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International vs Domestic Adoption

We have friends that are in China adopting a beautiful baby girl right now. The journey for them to adopt a baby from China started over five years ago. They knew since they got married that they wanted to adopt a baby girl from China they just did not realize how long the process would take. When you do an international adoption there are rules and guidelines that the country of origin requires for international adoption. It does not happen as fast as you see when some famous celebrity goes to a country and comes right home with a baby. … Continue reading →

Book Review: International Adoption: Sensitive Advice for Prospective Parents

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International Adoption: Sensitive Advice for Prospective Parents is a collaboration between Jean Knoll and Mary-Kate Murphy. Jean Knoll kept a journal throughout the process which led through two failed referrals, two adoption agencies and three countries to the eventual adoption of her daughter Jessie in Peru. Katie Murphy met her briefly in Peru just before returning to the U.S. with her own Peruvian daughter. Murphy writes commentary chapters giving some of the background of international adoption. These appear in between segments of Knoll’s journal. Knoll adopted as a single parent; Murphy has a husband and a biological son. There is … Continue reading →

International Adoption Options for Single Men

Just as there are women out there who’ve never found their partner but have always wanted a child, there are men in that position also. However, different countries have different criteria for adoptive parents, and most countries either do not allow singles to adopt or allow only single women to do so. Single men can usually adopt from the U.S. child welfare system, probably the most common option for single men. International adoption opportunity are fewer: China, one of the two countries having the largest numbers of children adopted by U.S. parents, used to permit single parents to adopt (including … Continue reading →

Prospective Parents Health: Possible Impacts on International Adoption

My last blog began to address a reader’s questions about whether health conditions would disqualify someone from adopting. In that blog I talked about possible impacts on domestic infant adoption and adoption from state foster care. This blog will talk about possible impacts a health condition could have in pursuing international adoption. For international adoption, someone with a serious health issue may very well be disqualified by certain countries. Other countries can set their own standards on who is eligible to adopt. They often do not have the same anti-discrimination laws we do. Various countries have set conditions that their … Continue reading →

Will Changing Attitudes Toward Disabilities Affect the Future of International Adoption in China?

My last blog featured another profile of an elite athlete who was adopted—Jessica Tatiana Long, who was adopted from a Russian orphanage at 13 months of age, and had her legs amputated below the knee when she was 18 months old. She competed last week in The Paralympic Games in Beijing. These Games have brought changes to China, in both infrastructure and attitudes toward the disabled. Last May I wrote a blog about Chinese people applying to adopt earthquake orphans. This also represented a big change. Traditional beliefs in many parts of China included the importance of a pure bloodline, … Continue reading →

Lest We Forget: U.S. Troops and Families were Pioneers of International Adoption

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As we remember our servicemen and women, past and present, on this Memorial Day, it is worth noting how much the landscape of adoption in America was changed by servicemen and women. U.S. soldiers fighting in Europe, participating in the post-war occupations of Germany and Japan, and later serving in Korea, Vietnam and other Asian countries helped to familiarize their families back home with the needs of the many orphans they encountered. Although some of the armed services discouraged their personnel from adopting during their service, there are several stories about units informally taking on the cause of one or … Continue reading →

Adoption Books with Beautiful Art: Over Land and Sea: a Story of International Adoption

Books showing children of color are becoming more common, but books showing multiracial families are still relatively rare. So books that show multiracial adoptive families with gorgeous artwork, while giving a sensitive and accurate portrayal of adoption, are a real find. Many families will find themselves reflected in Over Land and Sea: a Story of International Adoption. This book is one of my new “absolutely favorite things”. This book is one of my new “absolutely favorite things”, largely because of its stunning artwork. Author Steven Layne is a father of three children who were internationally adopted. The simple story—“hey, I … Continue reading →

Pioneers in International Adoption

My last blog honored a few “saints” in U.S. adoption. This blog will focus on a few heroes in international adoption. Pearl Buck, an American who lived in China with her missionary parents and then her agricultural scientist husband, is known for her book The Good Earth. She had one child, then adopted seven. She also was shocked to discover in 1949 that existing agencies considered Asian and multiracial children unadoptable. She founded Welcome House adoption agency to serve these children. The first international and interracial adoption agency, Welcome House still exists today, now working with children from several countries, … Continue reading →

International Adoption Programs Open to Single Parents

As I mentioned in my last blogs, U.S. adoptions are open to single men and single women. In international adoption, two of the more well-known countries with adoption programs welcoming single parents have had big changes in their adoption programs recently. China has announced that it will no longer be open to single parents. Guatemalan adoptions are in flux as we wait to see whether Guatemala will comply with the Hague Convention on International Adoption. If it does not, adoptions to the U.S. (a signee of the Hague document) will cease. Although there is hope that adoptions currently in progress … Continue reading →

Books on International Adoption for Adults

I recently published a blog on books for adults on adoption from Korea and China. This followed a series of blogs presenting children’s books on adoption, from various countries and domestically. This blog presents books which deal with adopting from Eastern Europe, Africa, Vietnam and Latin America, as well as many books dealing with international adoption in general. Books on Adoption from Eastern Europe: Russian Adoption Handbook: How to Adopt a Child from Russia, Ukraine and Kazakhstan Author: John H. Maclean Two Little Girls: A Memoir of Adoption Author: Theresa Reid The Russian Word for Snow Author: Janis Cooke Newman … Continue reading →