How to Adopt a Foreign Child to Your Family

Consider Intercountry Adoption as a Choice for New Parents

Jun 13, 2009

Expectant parents often look forwards to their first or next child, but some look for them in the far corners of the world. Consider adopting internationally.

According to the U. S. Department of State, approximately 20,000 children have been adopted internationally by American families within the last decade. This is known as intercountry adoption and American families have adopted children and infants from as far away as Vietnam, China, Africa and the Middle East.

Before considering international adoption, there are a few things to keep in mind. There is lots of research when adopting internationally.

International Adoption Requirements

To adopt internationally, the U.S. Department of State has basic national requirements including:

There are also individual state requirements and foreign country requirements in which the adoptive child currently resides.

Cost of Adoptions

The cost of agency fee adoptions can vary widely, costing expectant parents and families from $7,500 to as high as $30,000 per child. The reasons the cost can be so high, besides the agency’s business overhead, are that fees go for arranging the intercountry adoption, from passports to legal fees of the foreign country to translation costs. Some foreign orphanages also require a donation to that orphanage which generally runs between $3,000 and $4,000 if adoptive families wish to adopt from them.

More About Adoption Agencies

There are many different types of adoption agencies. It pays to find the best one for the needs and desires of the adoptive family.

For example, agencies handle foreign adoptions differently than others. Some work with orphanages and rely on foster care for their children prior to adoption. Others work with countries that provide medical histories on the children’s birthparents, and some countries that don’t. Some countries require the adoptive parent to travel abroad to escort that child to their new home and some have a travel option policy.

Generally, it can take from one to four years (or longer) to finalize an adoption from a foreign country due to a number of factors: the country’s requirements, the agency process, the U.S. immigration process, and the individual terms of the adoption process.

It takes a lot of compassion to open a heart and home to a foreign child whose race, religion, language and special circumstances may be different from the adoptive parent. But, for all the research, hard work and tears, it is worth it to many when adopting.

When going through the adoption process, adoptive parents should be mindful of what kind of adoption agency they go through, the costs of adopting, and the requirements of U.S., state and foreign adoption and immigration laws.

The copyright of the article How to Adopt a Foreign Child to Your Family in International Adoption is owned by Gregory Hitchcock. Permission to republish How to Adopt a Foreign Child to Your Family in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.