Pros and Cons of International Adoption
Factors to Consider When Canadians Adopt from a Different Country
Nov 4, 2008
According to Citizenship and Immigration Canada, approximately 2000 foreign born children are adopted by Canadians each year, with China being the top country from which to adopt. This number has stayed steady for much of the past decade indicating that international adoption is still popular with Canadians.
Every adoption process has its own complexities and challenges, and this is especially true of international adoptions. Before beginning any adoption process, future parents should weigh all the possibilities before making a final decision about which route to choose. Here are some issues to consider.
Pros of Adopting Internationally
Many people adopt their children from abroad because of a connection to their own heritage, media coverage of children in need or they know someone who has successfully adopted from the country. Here are some of the reasons overseas adoption is popular.
- International adoption agencies offer hope that a child will be adopted within 2 years, which is a short period of time compared to domestic adoptions for a healthy infant.
- Prospective adoptive parents can indicate their future child’s country of origin, race, age and gender.
- As most children adopted abroad are orphans, it is almost certain that the child’s birth parents will not change their minds about making the child available for adoption.
- Some countries have broader criteria for adopting parents regarding age, marital status, health, religion which makes it possible for more people to adopt through foreign adoption.
- When a child is adopted overseas and the family returns home, the adoption is complete and legal. There is no waiting time upon return to Canada.
- Foreign adoptions generally add cultural diversity to the adoptive family and create opportunities to learn about the child’s birth heritage.
Choosing to adopt a child from another country requires a lot of research and a thorough understanding of the requirements. Family Helper has some useful information to help prospective Canadian adoptive parents prepare for an adoption journey.
Cons of Adopting Internationally
All adoption processes have inherent challenges, but there are some factors that are unique to international adoptions.
- The costs of adopting internationally are often prohibitive, from $15,000 to $30,000 depending on travel expenses, translation needs and fees covering paperwork.
- It is likely that there will be no contact with birth family, which could also be a pro depending on how one feels about the situation. The likelihood of connecting with birth siblings is also an issue to consider.
- Newborn babies are not available through overseas adoption, if this is the age of child the future adoptive parents would like. Most children adopted internationally are six months and older.
- There is a possibility of special needs due to institutionalization, malnutrition and poor health conditions among children who are adopted from other countries.
- Language barriers can pose problems in documents and understanding of medical terminology.
- The adoption rules of the country may change which may impact the length of time before the child comes home or if the adoption is completed at all.
It is also helpful to gain an understanding of the Hague convention and which countries work within these standards before beginning a foreign adoption process.
Other Factors to Consider
It is important to remember that children who are adopted internationally still have a past in the country and may experience a profound loss. Adoptive parents also need to be aware of racism and prejudice if planning to adopt transracially, even if it does not exist within the family.
For more details on how to begin the process for adopting a child internationally, CanadaAdopts is a great resource for future adoptive parents.
References
Citizenship and Immigration Canada website.
