International Adoption

Introduction

International adoption is a wonderful and amazing way to heed the call of James 1:27. It is a truly remarkable journey filled with many challenges and many joys. It begins with months of prayer, preparation, and waiting - and culminates with the addition of a new family member! It allows the believer to experience the closest human example of God’s love for us - His undeserved, gracious, transforming love that rescued us from our despair and brought us into His family. And it serves as a beautiful picture of the gospel before a lost world.

As of 2007, UNICEF estimates that there are more than 143 million orphans in the world. The vast majority of them live in Asia and Africa, but there are orphans everywhere. Many have been orphaned because of poverty and many because of the AIDS epidemic. They are left behind in the wake of humankind’s sinful rebellion against our Creator. In many cases, a child that gets adopted represents a life that is saved.

The information presented here is intended to help you as you consider the possibility of adopting one of our world’s orphans - for God’s glory.

Requirements and Qualifications

The requirements for international adoption vary tremendously from country to country and program to program. These should be researched when comparing agencies and programs. Sometimes the requirements are imposed by the country you’re adopting from; other times, they’re imposed by your agency. In general, there may be restrictions in place in any of the following areas for a given program:

• Age of adoptive parents (minimum and maximum).
  Once you get beyond 45, it becomes increasingly difficult to adopt an infant, though many countries will still allow you to adopt toddlers and older children.
• Marital status.
  Some programs allow for singles to adopt while others do not.
• Length of marriage.
  Sometimes a minimum time is required.
• Number of past marriages.
• Medical condition of adoptive parents.
• Annual family income / net worth.
• Body mass index.
• Documented infertility.
  In rare occasions, some programs require that the adoptive parents be infertile.
• Number of children already in the home
  Some programs will not allow families with four or five children to adopt another one.

Beyond the unique qualifications of each program, the only other requirement is that you are approved to adopt by a California-licensed social worker. This happens at the conclusion of the homestudy, which is detailed in the “Process” section below.

The cost of an international adoption can vary dramatically, from as little as $16,000 to more than $45,000. Obviously, this is something to consider when choosing a program.

The Process

The timeframe and order of events can vary greatly from country to country - even from program to program for the same country, but, in general, the major steps go something like this:

• Selecting an agency and deciding on a country/program 0 - 1 Month
  
  It is helpful to research at least a couple of different adoption agencies. As you consider an agency, you want to think about three big areas: philosophy, competence/experience, and communication.
  
  
  • Do you feel comfortable working with this agency?
  • Do you share their approach to adoption and orphan care?
  • Are they a Christian organization? They don’t have to be, but you may run into discipline-related problems if they aren’t and sometimes even if they are.
  • Do they appear to know what they are doing?
  • Are they professional?
  • Do they exude competence, confidence, and expertise?
  • Do you get the sense that they will be patient and eager to answer your questions, as you’ll likely have many along the way?
  
  It is also helpful to be open to a few different countries. If you are interested in a particular country, investigate at least two agencies that work in that country. Agency A’s China program will likely be very different than Agency B’s China program in terms of cost, timeframe, requirements, etc. You should evaluate each program separately. When considering a program, ask some of these questions:
  
  
  • What are the requirements for this program?
    • Do I need to be married? For how long?
    • How old does each spouse need to be? Are we too old?
    • Are there medical requirements? Weight limits? (yes, these exist!)
    • Do we have too many children already?
    • Must we be infertile to be eligible?
  • How much does it cost?
    • When is the money due?
    • Is there much variability in cost?
  • Do I have to travel to this country?
    • If so, how long do we have to be there?
    • Must both adoptive parents travel?
    • How many times do we have to go there? (some programs require 2 trips!)
  • How long does it usually take from application to finish? - Programs range from under a year to more than three years!
  • Is the agreement that exists between the US and this country up for renewal/expiration soon? - Avoid programs that may expire while you are in-process (this recently happened in Guatemala and Vietnam; in both cases, people were stranded midway through their adoption)
    
• Initial Application 0 - 2 Weeks
  
  Once you decide on an agency/program, you’ll start the process by completing an application. Application fees are usually fairly small ($0 - $250). Generally, the first payment (of the total adoption fees charged by your agency) will be due shortly after your application. This is usually a few thousand dollars ($1500 to $9000) depending on the agency/program. Your contract will typically need to be notarized.
  
