There is usually another wait
before you receive word about when your child will be available to you.
If you
will travel to the country, you will need to make work and other arrangements
ahead of time because you may be given very little notice that you need to
travel. (Sue and her husband were given ten days’ notice that they had to be in
Hanoi, Vietnam.
Sue had already committed to be in Peru
on a work assignment for five of those ten days and two days were spent
traveling so they had effectively three days to prepare.)
Your agency will help
you find the best travel arrangements, recommend what to pack, etc. It’s also a
good time to check online forums for people who have just returned from those
countries to see what they recommend. For example, in early international
adoption days, people brought over umbrella strollers but now, strollers can be
purchased in most international airports so most people buy them when they get
to their destination instead.
If your child will be escorted home
to you (Korea,
for example, uses escorts), you will learn about the time and place of landing,
which should be at an airport near you. You will need to decide if you want to
be at the airport alone, just your family, to greet your new child peacefully
and privately. Or, invite your friends and relatives to come and make it a
celebration. Either way, it will be wonderful.
In order for your international
adoption to qualify for the federal tax credit, you will have to finalize the
adoption in the United States.
This means re-adopting in a U.S.
court. Your agency will help you find an attorney and go through the process.
