International adoption is so
exciting! Not only will you adopt a child, but you’ll open your family to a
whole new culture!
There are so many adoption agencies and so
many countries to choose from that international adoption can seem hopelessly
overwhelming. But, if you know a few secrets, you will be able to master the
process in no time at all.
Unlike domestic adoption where you
tend to work with agencies and adoption professionals in your geographic area, many
people choose an adoption agency that is halfway (or more) across the country
from them because that adoption agency has the program they are looking for.
You see, an
adoption agency can only help you adopt in a country where it has established
an adoption program, i.e., a formal arrangement with the government or with
orphanages that will refer children to them for placement. Some agencies focus
on one country only, such as China.
Some of the oldest and largest agencies may have programs in ten different
countries. Each of those countries will
have eligibility requirements and individual adoption agencies may have eligibility
requirements as well, such as being a member of a particular religious group.
You need to find an agency that you
like and that has a program in a country that you are interested in adopting
from and whose requirements you can meet. For mathematical types, it’s a bit
like solving simultaneous equations. Here’s how you do it.
The best and easiest way to sort
out adoption agencies, countries and requirements is to purchase a copy of the Report
on Intercountry Adoption, available from the Adoption Resource Center of
Connecticut, http://www.arcct.org/resources/report.html
This comprehensive report lists every country in the world
that allows U.S.
citizens to adopt their children along with all of that country’s specific
eligibility requirements, special documentation necessary, travel required,
range of costs, political stability or
