Questions About the Adoption Process
How do we qualify to be adoptive parents?
You first have to meet a number of technical qualifications. At least one adoptive parent must be a citizen of the United States. You can have no convictions for serious crimes. As you proceed through your adoption you must receive a positive home study pre-placement report from a qualified Social Worker stating that you are physically, financially, and emotionally able to parent a child adopted from another country. If you have specific questions about your family situation or the nature of the child you would like to adopt, we are happy to work with you. While more detail is provided in the country-specific section for each of our programs, in general:
- Age of Parents: Single parents must be at least 25 years of age. China requires both spouses be at least 30 years of age. Our other countries do not have fixed age requirements. Families over 50 are considered on a case-by-case basis.
- Income: The US Government requires that families make at least 25% more than the Federal Poverty guidelines, or have substantial available financial assets. China has a fixed income requirement that families make more than $30,000 per year, plus $10,000 for each child already in the homes. There is also a requirement for a significant net worth. All other programs require that your home study states that you have the financial means to allow a child to develop normally and provide for your child's health care.
- Family Size: China will only place children in families with fewer than 5 children currently in the home, with some exceptions for special needs adoptions. Other programs have no fixed limits.
- Health of Parents: Adoptive families should be able to provide an environment that will allow a child to develop normally and in a stable environment. Families currently battling serious illness, such as cancer, are not eligible to adopt. However, families with physical challenges are often able to adopt. China has relatively strict medical guidelines discussed below.
- Ages of Available Children: For China, most families are assigned healthy infants 8 - 12 months of age. Families with the youngest spouse over 45 may be asked to adopt an older child. Ukrainian children are at least 14 months of age.
Can single people adopt Internationally?
All programs accept single women except for China. Single men are not currently being considered by our agency. China no longer allows adoptions by singles. US Immigration requires that single people wishing to adopt internationally be at least 25 years old. Homosexuals may not adopt through any of our programs, nor are we aware of any foreign country that allows openly gay individuals to adopt. While there is an understanding that adults can live in the same household in order to share expenses, for companionship, for safety, or for other reasons, they must have separate living accommodations. Separate entrances to the household are preferred. An explanation of the circumstances under which the adults are living in the same household should be clearly stated in the home study pre-placement report. Americans Adopting Orphans will not knowingly violate the requirements of the different countries with which we work.
Can we choose to adopt a boy or a girl?
For a variety of cultural and historical reasons more girls are abandoned than boys in China, and more boys are abandoned than girls in most other countries. Families may be able to adopt either a girl or boy from any of our countries, please see the country specific sections for more details.
What are the differences between adopting infants and older children?
Infants (which we define as children less than 12 months old) have great physical needs. Among other things, they need diapers, eat special food, are unable to verbally communicate their wants and needs, often have to be physically carried, require frequent medical appointments, and don't sleep through the night. On the plus side, they tend to have fewer bonding and attachment problems than older kids do. The developmental delays almost always found in babies from orphanages will probably have fewer long-term effects. Plus, for many people, they fill an emotional need for the "baby experience".
Older children (particularly those over two years of age) are much more aware of their surroundings. They have begun developing language skills, and can find the transition to America and English a challenge. We recommend that adoptive parents of older children study their child's language and/or have appropriate language friends or associates readily available to help their children communicate. These children could have more profound developmental delays. This can mean physical or psychological therapy. Bonding and attachment disorders are possible, although relatively uncommon in children adopted from China. Older children have routines and preferences. Parents should help their children adjust to their new homes by learning about and maintaining some of their child's pre-adoption routine. Older children may not have been exposed to or learned things in the same ways as their American contemporaries, particularly with regard to sharing or physical contact.
For these and other reasons, older children are less likely to be adopted, yet may have the greatest need for a family and a home. Both infants and older children adopted internationally are high maintenance children. It is just the demands they place on your time and emotions are different, particularly in the first year after you have adopted them. China may expedite processing for parents who request children over 6 years of age, or who are significantly handicapped.
What are some examples of children with "special needs"?
The term "special needs" is probably not what you think. All too often families come to us believing that any child designated "Special Needs" will be irrevocably and/or severely handicapped. This is not necessarily the case. The term "special needs" can have many different meanings in different cultures. They can range from conditions that are minor or correctable, to major physical and mental handicaps. Some Ukrainian infants may have greatly exaggerated diagnoses, in an effort by the orphanage to have the child placed overseas, but this is not predictable. Examples of minor special needs include chronic ear infections, mild skin disorders, vitamin deficiencies, etc. Medical conditions that would qualify a child for expedited processing from China can include conditions such as cleft lips, an extra toe or finger, port wine birthmarks, a minor heart murmur, etc. A missing limb or serious disease would be considered a major special need. Families may request to be assigned children with minor, moderate, or major special needs. A mild special need may not even be noted in the child's medical information.
There is always a risk that medical information from a developing country might be inaccurate or incomplete. We have learned from researchers in the health of international adoptees at the Universities of Washington and Minnesota that orphans adopted from China are among the healthiest of international adoptees. Children from other parts of Asia and from South America are relatively healthy, but do tend to have more institutionalization effects (more nourishment concerns, chronic diseases and parasitic infestations, skin rashes, etc.). Use of drugs, alcohol, and tobacco by women is relatively uncommon in Asian and Latin cultures. Unlike United States domestic and Eastern European adoptions, Chinese adoptees with drug exposure or fetal alcohol syndrome/effect and HIV are very rare. Blood tests for conditions like Hepatitis and HIV can give false negatives. With any adoption you are taking a chance by adopting a child that could have or develop significant medical or emotional problems. It is not a choice to be made lightly, and you should be fully committed to raising any child you adopt.
Can we adopt two or more children at the same time?
Generally not with China, but yes with other programs. A word of caution, however. Most developmental specialists and social workers feel that each child brought into the home needs several months of close bonding time with her or his new family. Splitting the available attention between two new children can be difficult or even damaging to both children and parents.
Ukraine is open to the adoption of sibling groups. Adopting a sibling group from Ukraine can increase both costs and the length of your trip there. China sometimes permits the adoption of twins when they are available, under some circumstances.
Can we count on being able to adopt a child?
There are no guarantees in life, and international adoptions of any kind can be very stressful. The governments of the countries with which we work place thousands of children each year in American homes. It is extremely rare that a family does not complete an adoption. There have been occasions when the authorities of each country have had internal bureaucratic re-organizations that have greatly slowed the adoption process. Periodically international news headlines suggest that the relationships between the United States and different countries can have in impact on adoption. Clearly, there are risks, uncertainties, and possible delays with any adoption. Adoptions from China are very predictable, and typically very smooth. Adoptions from Ukraine are less predictable.
The stresses for an international adoption are not fewer than for a domestic adoption, they are just different. Instead of worrying about whether a birth parent will choose you, or change their mind about relinquishing their child if attempting to adopt in the US, you instead worry if China will be granted Normal Trading Relations (formerly Most Favored Nation) status again. Each day waiting for a child to be assigned to you can seem an eternity. Some people are just plain afraid of flying. You need to be mentally prepared to weather these kinds of storms. We can help you through the hard times. We do this by providing you with as much current information as possible about what is going on in and around your adoption country, and the impact it may have on adoption. You will be able to join our online discussion group with regular updates about adoptions from the country you have chosen, and lots of support from other families just like yours. Each month we have support group meetings with updates on adoption and special informative topics. Our quarterly newsletter is packed full of useful stuff about current events, new adoption resources, hints and techniques for parenting, and changes in government policies. We stay in touch and keep you informed!