Despite Madonna's obviously good intentions,her critics claimed that the Malawi government its own rules on adoption. Normally, prospective to stay in the country for 18 months while being evaluated before they are allowed to adopt. The law is meant to discourage foreign adoption.
When asked about this matter at the time, Madonna's spokesperson said in a statement, "Madonna and her husband's plan to adopt a child from Malawi has been in the works for several months. Being granted the adoption was the first step in the legal process to bring the baby to England