Families in Limbo as Cambodian Adoptions Blocked

Aug. 9 -- When actress Angelina Jolie and now-estranged husband Billy Bob Thornton adopted a beautiful little Cambodian boy, Maddox, in May their story brought new attention to the plight of Cambodian orphans.

But while these movie stars had no trouble bringing a needy child into their home, families who aren't in the media spotlight haven't been so lucky in their efforts to adopt Cambodian children.

Last October, Jeff and Karen Fleming had flown half way around the world and were bouncing down a long trail toward the orphanage to meet their new daughter.

These were days filled with pure joy. At this point, there wasn't the slightest hint of trouble. Isabel had been living in an orphanage outside Phnom Penh, Cambodia's capital, for more than a year. When they met Isabel, she was everything they had imagined — a bright, happy, 2 ½-year-old. The Flemings, however, had no idea that their dream of a happy family with Isabel was in jeopardy.

Greg and Kim Sferes had gone through a process similar to that of the Flemings. And that same day they had happily picked up their new daughter, Sorya.

Increasingly Popular Adoption Spot

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In the last few years, Cambodia has become one of the most popular places for American couples to adopt a baby. Warfare and political violence in the Southeast Asian nation have contributed to a surplus of infant orphans. Compared with the adoption process in the United States, the procedures to adopt a Cambodian child can be completed quickly. The paperwork to complete a Cambodian adoption can be done in as few as three months.

More than 400 American couples had adopted Cambodian children in 2001 without a hitch.

The Flemings and the Sfereses had expected their adoption effort to be similarly trouble-free. With their formal adoption decrees from the Cambodian government in hand, and temporary Cambodian passports for their babies, the couples expected to be in Cambodia for only a few days.

To their surprise, their troubles began when they arrived at the U.S. Embassy to request visas permitting their new children to enter the United States. What they thought was a mere formality became a nightmare.