International Adoption, 10 Things to Know

May 8th, 2011

International adoption, or adopting children from other countries, is becoming more and more acceptable today. This process of international adoption is now so specialized and the laws governing international adoptions so complex, it’s vital to work with a Hague Certified adoption agency. There are many concerns someone wanting to participate in an international adoption should know. Below are 10 important topics that should be understood before beginning the international adoption process.

Why do you want an international adoption? Before you embark on the road to an international adoption, you might want to take a close and honest look at yourself. Why are you choosing an international adoption vs. a U.S. adoption? Are you financially and emotionally prepared to meet the unique and challenging needs of this new internationally adoption child? Are you willing to give up much of your freedom and some of your work to ensure your international adoption is a positive and good experience for both you and the child? Are you ready to meet the challenges of racial comments, unkind children, and their unkind parents? How are your present children and extended family going to react to a new international adoption?
Your international adoption agency should provide training both before the adoption and after the international adoption. Adoptions from other countries are specialized according to country and while in the U.S. there is only one set of rules to know, it is vital that the international adoption agency works with you to by training you before the adoption about the culture, mores and challenges you will have by adopting a child from a different country. It’s not just the food, but a whole cluster of changes and ideas you will have to deal with. Once, you have been to the country, finalized your international adoption and returned home, you will still have significant challenges and struggles and a caring adoption agency will help you deal with these differences.
What’s the time frame for an international adoption? Don’t let anyone fool you. You can’t have an international adoption finalized overnight, or even in a month. There are legal documents to file, passports to get, visas, the legal adoption process in the country and a variety of other items to consider and solve before the international adoption can be finalized. An ethical adoption agency will help you understand all of these challenges and help you through the process.
What countries allow international adoptions? International adoptions can occur from many countries, from China to Russia to Guatemala, to India, Colombia and Haiti. There are concerns and challenges with each of these countries, some allow adoptions for a short time, and then close them. Some have strict rules while others are difficult to work with. A good international adoption agency will help you swim in these specialized waters.
Should I use an international adoption agency? Yes. A Hague Certified adoption agency will know the international adoption rules and help keep you out of trouble. Sometimes adoption lawyers are not aware of concerns or an individual trying to go through the adoption process without help may find they’ve been taken for a ride. It is also important to ask if your international adoption agency has visited the country where the international adoption is taking place. It is very important that someone in the agency know first hand the challenges you will run into in another country.
When is the international adoption finalized? International adoptions are finalized in the country where the child is being picked up. Because adoptions are finalized in the country from which the child is being adopted, it is vital that your adoption agency help you ensure that child is approved for emigration status with the U.S. You don’t want to end up with a child that can not come into the U.S.
Will the information I get from the country of origin in an international adoption be accurate and complete? Not usually. Internationally adopted children are often from an orphanage and there is very little medical or family information available. Sometimes the parents have died or the child has just been dropped off with no medical record at all.
Are adopted children at par mentally and physically with children adopted in the U.S.? There is a good possibility the internationally adopted child will have some types of development or physical growth concerns. Many of these children will need some good quality “catch up” opportunities to achieve par with children from the U.S. who have not spent part of their life in an orphanage. According to studies many of internationally adopted children had weights less than 97% of their peers. The good news is that these same children seem to catch up quickly given loving care.
Will my internationally adopted child have health concerns? Possibly. If there is some medical information, that information will be written in the language from the country where the adoption is taking place and most U.S. pediatricians may not know the terms or be able to translate the records. Some of the orphanage children might have undisclosed infections or illnesses.
How do I choose an international adoption agency? Carefully. Get a list of the Hague Certified adoption agencies and choose those in your area. Call around and ask questions: Has anyone on staff been to the Country where the international adoption will take place? What type of before adoption training and after adoption training does the adoption agency offer? How long have adoption agency been handling international adoptions? Is the adoption agency a non-profit or not-for-profit agency or are they a corporation? Why should you choose them? After you’ve talked to three or four adoption agencies, see if you need to talk with more, or if you want to interview one or two of the international adoption agencies further. Then set up a personal meeting. If you don’t feel comfortable, choose another international adoption agency.

International adoptions can be a better experience if you’ve followed the above 10 ideas. Hopefully this article will provide you with important information to help you in your adoption process.

As the Grandmother of two adopted children and the owner of Brent & Susan Holmes Materials LLC I have been writing, editing, training, designing and working for various business firms and news agencies for the last 32 years. I have written thousands of articles, developed corporate newspapers and newsletters, designed media kits, public relations focus to achieve success. In addition to writing for various companies, I served in local government as a City Councilmember and presently serve as the Board Chair of a .9 million Sewer District. I can be reached at http://susantannerholmes.com/

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