Foreign Adoption Facts & Laws
International adoption has become a very popular choice among prospective parents who wish to add to their families by means of adopting one or more children. More than 17,000 American families chose to adopt internationally in 2008, according to the U.S. Department of State. They did so for a variety of reasons, from disappointment with previous experience with the domestic adoption processes to the chance to connect with another culture.
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International Adoption Facts
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More than half of the international adoptions from the United States for 2008 took place in four countries (per the U.S. Department of State): Guatemala, China, Russia and Ethiopia. California and New York were the top two states for international adoption, with more than 1,100 international adoptions finalized in each. The total number of adoptions, domestic and international, was 51,000 for the year 2002, per the U.S. Department of Human Services' census-derived numbers.
Adoption Requirements
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Each country has its own laws and requirements regarding who is eligible to adopt. While some countries' adoption regulations welcome single parent and domestic partner adoptions, others have strict requirements that prospective parents have been legally married for a specific number of years. Most countries have restrictions that set an age range for individuals wishing to adopt, with older parents eligible to adopt children over the age of five.
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The Hague Convention
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The Hague Convention is an international legal agreement between the United States and other convention countries, that ensures safeguards for both prospective adoptive families and children by requiring specific adoption protocols. It was put into place amid concerns about child trafficking and abduction in international adoption. Some of the protocols that the Hague Convention requires include: use of a centralized adopting agency in each country, proof that the child is legally free to be adopted and the use of accredited adoption agencies.
The Adoption Process
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Although each country has its own individual adoption laws and regulations, there are several steps in the adoption process that are common to all international adoptions. The first step in any adoption is for a prospective family to hire an agency or social worker to complete their home study. After this, the family needs to choose and begin working with an agency. The agency assists prospective parents in completing a dossier of paperwork to be sent to the adoption authority of the foreign country to begin legal proceedings. After the family is approved for adoption, they are matched with a child. The family then takes legal guardianship of the child in her home country and obtains the visas that are required for bringing the child back into the United States as a citizen.
Cost of Adopting Internationally
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The cost of international adoption varies greatly from country to country, as well as amongst different agencies. Adoption Magazine states that the average cost can be anywhere from $7,000 to $25,000, which includes the foreign country's fees, legal costs and U.S. agency fees. However, there are other costs, such as travel expenses for parent(s) and child, foster care in the foreign country or medical care for the child that are not included in this amount. Financial assistance for adopting is available in many different forms, including low-cost loans and grants and IRS tax credits.
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