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What Is International Adoption?

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Traits that Agencies and Countries Look for in Adoptive Parents

Where to Begin the International Adoption Process

The task of researching international adoption can be overwhelming. There are so many things to consider as you explore your options, so take it one step at a time. Start by getting brochures from several agencies and speaking to adoptive parents who have adopted from different countries and through different programs. This will help you gather some of the information that you need to decide whether international adoption is for you.

Consider Adoptive Countries

The country from which you choose to adopt depends on many factors, including country policies, available agencies, cost, and your personal feelings about the country itself.

Compare Adoption Programs

The following tables detail the countries that are currently the most popular for international adoption. Not all country restrictions are listed here, and some restrictions (and fees) are flexible if you’re interested in adopting a waiting child (a child who has been identified as having special needs). Policies change quickly, and programs open and close, so check with an agency familiar with the country you’re interested in before you start. When looking at the tables, note that:

Estimated cost does not include travel (if needed)
Wait time is the time from submission of completed paperwork to the point at which the child comes home
In addition to country restrictions, individual agencies may have their own restrictions as well

	China	Ethiopia	Guatemala
Estimated cost	$12,000–15,000	$15,000–25,000	$25,000–30,000
Age of available children	10 months to school age; mostly girls	All ages (infants to school-age children); many sibling groups	Infants to school-age children
In-country care	Most children live in orphanages, which vary in quality by region	Most children are cared for in orphanages that generally have low child-to-staff ratios	Most children receive orphanage care, but some are in foster care
Wait time	1–3 years	4 months to a year	12–18 months (the U.S. Department of State has warned that recent changes in Guatemalan adoption make the wait uncertain and encourage parents to look elsewhere)
Required travel	10–14 days in country to pick up your child	One visit to pick up the child (if the child is not escorted to the United States)	One visit to pick up the child (many parents also travel to meet or visit with their children before the final trip)
Country restrictions	China recently instituted strict requirements for hopeful parents: weight, age, and income restrictions; no single parents; couples must be married at least 2 years (or 5 years if there’s a prior divorce); no mental illness, including depression; no disabilities; no criminal record	Singles or married couples may adopt; no limit to family size	Married couples age 21–60; single women age 25–60

	India	Kazakhstan	Russia	South Korea
Estimated cost	$20,000–25,000	$20,000–25,000	$20,000–25,000	$30,000–35,000
Age of available children	Infants to school-age children; some sibling groups	Infants to teenagers	Infants to school-age children; some sibling groups	Mostly infants; some special-needs children younger than 4
In-country care	Most children receive orphanage care	Nearly all adoptable children live in orphanages	Nearly all adoptable children live in orphanages	Most children live in stable foster care arrangements
Wait time	3–6 months to receive a referral; permission to travel can be unpredictable	2–6 months to receive a referral; permission to travel can be unpredictable	6 months to a year; wait tends to be longer for girls	6 months to a year to receive a referral; permission to travel can be less predictable
Required travel	One visit to pick up the child	Usually two visits, the first being up to two months long	Two visits: the first to meet the child before accepting the referral, and the second to take the child home	A short trip to bring the child home (if the child is not escorted to the United States)
Country restrictions	No more than three children currently at home; parents must have a combined age less than 90	Married couples must be younger than 60; single women must be younger than 50	Required post-placement visits for three years after the child comes home	Married couples only—must be age 25–44

Find Ties to Foreign Countries

As a hopeful parent, you may find yourself drawn to a specific country for practical or emotional reasons, such as:

A connection to the country: Perhaps you’ve lived in that country before or can trace your own heritage there.
A connection to the culture: You may admire the culture of a particular country or have friends or family who share its cultural background.
The need for adoptive parents: You may be moved by the needs of children waiting to be adopted in certain countries.
Mentors who have gone before: Maybe you know other families who have adopted from that country and find their experiences encouraging.
Cultural resources available in your area: Maybe you favor a specific country out of a desire to be able to lean on cultural resources already in place in your community.
Something intangible—just “a feeling”: Perhaps you simply feel that the child you are waiting for is in that country. Hopeful adoptive parents aren’t always able to articulate what draws them to a particular country or region.

Learn More About Foreign Countries

As you begin to research specific countries, cast a wide net to find resources that can help you make your decision. You may want to:

Seek parents who have already adopted from that country: Online or offline, talk with parents who can share their experiences. Also, look to hopeful parents in the middle of the process so that you know how things stand currently (since international adoption policies and practices can change quickly). An internet search can help you find message boards, blogs, and email lists of others in the process of adopting.
Request agency brochures: These materials will give you an idea of country restrictions, costs, travel needs, and the programs that might be available to you. Not all agencies serving the same country use the same criteria to approve adoptive parents. The agency you use doesn’t need to be located in your state of residence, but it does need to accept homestudies from your state (see Starting the Adoption Process).
Learn more about the circumstances of children up for adoption in various countries: You can research news stories online or ask your librarian for books that cover adoption in a specific region. This will help you understand more about the country and the circumstances in which families are living.
Explore cultural resources in your community: As you consider the special issues of raising a child whose country and culture of origin differ from your own, you may want to look for connections for your child within your community. For instance, if you’re interested in adopting a child who is toddler age or older, having someone to act as an interpreter as you get settled can be a big help. As your child grows, he may seek to learn more about the country that he came from.

How to Choose an Adoption Agency

Once you have an idea of which country (or countries) you’re considering, it’s time to think about agencies. Start by calling agencies or visiting their websites to get more information about their programs. Some agencies may offer informational workshops in person or online. Others may have local support groups or host online message boards that let you talk to parents who have used their services. As you consider agencies, bear in mind the following questions.

Topic		Questions
Country program		How long have you been supervising adoptions in this country? How stable do you feel the adoption program is in this country? How do you work with this country? (Some agencies work with specific in-country orphanages; others work with facilitators.) How many placements do you see each year? How long is the current wait from completion of the homestudy to the day the child comes home? (Different agencies have widely varying timeframes.)
Services to waiting parents		Do you work with homestudy agencies in my state? (Be sure to ask this question if the agency isn’t local.) Are you available for me to call anytime with questions or concerns? Do you have training programs? Do you have online or offline support groups? Do you have a mentor program to match adoptive parents with waiting parents? Once I receive a referral (see The Adoption Referral), do you have experts who can help me understand more about that child from the information sent to me? How often will you send updates during my wait?
Program fees		What is your breakdown of fees? What is your refund policy? Specifically, what if I don’t pass the homestudy? At what point can I walk away from the process and still receive a full refund? What if I refuse the referral that’s sent to me? What if I travel but don’t come home with a child? If I’m able to adopt a sibling group or two unrelated children at once, how will the fees differ?
Support during your travels		Will an agency representative be in-country to help me? If so, who will that representative be? Will I be able to contact the agency while I’m overseas? Will you help me with my travel arrangements? Will I travel with a group of other adoptive parents who are also using your agency?
Post-adoption services		What kind of support do you provide once I’m home? Do you work with any post-adoption agencies or clinics?

Acknowledgments & Disclaimer

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What Is International Adoption?

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Traits that Agencies and Countries Look for in Adoptive Parents

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