Mama Madge mad for Malawi

Did she or didn’t she? After a week of tabloid speculation, Madonna has indeed become the latest Hollywood celeb to adopt abroad. A judge in Malawi approved Madonna’s application for adoption of a motherless one-year old boy named David. Although Malawi law does not allow for inter-country adoptions, and generally requires people who want to adopt to spend 18 months being evaluated by Malawian child welfare workers, officials waived these restrictions for the pop star, who is worth an estimated $460 million.

But as with Angelina Jolie when she adopted her son Maddox from Cambodia, did a poor country toss aside its standard operating procedures in the face of fame and fortune? Whether you think overseas Hollywood adoptions are admirable or a PR stunt (or both), the trend raises serious concerns about identity issues associated with international adoptions and international adoption laws and standards., It seems status and wealth shouldn’t provide evidence of parental capabilities, the suitability of which should be scrutinized regardless of who is adopting where.

Nonetheless, there’s no denying an upside. Her charity, Raising Malawi, is setting up an orphan care center that will also have projects based on Kabbalah. Material girl’s all grown up.