What to Ask

Choosing an International Adoption Agency

Once you have gathered information on the agency or agencies you are interested in contacting, you may wish to prepare a list of questions for each one. That done, you can ask the questions not covered in the literature by phone, e-mail, or in person. Since some agencies work with several different countries, the answers to questions regarding requirements, waits, and fees may differ according to country. In addition, each agency should be able to provide you with names and telephone numbers of post-adoptive par­ents who enjoy discussing their adoption experiences.

What follows is a sample of some helpful questions for evaluating an international adoption agency.

After the regulations for U.S. agency accreditation have been issued for compliance with the Hague Convention, all U.S. agencies who want to work in intercountry adop­tion must apply for such accreditation. After the United States ratifies the Hague Convention, only accredited agencies will be allowed to continue to place orphans internationally.

International Agency Administration

Q: Is your agency licensed and nonprofit? Which government body licenses you?

Q: Who directs the agency - human service professionals, business administra­tors, or lawyers?

Q: How many years have you been placing children?

Q: May I have a copy of your contract for adoptive parents?

Q: Who helps me prepare a dossier of documents for the child-placing authori­ties?

Q: What types of preparation, education and support services do you provide before, during and after the placement of a child?

Q: Are you licensed, approved or accredited by the foreign governments in countries where you have programs? In which countries is this necessary?

Q: Do you have bilingual staff abroad to obtain the referral of a child and to assist the adoptive parents while they are there?

Q: May I have names of people who have recently adopted from (country)?

Placement Procedures

Q: How many children did you place last year?

Q: What are the ages and nationalities of the children you place?

Q: What is their general state of health?

Requirements for Adoptive Parents

Q: What are your requirements for adoptive parents, relating to age, income, religion, marital status, living arrangements, length of marriage, divorce, state of health, or records of a legal misdemeanor?

Q: What is your policy regarding single applicants?

Q: Which countries do you think might accept my application?

The Referral of a Child

Q: After my dossier is completed, how long is the wait for a girl/boy of ____ years of age from ____________ (country)?

Q: How will a child be assigned to me?

a. Will I get a referral with written information and a video?

b. Will I get the suggestion of a referral without written information?

c. Will I be sent an invitation to select a child abroad?

Q: What happens if I don’t feel I can accept a. or b.?

Q: Once I accept a referral, how long will it be until I can travel to ______ (country) to adopt and immigrate the child? Will that be one trip or two?

Q. Will orphanage professionals describe the health, schedule, and behavior of the child to me?

Q: How long will I need to stay abroad?

Q. If I choose a country where the child will be escorted, how long does it take for the child to be brought to me?

Q: What happens if the child becomes too ill to be adopted before or during my stay?

Q. What happens if I decide I don’t wish to adopt that particular child?

Q: What happens if we can’t adjust to this new child?

Q: What arrangements will your agency make if the child doesn’t like us?

Expenses

Q: What is the total cost for an adoption from ______ (country)?