• The Homestudy 1½ - 3 Months
  
  Once you’ve begun an international adoption, the first big block of time is spent completing your homestudy. The homestudy is a comprehensive report (usually 10-20 pages long) that is completed by a social worker licensed in the state in which you live. If the adoption agency you’ve chosen is licensed in your state, they will generally also conduct the homestudy. If they are not licensed in your state, you will need to work with a different agency that is licensed in your state. During the homestudy process, you will complete many forms and questionnaires and provide a lot of supporting documents, such as:
  
  - Mini-biographies of both spouses - Childhood - Family history - Educational history - Employment info and verification - Finances and verification of income - Medical history and verification of health - Criminal history - History of your marriage relationship - How you handle conflicts - Parenting style
  
  Your social worker will meet with each spouse individually and both of you together on separate occasions. He/she will then compose the report, to the specifications of your program. A homestudy usually costs between $1500 and $2500. It is often counted in the total cost of an adoption, though not always. In general, a new homestudy needs to be conducted for each adoption you complete - unless you are adopting two or more children at the same time.
  
• CIS (Immigration) Approval 1 - 3 Months
  
  Once you have a completed homestudy (and not before!), you can submit your I-600A petition to US Citizenship and Immigration Services (CIS, formerly INS). This key document is required in order to bring a foreign child into the US to become a citizen (by way of being adopted!). CIS must approve this petition before you can travel to pick up your child. The approval from CIS is called your “Favorable Determination Letter” or FDL. This can take a long time if CIS is running slow... We have some helpful time-saving steps that we can share when you get to this point. Some helpful facts about CIS approval: - It costs about $800 to file the petition (including the cost for LiveScans)
  - After filing, you’ll be given a date to get your fingerprints taken
  - You don’t have to know who the child will be, you just tell them the gender, age range, and country you desire to adopt from.
  
• Preparing your Dossier 2 - 4 Months*
  [*You can be working on this while doing steps III and IV]
  
  The dossier (pronounced doss-ee-AY) is a packet of forms that are required by the country you are adopting from. The requirements are set by that country. They can range from very specific and numerous to simple and few. In general, they include documents on:
  - Personal biography
  - Letter of intent to adopt
  - Medical histories
  - Criminal histories
  - Financial and employment records
  - Commitment to provide reports of the child’s development after adoption
  - Your completed homestudy
  - Your Favorable Determination Letter (from CIS)
  
  These documents are often similar to those needed for the homestudy, but the specific information and format are usually different. It’s helpful to complete these documents at the same time you’re completing your homestudy documents (so you only need to make one trip to your accountant, physician, etc). These documents generally need to be notarized. In some cases they need to be county certified, state certified, and authenticated at the embassy of your child’s country.
  
• Submission of Dossier / Placement on Waiting List 2 - 18+ Months
  
  Once your dossier is complete, you can submit it to your agency. They will translate it into the language of your child’s country and forward it to their in-country staff. At that point, you are put on a waiting list until a child meeting your criteria becomes available. Usually at this point, you are required to pay another part of your agency’s fees ($2000 or so). The time you spend on the waiting list can vary greatly from program to program. Hopefully, you did your research well at the beginning and chose a program with a waiting period acceptable to you. During this time, there isn’t a lot of work to be done on your end - other than waiting and praying!
  
• Referral and Waiting for Travel Approval 2 - 6 Months
  
  When a child becomes available, you’ll be contacted by your agency. Usually, they will provide you with photographs and any personal and medical information available for the child (generally, before referral, the children receive thorough medical exams, ensuring that there are no health issues that could prevent them from being adopted). You are given a few days to a week to decide whether or not to accept the referral. If you do not accept, you go back on the waiting list (typically, to the back of the list). If you do accept, you’ll sign a formal agreement (notarized) and the paperwork will begin in-country for your child. Usually, upon accepting a referral, the final portion of your agency’s fee is due (another $2000 - $4000). It normally takes another two to six months for your child to be “ready” to be picked up (for all of the paperwork in your child’s country to be prepared and approved). At that point, you get issued a travel date!
  
