International Vs. Domestic Adoption

Foster-to-Adopt

Once you get your homestudy done (which is SUPER FAST because of the urgent need for Foster Parents EVERYWHERE) you can potentially start getting children the next day - at 2am in the morning. You can be VERY clear on your application that you only want an infant - however, be VERY aware that if the parents clean up their act, you will have to face saying good bye to this child, knowing that he/she will be going somewhere where there is already a bad history and you are really the only parents the child has know. If you are open to multiple ages, you begin running into a few more situations such at PTSD, failure to thrive, etc. The good part is, it's FREE, you will get paid for having this child (or any), and there is possibility that the first child that is placed with you could potentially become your legal child.

Adoption Through The State

HOLY COW this can be slow!!! A lot of the social workers in the country are SO overworked and underpaid that most of their attention focuses on children needing foster homes and the time that is left goes into adoption. It took nearly six months just to get my homestudy STARTED and two years to complete (be aware that I'm sure this is a RARE occurrence in the US.) Most infants go straight into foster care instead of into the adoption program. Usually this means your chances for an infant are slim to none because there are already so many willing to Foster-To-Adopt an infant. There are THOUSANDS of older kids that need homes. Bottom Line: Not good for infant adoptions, but great for older child adoption.

Short List Of Benefits:

The child has a good chance of never losing who they are and being able to continue communication with siblings or others the child has become close to.

LOADS of scholarships come time for college.

Very little to NO travel or travel expenses.

Children with "special needs" often qualify for a monthly subsidy check

Most states include medical and dental insurance with the children they adopt out.

You have more of an opportunity to meet with and get to know the child before deciding if you feel you are the correct parents for that child. More accurate records/history of the child.

Independent Domestic Adoption

The BIG bonuses for independent domestic adoption is a reliable background, medical history, less travel required, and the youth of the child once in your arms. The child could be five minutes old when you get to hold him/her. The not so good portions of this type is uncertainty that goes with it. With the birth mother change her mind after she hears the babies first cry of fresh air? Will she claim living expense from you that are not valid or outrageous? Will she have medical insurance? Will she be able to stay off cocaine?

There is no set "fee" for this kind of adoption. It varies for EACH birthmother. EACH state has it's own rules of how long the child has to stay in it's home town in case the mother changes her mind and wants to keep the newborn. This varies from a couple of days to a couple of weeks. How AGONIZING!!! Many birthmothers require the adoption to be "open" - are you willing to keep in touch with the birthmother and have the child know the birthmother? Remember that you typically have to pay for separate lawyers for your family AND hers. Many times, the final fees associate with independent, domestic adoption are far more than with International.

International Adoption

The cost varies child to child, agency to agency, and country to country. There is a TON of paperwork involved called a Dossier. Each countries Dossier requirements vary. A good chunk of change is put just into the Dossier by getting the translations, the required papers from varies state/gov't/county agencies, etc.

The majority of the money goes to the country fees. The good thing about that is a good portion of the country fees go into the orphanage and help the kids. Most children from around the world receive a medical evaluation that you review, although be aware it has been in the news a lot lately that these documents can be/have been forged.

The travel requirements vary country to country as well. For example, Russian adoptions require two trips for like a total of 3-4 weeks. Some countries (like Haiti) can provide an escort and absolutely no travel is required or minimal travel to the US drop off point.

Once you have that child in your arms on US soil, it's pretty much determined that child is yours. However, medical history, family history, prenatal history, etc. may not be available or reliable as well as the fact the child will not be three days old - more like 3 months-2 years old once the paperwork goes through.

I guess it really just depends on what you and your current family are willing to cope with... EACH has it's own WONDERFUL benefits as well as it's potential drawbacks...