About Foreign Adoptions

Foreign adoptions take place when a couple from the United States seeks to adopt a child from a foreign country rather than trying to adopt a child already living in the US. There are numerous organizations that focus on international adoptions, and the reasons for going out of the country vary from couple to couple. Each country has its own set of rules for permitting one of its children to leave with a foreign born couple; adoptive parents must satisfy not only United States regulations but also those imposed by the other country.

History

Foreign adoptions are governed by the Hague Adoption Convention that was entered into in 1993 and became binding in 1995. Under the convention, the interest of the child takes precedence over the wishes of prospective adoptive parents, and local agencies are entrusted with protecting the child's rights. This convention also seeks to eliminate the forcible abduction--or sale--and subsequent adoption of children. At the same time, it protects concluded adoptions by eliminating the chance of a child being taken away from an adoptive family on the whim of a family member who may have previously consented to the adoption process. A link to the text of the Hague Adoption Convention is placed in the resources.

Considerations

Prospective adoptive parents of a foreign child need to connect with an agency that handles international adoptions. The first step thereafter will be the establishment of a profile, known as a dossier, that contains extensive background information about the couple or single adult, including financial records. The agency will order a criminal background check and then require the prospective adoptive parent or parents to undergo the standard home study and approval by a social worker. Once all of these steps have been done, the profile is forwarded to the agency's counterpart in the foreign country of the adoptive parents' choice. This is a labor intensive and time consuming process.

Function

This extensive record search protects the child from being adopted by couples who may have nefarious reasons for seeking to introduce a foreign born child into their country. At the top of most anyone's list is of course the potential for sexual misconduct. Another reason for the meticulous record requirement is the demand for the couple to prove their earnestness to actually be willing to proceed with the transaction. Finally, the far-reaching information provided allows the adoption agency located in the foreign country for find just the right child to match to the adopting couple. Preventing mismatches greatly heightens the success of the adoptive relationship.

Misconceptions

It is a common misconception that the foreign countries willingly allow their children to be adopted by American couples. Instead, several countries have a host of requirements that a couple must meet in order to be considered eligible. Depending on the country, you may have to meet weight or age requirements, provide proof of your psychiatric health, and also pass a health screen. Couples eligible to adopt in the United States may be turned away by a foreign country simply because they are too old or overweight. It is a good idea to prepare yourself for some surprising questionnaires along the way.

Geography

International adoption agencies have ties with several foreign countries to facilitate adoptions. The top three countries for United States foreign adoptions are China, Russia, and Guatemala.

Warning

Since many of the foreign countries that provide for international adoptions could be considered either third world, developing, or have a significant percentage of the population that is considered disenfranchised, the abuse of the adoptive process is a danger to couples seeking to adopt a child. Although illegal, it is not unheard of that a child is purchased from its parents and then adopted out for the money the foreign couple will pay to see this transaction done. When the birth parents change their minds and prove illegal dealings, the adoption may be undone and the child has to be returned to its country of origin. Carefully screen the international adoption agency you work with to ensure that you do not fall victim to such a scheme.

Effects

Once your paperwork has been accepted by the foreign country and you have been matched to a child, you are usually required to visit the country in person to finalize the process. You may need to make two or more trips. When all is finished, you and your adoptive child leave for the United States, and the child will be sworn in as an American citizen. Now you may apply for your child's social security number and raise her as your daughter.

Resources

• The Hague Adoption Convention
• Accredited foreign adoption agencies
• International Adoptions