One of the first decisions adoptive parents face is deciding between domestic and international adoption. Although international adoptions have been in the media spotlight recently because of celebrity international adoptions and other controversies, domestic adoption continues to be popular in the U.S. In fact, more children are adopted domestically in the U.S. than in all the other countries. When deciding between domestic and international adoption adoptive parents must consider factors such as age, health, costs, government issues, risk, travel, wait time, and the adjustment of the child.
Age: In domestic adoptions it is typically easier to adopt newborns because adoptive parents can meet the birth parents, and can usually visit the hospital during the delivery. International adoptions typically involve older children over one year of age. This is usually the case because the laws of countries outside the U.S. may not allow adoption from outside the child's country of origin until they are older, to allow the child time to be adopted within their home country first.
Health: Children adopted domestically have all the medical and social records of the parents available to adoptive parents. Any health problems or concerns while the child is in the womb can be identified early. However, international adoptions typically don't have medical records for the children in orphanages. Usually, adoptive parents know very little about the health of the child in the womb and the health and lifestyle of the parents. This may cause health problems from drugs or alcohol exposure in the womb to present itself after adoption has been finalized.
Cost: Domestic adoption can cost very little compared to international. Although the costs of each adoption varies based on agency costs and attorney fees, domestic adoptions can cost anywhere from $4,000 to $20,000. The costs are generally less if you adopt through the same state you reside in or from the foster care system. Domestic adoption fees usually rise with private adoption agency fees, which are much more expensive than public agencies. However, it can be more costly if the adoptive parents provide the birth mother prenatal care, housing, insurance, and other costs not found in international adoption.
Depending on the country, international adoption can be very costly. The costs are associated from the high cost and occurrence of travel, visa costs, and other upfront fees. There is little regulation by the U.S. in international adoptions, so it is much harder to determine and lower the fees associated with it.
Government issues: Domestic adoption laws vary in each U.S. state. However, most states are adoption-friendly (particularly in the West). Plus, most agencies and attorneys are well-versed in the laws and regulations, which makes it easier for adoptive parents to complete the lengthy process.
The current government issues and problems between the U.S. and the country you are adopting from may affect the international adoption. It is more complicated in the sense that you must comply with the adoption laws of the state you reside in, the U.S. government, those of the foreign government, and the Hague Convention as well.
Risk: In domestic adoptions, birth mothers may still decide to keep parental rights to the child for up to 48 hours after the baby's birth.
U.S. agencies do not have any control over the procedures in other countries. Adoptive parents may have unforeseen risks because of the varying adoption laws in foreign countries.
Foreign adoptions are also becoming surrounded by the controversy of adopting kidnapped children or children who were forced from their less wealthy parents to be adopted by foreign parents.
Travel: Domestically, only one parent is required to travel to gain parental rights to the child. Foreign adoptions require both parents to visit the country for processing and legal rights to be transferred. This may take a few days or several trips to complete the adoption process. This may involve a longer time span for processing compared to domestic adoption, as well as extensive expenditures.
Adjustment: Since more is typically known about adopted children in the U.S., adoptive parents can learn to make adjustments with the new child. Although children adopted from foster care may have more adjustments to make, most foreign children may have a more difficult time adjusting to you, the new country, the food, and the language. Since little is often known about the child, there could be unknown health problems and detachment issues as well after the foreign adoption is complete.
Overall, theadoptioncenter.com adoption types can differ greatly, particularly between domestic and international. Consider the above factors before deciding which adoption is right for you.
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