International adoption can seem overwhelming when you first start looking into it. You start asking questions and then you KNOW you’re in over your head. Yet, thousands of families are created or expanded through international adoption each year. If those people can do it, can’t you?
If you are considering international adoption, then congratulations! It is a wonderful and exciting way to grow your family. You probably have a lot of questions, though, and hopefully these posts will help you get started and help you decide if international adoption is for you.
What should you consider when you are making the decision to adopt internationally? There is certainly more to think about than could possibly be listed here. However, this can be a jumping off point. Consider these points as you make your decision:
What Age Child Do You Want To Adopt?
Are you determined to bring home your child within a few days after birth? You won’t be able to do that with an international adoption. Sometimes children are available at birth, but because of the paperwork and legal process required in an international adoption, you won’t bring your child home until several months after birth. After considering this, a lot of families realize that they are willing to adopt a child who is a little older. My husband and I decided that we would prefer to adopt a child who was under one year when he/she came home. We figured that babies grow up fast anyway and we wanted to give a home to a child who might not have one otherwise. I know other families that are comfortable with the idea of adopting a toddler or older child. Be honest with yourself about what you want. If you don’t feel comfortable bringing home a child who is not a newborn, then maybe you should go towards domestic infant adoption instead.
Paperwork
All adoptions involve paperwork, so get ready. However, international adoption seems to have the most paperwork. People told me that there would be a lot of paperwork, but I really had no idea! We literally spent two months doing paperwork. By that, I mean that we worked on paperwork almost every day. We had to hunt down certified originals of every single legal document. We were also required to get police reports, doctor’s reports, affidavits, power of attorney forms, etc. Once you have those forms, they usually have to be certified by your Secretary of State. Then, they have to be authenticated by the consulate of the country you have chosen. It is A LOT of work! By the time we were done with all of these forms (called your “dossier” in international adoption circles), we were exhausted. It was not an easy task. I don’t regret it, though. For us, it was worth it to bring our little guy home.
Can You Be Patient?
All adoptions involve patience and international adoption is no exception. Some things, like submitting your dossier, are under your control, but most of the process is not. Events will happen in your child’s birth country or glitches will happen in the legal process. It is maddening to know that you have no control over the process and that you have no specific timeline for when your child will come home. It is important to be sure that you prepare yourself for the delays and issues that will come up. Set up a support system of friends and family to support you and help you to keep things in perspective. Your child WILL come home and it IS worth the wait!
RachelW is the Families.com Blogger on Employment but is currently going through the process of an international adoption. You can read her regular blogs at: http://employment.families.com/blogs/