( CNN ) -- The images of Haitian children crying or injured or wandering the streets alone are heartbreaking . It 's no surprise there has been a flood of well-intentioned people who want to adopt those children . But that 's not always the best immediate move , aid groups caution . Save the Children Chief Executive Jasmine Whitbread said the `` vast majority '' of children on their own in Haiti are not orphans , but were simply separated from their families in the chaos . Their family members may still be alive , she said , and `` will be desperate to be reunited with them . '' `` Taking children out of the country would permanently separate thousands of children from their families -- a separation that would compound the acute trauma they are already suffering and inflict long-term damage on their chances of recovery , '' Whitbread said . Hurriedly whisking unclassified children out of Haiti will not ensure the children are happy or safe in the long-term , experts said . Homes and potential parents must be reviewed by professional social workers and it 's logistically impossible to do that in a short time . Allowing adoptions to proceed without thorough background checks can lead to child trafficking and other crimes . The United Nations Children 's Fund , or UNICEF , does not facilitate adoptions , but it has been bombarded with calls from people who want a Haitian orphan , said Christopher de Bono , a UNICEF spokesman . In 2007 , UNICEF estimated that there were 380,000 orphans in Haiti , but de Bono said Thursday that he 'd `` hate to vouch for that figure '' because that number -- any number -- is impossible to verify . Between Haiti 's `` lousy [ child welfare ] oversight system , '' and all the challenges that Haitians have endured , it 's not uncommon for Haitian parents to put their children in orphanages temporarily , de Bono said . This means knowing who is truly an orphan and who is n't requires great attention to detail and documents . `` Removing children who 've just experienced a disaster from their environment , from where they 're from is not necessarily good for them , '' he said . Haitian children must first be fed , sheltered , clothed and given medical attention ; the next step is to register them and trace their relatives . Diana Boni , who works with Port-au-Prince 's BRESMA orphanage , is firmly against new adoptions out of Haiti . `` Under no circumstances should we evacuate any child newly orphaned or displaced , '' she wrote in an e-mail to CNN . `` Imagine losing much of your family , only to discover that a surviving relative had been whisked off to the States to be adopted by strangers without your knowledge or consent ! Adoptions without consent are child trafficking . Pure and simple . '' Full coverage | Latest news updates | Twitter updates . She has been taking care of children who waited for years in the orphanage to be adopted . `` It 's a bit sad , as I have several wonderful children who waited literally for years for new families , and no one ever came , '' she said . The disaster in Haiti has led to an outpouring of support around the world , with the United States alone donating more than $ 305 million as of Wednesday , according to the Chronicle of Philanthropy , a newspaper covering nonprofit organizations . List of missing , found | Are you there ? | Impact Your World . Because Haiti 's poverty already made it `` extremely vulnerable '' to exploitation and abuse , rushed adoptions could open the door to traffickers , said World Vision Chief Executive Justin Byworth . `` We are concerned not only about premature overseas adoption but also about children increasingly being sent unaccompanied to the Dominican Republic , '' he said . Aid groups said adoptions that were already in progress before the January 12 earthquake should go ahead , as long as the right legal documents are in place and they meet Haitian and international law . For those who want to help Haitian children , Whitbread said , they should donate to aid agencies that are working on reuniting children with their families . The International Committee of the Red Cross has opened an office at the headquarters of the Haitian Red Cross in Crois de Prez to help people locate their relatives , said Pete Garratt , a disaster response manager at the British Red Cross . The Red Cross also has set up a Web site to help people searching for relatives , he said . CNN 's Jessica Ravitz contributed to this report .
Experts : - The first thing to do is to check the water level in your tank. Aid groups say focus should be on reuniting kids with relatives . Reports on plight of children in Haiti has led many to ask about adoptions .