I’m sharing this just to provide an even broader view of these children’s stories–this youngster was born in need of medical attention that the parents couldn’t afford and was therefore left with “a heartbreaking letter” explaining that they hoped the government could provide the child with the care she needed. They did, and she’s now a healthy 4 1/2 year old in the USA.
• Earlier I commented that “It’s not easy to hide an ‘unauthorized pregnancy’ to term in China, and some of these young women probably went to great lengths with some personal risk to carry their pregnancies to term, and then they or probably some close relative left their children somewhere they were sure to be found safely.” It may be easier, I gleaned in a conversation with another townsperson, if the expectant mother is the daughter or other close relative of someone in a position of power or authority. Now, I’m not saying that any of these adopted girls are biological granchildren of the town’s mayor or province’s governor or anything like that…but I am saying that there may be some “unauthorized pregnancies” that have an easier time of going to term because of who the family is. I don’t have details or names or numbers–and wouldn’t share them if I did–but there it is: word on the street is, it happens.