The Child Catchers

The Child Catchers examines the evangelical adoption movement and its impact on international adoption practices. Through research and interviews, Kathryn Joyce investigates how religious ideology has shaped adoption policies and programs worldwide. The book tracks the rise of adoption as a mission within evangelical Christian communities and documents cases across multiple countries including Ethiopia, Rwanda, and Haiti. Joyce explores the complex motivations behind faith-based adoption initiatives and their effects on birth families, adoptive families, and the children themselves. Records and firsthand accounts illuminate the intersection of religion, politics, and adoption markets. The work follows both individual stories and broader systemic issues in child welfare and international relations. The book raises fundamental questions about child welfare, cultural preservation, and the line between humanitarian aid and exploitation. Through its investigation of adoption practices, the work examines deeper themes of power, privilege, and the unintended consequences of good intentions.

Readers describe this as an investigative expose of problematic adoption practices, particularly within evangelical Christian communities. Many reviewers note the extensive research and documentation of adoption agency practices, financial arrangements, and first-hand accounts from birth families. Positive reviews highlight: - Clear presentation of complex adoption industry networks - Balanced inclusion of multiple perspectives - Detailed examination of religious motivations in international adoption Critical reviews mention: - Perceived anti-Christian bias - Focus on negative cases rather than successful adoptions - Limited coverage of domestic adoption issues Review Scores: Goodreads: 3.95/5 (1,100+ ratings) Amazon: 4.3/5 (140+ ratings) Sample reader comment: "Opens your eyes to the money and manipulation behind some international adoptions, though it sometimes paints with too broad a brush" - Goodreads reviewer Several adoption professionals and activists cite the book as documentation of systemic issues, while some adoptive parents dispute the representativeness of the cases described.

The Primal Wound by Nancy Verrier This examination of adoption trauma explores the psychological impact on adoptees who were separated from their birth mothers.

Finding Fernanda by Erin Siegal An investigation into adoption fraud exposes child trafficking networks between Guatemala and the United States through American adoption agencies.

The Girls Who Went Away by Ann Fessler Oral histories from women who surrendered their babies for adoption between 1945 and 1973 reveal the social pressures and cultural dynamics of forced adoption in America.

Shattered Bonds by Dorothy Roberts A study of the child welfare system demonstrates how racial inequities affect family separation and foster care placement decisions.

The Baby Thief by Barbara Bisantz Raymond The true story of Georgia Tann's Tennessee Children's Home Society chronicles how she built an adoption empire through kidnapping and trafficking children.

🔹 While researching this book, Kathryn Joyce traveled to Ethiopia, where she witnessed firsthand how some adoption agencies were essentially recruiting children who had families rather than helping true orphans. 🔹 The book reveals that evangelical Christians account for only 7% of the U.S. population but adopt more than 50% of the children in the private domestic adoption system. 🔹 The title "The Child Catchers" references historical "baby snatchers" who would kidnap children in Britain and send them to Australia and other colonies, a practice the author draws parallels to in modern adoption systems. 🔹 The research exposed how some adoption agencies charged up to $28,000 to process a single international adoption, despite claiming to be non-profit organizations. 🔹 Following the 2010 Haiti earthquake, the book documents how some American church groups attempted to remove children from the country without proper documentation, highlighting the complex ethics of disaster-zone adoptions.