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Getting Started In International Adoption

Getting started in international adoption includes your adoption country choice, one of the most crucial decisions you will make when considering international adoption. Here are some factors to help you decide.

How Long Will I Have to Be There?

If your adoption country choice is Ethiopia, you will be traveling for less than a week, whereas, if you adopt from an eastern European country, such as the Ukraine, you could be abroad for up to a month. Other countries involve a travel of two weeks or two separate trips.

Getting Started in International Adoption
How Much Will It Cost?

Some countries have lower international fees than other countries. If finances are tight, (and for most of us, they generally are!), then you might consider a country with a more reasonable overall cost.

Want To Adopt An Infant? A Toddler? An Older Child?

Different countries will have children in different age ranges available depending on the age of the prospective parents. For example, my husband was over fifty when we started our adoption process. We wanted to adopt a baby. That desire limited us to the number of countries from which we could adopt.

Getting Started in International Adoption
What Country Are You Drawn To?

Do you yearn to touch the lives of an African sibling group? Do you have a Ukrainian background yourself? Have you always imagined yourself with a daughter of Chinese heritage? If so, that may be the country intended for you.

What Race Will the Child Be?

Do you want a little boy with blond hair and blue eyes? Have you always dreamed of a daughter with dark hair and sparkling black eyes? Don't care if she's purple just as long as you have a child? You're not alone; I was the same way, and I wouldn't trade my beautiful Latin American daughter for anything. All the same, consider carefully the race of the child coming from the country you are considering. This is the relationship of a lifetime. Make sure you're ready.

How Long Will It Take?

Some countries will move faster than others as far as processing papers and allowing you to travel and pick up your child. If your adoption country choice is China, expect a wait of at least two years. Make your adoption country choice the Ukraine, and the wait should be considerably less.
Adoption from China through the Special Needs program is much faster than through the traditional program. For detailed information about this program and how it works, visit China Adoption Online.

How Old Are You?

If you are between the ages of 25 and 40, you should be eligible for the adoption programs in most countries. If you and/or your spouse are under 25 or over the age of 50, it won't be impossible to adopt from another country (Rick and I did it!), but you will be limited in your choice of countries.

Other Helpful Information

The high cost of international adoption is one reason many couples don't adopt. Don't let finances stand between you and your child. Learn more.

Would you like to adopt from China? Although the wait can be up to two years, the price is very reasonable and the adoption program is stable. Here are some tips for adopting from China

Many couples are now planning to adopt from Ethiopia because of the shorter wait and the reasonable costs. Learn more about adopting these beautiful children.



The children available from Kazakhstan are generally well cared for and the program usually takes less than a year. Learn more about adopting from Kazakhstan.

The Ukraine might be an excellent adoption country choice, especially if you are interested in an older child adoption. Click here to learn more.



Are you wondering what the Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoptions is and how it might affect your international adoption? Learn more.

Adoptions are currently on hold from Guatemala. Learn why.

If you would like to adopt from Russia, it's a great choice if you are older or already have several children in your home. Here are some tips.

Are you thinking about adopting from Korea? You can adopt a baby from Korea, but there are age limits, and recently, the process has been extended to about three years. Learn more.

If Haiti is your adoption country choice, here are some things you should know.

A Jamaica international adoption is an affordable, yet relatively unknown way of building a family. Here's the scoop on adopting from Jamaica.

Unfortunately, if you hoped to adopt from Romania, you will have to look elsewhere. Here is a brief explanation of why international adoptions from Romania are not allowed.

A Russian international adoption can rescue a child from the stigma of being an orphan. Here's what it's like to grow up an orphan in Russia.

Do you have your heart set on adopting a child from Brazil? It is possible, but be prepared for a complicated and sometimes lengthy process. Read more about it here.

If you feel you can't afford the high agency fees, take heart. The Ukraine may be an excellent adoption country choice for you. You can pursue an independent adoption from the Ukraine. Learn more here.

Are you interested in pursuing an independent adoption from Kazakhstan? It is possible. Learn some of the steps you will have to take by clicking here.

Adoptions from Nepal are now once again possible. Learn more about it by clicking here.

A Taiwan adoption might not be something you considered when deciding on an international adoption, but adopting from this small island off the mainland coast of China can mean a far shorter wait. Here's what you need to know about adopting from Taiwan.

If you're looking for an international adoption choice that isn't as expensive, consider some of the low-cost alternatives by clicking here.

The devastating earthquake of January 12, 2010, opened the eyes of the world to the desperate plight of Haitians, including the countless orphans of Haiti. American citizens especially have been moved to open their homes to these children, but the U.S. State Department is urging these parents to slow down. Read more.

Corruption and greed brought an end to adoptions from Cambodia, but new laws and regulations are now being established that might one day allow American parents to again adopt from Cambodia. Learn more.

It is possible to adopt from Honduras without using an agency, but you will need to know the language and have contacts there. Learn more.

An update to pursuing a Haiti adoption: It is now not only once again possible, but necessary in light of the devastating earthquake in 2010. Learn more.



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