International Adoption Programs and Requirements

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International Adoption

Whether you have already decided to adopt internationally or are first exploring the possibility, the Web can give you an overview of the international adoption process and U.S. international adoption requirements. Online, you'll be able to research countries that have established international adoption programs, learn about the associated costs and how to select a reputable adoption agency, learn about potential issues facing children who have spent time in orphanages, find support groups in your area, and find current adoption-related news and publications.

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International Adoption Process

To complete an international adoption, United States citizens must fulfill the requirements of the ... read more »

International Adoption Programs and Requirements

You may not have an initial preference as to the country from which to adopt, and that's OK. Some countries make it significantly easier to adopt internationally than others, some have specific requirements for the adoptive parents (such as that they are married or earn a certain amount of money), and some may have children of one sex or age. Each of these factors can help you determine which country is right for your adoption needs.

Dulcinea's Insight

Choose a country with a legal, established adoption system. You don't want to lose time and money or suffer the heartache of an adoption stopped in the middle of the process.

Narrow your search. Use the Web to research adoption agencies. Find out the number of children an agency places and in which countries. This will give you a good sense of where Americans have successfully adopted.

Find out how long a particular country has had an adoption program and learn why the country has an adoption program. For example, China's one-child policy is one reason many girls are available for adoption there. In parts of Africa, many children are orphaned having lost family members to the AIDS epidemic.

Find out the sex and age range of available children in a particular country. Is this a match with your own interests?

Some countries require prospective adoptive parents to be married. If you are single, there are still countries from which you can adopt. You can use the Web to locate agencies that work with single parents.

Know that countries can change adoption requirements whenever they choose, even during the adoption process. When you're getting your information from the Web, make sure it's current by checking the site's copyright date and the publication dates of articles.

Remember, each country has different adoption laws, regulations, and fees.

Dulcinea's Picks

The U.S. Department of State is by far the best place to look for intercountry adoption requirements. You'll find "Country-specific Adoption Flyers" that let you know a bit about each country's requirements for international adoption. This site also has intercountry adoption fact sheets on many countries as well as a chart showing the number of immigrant visas issued in 2006 to orphans coming to the U.S.

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Adoption.com provides links to short summaries of the adoption requirements of a number of countries. Click on the country of your choice and you will find a map of the country, a brief overview of the sort of adoptions available, how much travel time is required by the adoptive parents, and if singles are allowed to adopt a child.

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Heritage Communication provides a brief but thoughtful list of topics to think about when choosing a country from which to adopt.

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Adoptive Families Magazine has a chart showing an overview of international adoption requirements by country. (Note: China requirements have yet to be updated on the chart).

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Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute is a nonprofit organization working for ethical adoption practices. Here you'll find international adoption statistics in chart and graph form that demonstrate adoption trends by country.

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