How do you start the process to adopt a child from a foreign country?

Morgaine

You need to find an agency first. You also need to be aware that currently, the wait time for China is getting longer and longer. Estimates are that it will eventually take three years from the time you send in your paperwork until the time you get to travel to pick up your child. So be prepared to wait.

The requirements for adopting from China are: You need to be married for over two years (five years if this is a second marriage, no more then three divorces between you); be over 30, make at least ten thousand dollars a year per member of your family including the child you are going to adopt (so...30 thousand a year if this is your first child) have a net worth of 80,000. There are some medical regulations too, one of which is that you cannot be on any medications for depression or anxiety for at least seven years before you adopt. Also, I think your BMI needs to be under 40 or something.

Good luck!

southerngifts4u

My knowledge of adopting from China in my area is that it usually takes about a year to a year and a half to get everything prepared. Each country is different. South American countries, for instance are usually a little faster than Russia and China. Overall, most South American countries take on average about 6 months to a year or so.

Find a reputable agency and ask them all your questions. They will have paperwork that explains everything and give you a breakdown of costs and requirements. I have adopted a child internationally. It isn't that difficult, but it is time-consuming and expensive depending on the agency and the country you choose.

I know this is a broad range, but I'd say be prepared to wait on average at least a year (China probably a bit longer) and be prepared to spend a minimum of $16,000 or so. My guess, depending on the country you adopt from and other factors (agency fees, translation costs, airline costs, etc.) is that you'll probably end up in the $18,000 to $24,000 range. If that amount seems large, remember that many financial institutions will do loans for international adoption.

Trust me, I'm looking at my adopted child right now, and it is worth every penny!

Best of luck!

kayak_number_12

Start by picking the country.

Each country of adoption has different rules. For China, the process is very well defined and takes about 12-18 months with extensive background checks on you and your spouse. Start with a local support group in your town -- you will find friendship and guidance from many other couples to set you on the right path. Plus, after your own adoption these folks will be your friends for life.

Also review the adoption requirements. For example, China accepts couples who have been married at least two years and who are both at least 30 and younger than 50. There are also household income requirements.

Here is a starting link but be sure to work with an agency and parent support group in your local town.

Angela R

First you'll want to contact several agencies that do international adoptions, and decide on which one you'll feel most comfortable working with. Be sure to find out about time frames, fees, requirements (some vary depending on the agency, not jut the country), also find out if they "hold your hand" during the process, letting you know what is going on and helping you during the wait, or are they more of a "hands off" agency.

If you're not completely decided on Chins, then you'll want to research other countries too (requirements, timeframs, ages of children, etc) We adopted both of our children from Korea, and have had a wonderful experience.

Good luck, here is a link to an great agency that works with several countries, and has a web forum where you can talk to parents who have or are in the process of adopting.

http://www.holtintl.com

Anita G

You have to start by contacting an adoption agency in your area and then fill out the necessary paperwork. Good Luck

Tab

I'm in the middle of an international adoption right now and we looked at adopting from China, good choice as the children for adoption are well taken care of. The whole adoption process is very expensive and can be time consuming. I have friends who adopted from China and they used an agency called DILLON international, they are based out of AZ but you don't have to be a resident to use that agency. They are very reputable, check them out. They are more than willing to talk to you and answer any questions you have, thier website has lots of informaiton about what prospective birth parents need to to do to adopt. Hope this helped.

Gianna's Mommy

Adopting is a big long process and I know that there are tons of message boards devoted to adopting. My aunt and uncle have three adopted children from Guatemala. You should do research of the adoption agencies that do international adoptions in your area. Sometimes you can have your child by the time they are 3-4 months if you get a good adoption agency other times you may not have your child until they are almost a yea. Research, Research, Research, try and find a message board that is devoted to adopting from foreign countries. I highly reccommend Guatemala. Good luck on the adopting process, adopting is a great thing!

suemck54

The first start is a using a reputable agency. There are several very good ones you can contact. Look these ones up and give them a call. Creative Adoptions (Maryland). I know about 20 families who have used them including myself. Also Spence Chapin, New Beginnings. Ask around there are so many agencies. Russia is also a wonderful place to adopt from

lovepets

just go to international adoption.com

StacieG

Go to the State Department's website
http://travel.state.gov/family/adoption/country/country_369.html
and research to find the country that you want to adopt from. From there, do a Google search for agencies that deal with that country. Research the agencies and then choose which one you'd like to work with and then begin their process.
SG

Elise

I am also thinking about adopting. After a whole lot of advice from friends and researching the internet this is the best advice I can give you:

1. Adopt someone who looks like yourself. I can't tell you how many people I've interviewed who were raised in a household where they didn't look like their family. To say the very least, they are VERY BITTER about the situation. There isn't any doubt they loved their family, but the ridicule from school mates was horrible.

2. If you're going to adopt outside of the country, check out the link below. Each country will vary on rules and how much it'll cost. This site is WONDERFUL for filling you in on how the whole thing works, all of the way down to how much it'll cost you.

God bless and good luck!

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