I have not personally gone through the experience of the International adoption process therefore the information I have compiled is made up of resources available on the Internet that I have found. Please feel free to make a comment if you find any of the information that is provided to be inaccurate.
International or Inter-country adoption emerged soon after the Korean War when a number of Korean born or Asian American babies were born who needed homes and families. In 2002, 20,000 children were adopted from other countries. Many countries participate in International Adoption with America. These include Asian countries, Eastern Europe, and Latin America. Countries that Americans are not eligible to adopt from are Australia, Western Europe, and Canada.
Like Domestic Adoption and State/Foster Care Adoption there are advantages and disadvantages to adopting a child Internationally. As I mentioned in my previous post one person’s advantage may be seen as a disadvantage to someone else.
·Waiting time for International Adoption varies as it does for Domestic Adoption. But you can pretty much be guaranteed that it will take at least a year to eighteen months.
·Costs vary with couples spending anywhere from $10,000 – $40,000. Some of the costs are due to traveling to other countries for prolonged periods of time, although some countries do not require travel.
·They are many, many children who need homes. Once you have passed the Home Study process you are pretty much guaranteed a child. Also, there is little required of an prospective adoptive parent. So those who are gay, single, or an older couple, or those who already have children may have a better option to adopt Internationally rather than domestically.
·You will not be getting a newborn. Due to governing laws in other countries children must go to an orphanage before they can be placed for adoption. Therefore, the youngest you may be able to adopt is a three to four month old infant, but in many cases, children will be closer to one or two.
·You are able to choose the sex, age, culture of the child you would like to adopt, and sometimes the child.
·You will not meet the birthparents. Which will mean that you do not have to worry about the birthmother changing her mind.
·It is difficult to obtain medical records or a medical history of the birthparents. You should be able to obtain a medical history for the child though.
·Since the children are placed in orphanages there could be some concern about institutionalized disabilities. Some children may be malnourished or have attachment and bonding difficulties. However, most of the time with love and proper care the children will prosper with little or no problems later in life.
·Since you are adopting from another country you will be building a cross-cultural family. It will be the parents’ responsibility to teach and let the child learn about his culture and background and even integrate it into the family. This can be very exciting for some families who look forward to learning about another country and culture and then are willing to embrace and respect their child’s cultural differences.
Again, please feel free to write a comment if I have left out anything or you would like to add any additional information that you feel will be helpful for others who are planning to adopt Internationally.
For more information on International adoption you please refer to Adoption.com, AdoptiveFamiles.com and Internationaladoption.org.