International Adoption

Each year the United States welcomes more children into homes through intercountry adoption than any other nation. Last year alone, Americans adopted nearly 20,000 children from other countries.

Should you decide to adopt internationally, it is in your best interest and that of your future child to learn the adoption procedures both in the United States and abroad. You will be handling much of the paperwork in cooperation with your U.S. social worker and your international agency or attorney. Your function is that of expediter. Endless delays can be avoided if you take responsibility for the paperwork shuffle; always know who has your papers, why they have them, and what happens next. While most adoption agencies, here and abroad, have years of experience in handling foreign adoptions, a few foreign adoption sources cited in the Compendium are not yet familiar with foreign adoptions; in fact, the same is true for some of the private and public agencies in the United States. And yet, some of them may be involved in processing your paperwork. The more you know about the process, the more likely it is that your experience will go smoothly.

One of the best ways to become familiar with the adoption process itself and to understand the issues facing both the parents and children of international adoption is to attend orientations or educational seminars. These are typically sponsored by private, licensed adoption agencies to provide potential adopters with information on how the home study is conducted and to give an overview of the U.S. immigration and foreign adoption process. Adoptive parent support groups may also sponsor seminars and usually invite all of the adoption agencies to participate. At seminars for international adoption, adoptive parents usually bring their children and speak about their experiences. Prospective adoptive parents find out about seminars by word of mouth, by keeping in contact with local agencies, and through public service announcements on television, radio, and newspapers. Attend as many seminars as possible before selecting an agency. Information more specific to you and your personal situation may require an individual consultation. International adoption professionals with degrees in social work or human development can give you the attention you need to make an informed decision.