I find it hard to believe celebrities who go overseas to meet their charity quota and come back sporting these new “accessories” have the right intentions in mind. That’s celebrities, though — they have the money, they have the connections. With this powerful duo, celebs are able to adopt a child from just about any country that would be virtually unattainable to us normal folk.

When I think about us lowly mortals, however, and how often we tend to follow those trends set by celebrities, I wonder about this rise in international adoption.

Since 2002, (incidentally, the year Angelina Jolie adopted her son Maddox from Cambodia), international adoptions have been on the rise. According to the U.S. Department of State, the world total for immigrant visas issued to orphans coming to the U.S. jumped from 20,099 to 22,728 from 2002-05.

It seems more and more people are becoming inspired by this new “fad” taking the celebrity world by storm. What people don’t realize, though, is the outstanding costs and lengthy processes involved in international adoption. If you adopt a baby in America, it’s going to fall somewhere between $15,000-$25,000, according to American adoptions. However, to adopt a baby from China, Guatemala or Russia (currently the top three locations for international adoptions) the cost is anywhere between $20,000-$40,000. Not exactly pocket change — unless you’re a celebrity.

There is the common misconception that international adoption has a shorter waiting time than domestic adoption. Well, brace yourselves: While American adoptions vary between a waiting time of 1-18 months, an adoption from China could take anywhere from 10-12 months, at least. Don’t forget about those pesky legal hurdles that are sure to slow down the process tremendously.

To those of you who currently keep up with your celebrity gossip, it’s no secret how these icons are subject to special treatment. For someone who is famous, and has a million dollar paycheck, adopting overseas is like going to Meijer and selecting a new, exotic kind of fruit. It doesn’t take that long to purchase, and bringing it home is equally as undemanding.

Now, don’t get me wrong — I’m all for people learning to accept different cultures and bringing these children into their homes. As an adopted person, I believe adoption is an excellent and beneficial option for those who want to ensure their babies will lead happy, healthy lives. There also are less children available for adoption in the United States than other countries, and the vast majority of children overseas need help to survive. By bringing one of these children to America, they are given a greater chance of survival.

However, there is a significant difference between adopting a child from a foreign country in order to help its well-being versus adopting a child from a foreign country because it’s trendy. So celebrities, and anyone else thinking international adoption is “in” right now, listen up: No matter how well you think that Russian baby matches your new Kate Spade bag, or how much you think that with bringing home that precious Ethiopian child you’ve done your good deed for the year, babies are human beings — not accessories.

Crystal O’Reilly is a State News staff writer. Reach her at oreillyc@msu.edu.