As you begin your international adoption journey, choosing a country can be confusing. So we, with the help of families who have adopted, have put together some tips to help you select the country.
First: Eligibility
One of the fastest ways to narrow down your choices in countries is with eligibility requirements. Countries can be very open to adoptive parents or might have strict requirements. How do you know what the requirements are of that country? On our website each country page begins with the requirements of the country. Still not sure if you qualify? Contact our First Steps Coordinator or the Program Coordinator for a particular country and they will walk you through and explain the requirements.
Second: Children Available
Once you know which countries are open to you, the next step is choosing the age range you are open to adopt. Countries can vary greatly on the age of children available. The youngest are usually around one year old and range up to school aged children. If you already have children, considering their age is a big part of this process. We recommend families not adopt out of birth order and that there is a year separation. When looking at CAS countries the youngest children would be available in Russia, Korea, and Haiti. Toddlers are available in China, Haiti, & Moldova. For those interested in adopting a sibling group, we recommend Moldova and Peru. If interested in adopting an older child (over the age of 3 years), we have many reference families who have adopted and would love to talk to you. Do not forget about the wonderful opportunity in adopting a waiting child.
Third: Travel Requirements
Countries may require several trips or one trip. Several countries allow you the experience of spending time immersed in your child’s culture while adopting your child. Others offer shorter stays of 1-2 weeks and a few require multiple trips. While this might seem overwhelming at the beginning stages of your adoption journey, we assure that you will be well prepared for your trips or trip. In all of our programs you will be escorted while in country and assisted with all appointments. Interested in easily comparing the travel requirements of all of our programs? Visit our International Adoption page to see all side-by-side.
Fourth: Culture Comfort
Most children adopted internationally will want to know and celebrate things from their heritage and culture. So, as you consider countries think if the culture of that country is appealing to you. Will including some of their traditions or foods be of interest? Some countries have large cultural celebrations available in most cities (Russia & China) and are easier to incorporate into your child’s life. Others allow you to create your own cultural celebrations.
Fifth: Cost
Several factors influence the cost of adopting from a country. The two primary factors are the cost of court processing in the country and travel. The good news is that there are many resources to assist you with adoption costs. International adoption qualifies for the Federal Tax Credit of $13,170 and many states have adoption credits. Many employers offer adoption assistance as well as some churches. There are also a number of charities who are dedicated to grants for adoption. The sky is the limit, if you are willing to think out of the box and put some effort towards raising money, you can fund your adoption!
These five steps will help you narrow down your choices. If you are considering a few countries and are not sure which way to go, call families who have adopted from those countries and talk to the program coordinators. They may offer insight that will answer many questions.
Good luck on your adoption journey. We are excited to be a part of it!
