The author, a volunteer at an adoption center in South Korea, reflects on the emotional experience of caring for infants waiting for adoption. She notes that after a year, the chances of adoption for children decrease significantly, leading to growing concerns as babies remain in care longer than expected. Since transitioning to a public adoption system in July of last year, the process has slowed dramatically, with some children remaining in temporary care for over a year without being matched with adoptive parents.

Previously, the adoption process was quicker because it was managed primarily by the private sector, allowing for simultaneous steps in protection, assessment, and matching. However, the new public adoption system, aimed at addressing past human rights violations and record-keeping issues associated with overseas adoptions, has introduced a sequential process that includes multiple administrative steps: local government protection decisions, parental consent confirmations, court reviews, and assessments of adoptive parents’ suitability. This extended timeline keeps children in a state of limbo, delaying their placement despite the number of families willing to adopt exceeding the number of children available for adoption significantly.

Currently, more than 270 children are waiting for adoptive parents, while over 540 families are ready to adopt, yet no children have been successfully adopted since the implementation of the new system. This stark discrepancy highlights a systemic bottleneck resulting from administrative delays and procedural changes, ultimately prolonging the wait and jeopardizing the welfare of vulnerable infants, as they grow and develop in the care system instead of within a loving family. The author calls for reevaluation and improvement of the public adoption system to better serve children in need.