Korea

“Our experience with CAS was awesome! There was never a time I felt that you were not working for us or the children. If you did not know an answer, you would get back to us. It was a great experience!” -M. DV.

Quick Reference

Children:

10-12 months of age

Parent Requirements:

Age: 24-44
Marriage: 3 years
Number of Children in the Home: 4 or under

Estimated Process Timeline:

From packet to referral: 5-7 months
From referral to travel: 3-4 months
In-Country stay: 4-7 days

Children Available

Children available for adoption are primarily infants. A referral for twins, older children, or siblings is rare. In most cases adoption plans have been made by unmarried birth mothers who have relinquished their parental rights.

Since 2007, Korean adoption law requires that children be available for domestic placement for up to 6 months, before becoming available for international adoption. Koreans tend to request girls, leaving more boys available for international adoption.
The adjustment of these children to their families has been outstanding. The Korean Social Welfare Society (SWS) gives exceptional care to the Korean birth mothers and infants.

The infants are nurtured in private foster care and receive regular medical attention of the highest quality.

Carolina Adoption Services networks with Family and Children’s Agency (FCA). Since 1982, FCA has worked collaboratively with the Korean Social Welfare Society placing over 1,300 Korean children in American homes.

Eligible Applicants

The Korean government and SWS have established requirements of eligibility for prospective parents. These are not necessarily the requirements of Carolina Adoption Services or FCA.

Couples must be married for at least 3 years and there can be no more than one divorce per person. Korea does not work with single applicants.
Both members of the couple must be 44 years of age or younger. Korea requires the visa for the child to be issued prior to one person in the couple turning 45 years old.
Korea does not want parents to be more than 10 years apart in age, in cases where the husband is older. However, if the wife is older, it can only be 2 to 3 years older.
Certain past criminal records, significant health and/or emotional conditions, for applicants or children in the home, may exclude applicants.
Parents cannot exceed a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 29.9. Please refer to the attached Korea BMI Chart.
Korea does not allow gender preference, unless the couple would like to specify a male. Exceptions: If a family has previously adopted from Korea or if one person is Korean-American or a Korean adoptee, the family may request a female.
Residence Requirement: The adoption is not complete until 6 months after the child is placed. FCA maintains legal custody of the child until FCA consents to the adoption after 3 post-placement reports. Families cannot relocate to another state or country until the adoption has been finalized.
For additional requirements please contact Heather Gordon, Korea Program Coordinator.

Program & Process

The Korea adoption process is the oldest and most predictable of international adoption programs. Families must be open to a child of either gender. Returning adoptive families may specify a child of opposite gender to their first placement. Couples of Korean descent may specify gender preference. The infants are generally around 10-12 months old when they arrive home.

Carolina Adoption Services is licensed in NC, SC, VA, and NJ, and families must live in one of these states to enter the Korea program. This is a requirement of SWS, as they prefer that families’ homestudy and placement agency is the same. Applicants must provide evidence of adequate educational preparation and complete a homestudy.

Korea does not require a dossier. The homestudy and several other documents are submitted to SWS to assist them in matching a child to you. A referral is usually received about 5-7 months after submission of the homestudy packet. However, families that are eligible to request a girl referral need to be prepared to wait longer. The referral package consists of photos, medical history and social history of the infant selected for you. Children generally arrive home 3-4 months from the time of acceptance.

Families are required to travel to Korea. Families are welcome to stay at SWS’s guest apartments, which were built specifically for adoptive parents. The in-country stay is approximately 4-7 days.

SWS and FCA hold legal guardianship of the child until the adoption is finalized in the U.S. Three post-placement visits must be completed prior to finalization.

The Country

South Korea, or the Republic of Korea, is a democracy and has a population of over 45 million people. Its capital city is Seoul. Located on the Korean peninsula in Northeast Asia, South Korea is known for its natural and rugged beauty, including huge mountains, and beautiful islands along the coastline.

This beauty is reflected in Korean art and Korean people are proud of both their country and their rich culture. Buddhism, Shamanism, and Confucianism are the primary religions.