• Travel to Pick Up Your Child 1 - 3 Weeks
  
  This is the last stage of your journey - going to get your child. Depending on the program, while in-country you may need to do some or all of the following:
  - Attend an adoption-procedure in a local government facility (court, etc.)
  - Obtain a passport for your child
  - Submit documents to a CIS field office (in that region)
  - Obtain a US visa for your child (at a US embassy)
  
  Your agency will help you get through each of these tasks, taking you to all of the appropriate places and scheduling CIS and Embassy appointments for you.
  
  In almost all cases, you’ll need to obtain the visa. The other steps may be completed by an in-country representative prior to your arrival. In some cases, the entire in-country process can be completed by a third-party - meaning you don’t have to travel. In those cases, you can opt to have an escort fly your child home.
  
  Travel expenses are usually significant - international airfare, hotel, and in-country expenses are approximately $4000 - $6000.
  
• After the Adoption is Completed
  
  Lastly, virtually all adoption programs require that the adoptive parents submit “Post-Placement Reports” to the child’s birth country at certain intervals following the adoption. The number and frequency of these reports vary, but, on average, there are usually two to three. A common schedule is to have Post-Placement-Reports conducted at three months, six months, and one year after the adoption. These reports are prepared by a social worker (ideally the same one that wrote your homestudy) who first comes to visit you to see how your family is adjusting. They tend to cost between $150 and $400 each. Some programs require that the adoptive parents send in self-written reports updating the progress of the child each year until the child reaches 18.
  
  In some cases, internationally adopted children may need to be “re-adopted” in a California court to have the legal paperwork finalized. This is not a difficult thing to do; we would be happy to help you personally with the steps that are involved.
  
  Those are the major steps, in rough order.

Challenges and Blessings

People considering adopting internationally do face some challenges - some real and some based on misperception. Those who press forward are met with unexpected joy and blessing. Here are some of the challenges and the joys.

For many people, the cost alone can seem daunting. The good news is that help is available. Through ministries such as Shaohannah’s Hope, grants and low-interest loans can be obtained to help offset some of the financial burden. In addition, we have the love and power of the local church. Don’t give up just because of cost! Talk to our James 1:27 team to learn more.

For others, the difficulty may be having a hard time imagining loving an adopted child. This is a very common hindrance. Many people feel as though they simply wouldn’t or couldn’t love a child that didn’t come from their own body. The experiences of countless families reveal that adoptive parents can and do love their adoptive children as much as their own biological children. Some parents have even confessed that they are tempted to love their adopted children more as they often think about what these children have been rescued from.

A final challenge that many people face is opposition from family members. Oftentimes, parents, siblings, and extended family members may be unhappy with your decision. They might be vocal about it. They may go so far as to say hurtful things and to distance themselves relationally from you. You and your spouse need to be ready and willing to endure this should it happen. The good news is that God may give you opportunities to share the gospel with your family through conversations about why you want to adopt.

What many people don’t consider when thinking about adopting are the blessings and joys that adopting a child brings. Many adoptive parents describe an incredible joy and fulfillment - greater than they expected to experience. It is common for adoptive parents to describe feeling as though they received the greater blessing! Steven Curtis Chapman said it well: “I’ve gone now to a whole new place in my experience of what it really means to love and to be loved.”

Where to Go From Here

James 1:27 Ministry is pleased to recommend three international adoption agencies. All three are Christian, at least in name. America World has the most solid statement of faith and most biblical philosophy; for that reason, it gets our highest endorsement. All three are compassionate, reputable, and competent agencies used by members of our church and/or trusted friends. Below is their contact information, followed by summaries of the programs they offer (as of September 2008). Note that the program information can change rapidly - please contact these agencies directly for the most recent details.

America World Adoption Association
6723 Whittier Avenue McLean, VA 22101
888-663-2445
www.awaa.org

All God’s Children International
3308 NE Peerless Place Portland, OR 97232
800-214-6719
www.allgodschildren.org

Holt International
P.O. Box 2880 1195
City View | Eugene, OR 97402
Phone: (541) 687-2202 | Fax: (541) 683-6175
www.holtinternational.org