Do you think that ppl are beginning to prefer adopting children from other countries rather than from the US?

Question

Is it easier to adopt a child from a foreign country? Why not adopt from right here? Is this a growing trend? Everytime you hear of a celeb. adopting the child is from somewhere else. Why? Don't get me wrong I think it takes a wonderful human being to love and care for these children, but I really want to know the facts so that I may better educate myself.

Answer 1

I don't know whether people are beginning to prefer international adoption or not, although those of us who already have, can thank Angelina Jolie for bringing the current crisis to many people's attention.

It's not easier. It's much more difficult and very complicated than a domestic adoption. The red tape plus having to deal with not one but at least two different bureaucracies is a nightmare. But the end result is that you know that the child you adopted was not taken away from her/his bio parents, and cannot be taken away from you unless you are found to be negligent, abusive, etc., which cannot be said in the US. The reason many of us have adopted in foreign countries is that we don't like the system the US currently has in place. It's practically medieval. Further, most of us who've adopted from a foreign country know that there are waifs and orphans who desperately need love, help, and a safe home and family, immediately. Even though we don't like the US system, we can be somewhat re-assured that children will be taken care of here and most likely adopted. That cannot be said for the starving orphans in foreign countries.

Michelle Pheiffer and Nicole Kidman are 2 celebrities that come to my mind, who adopted here in the US and their children are bi-racial. I suppose you are referring to Angelina Jolie as far as foreign adoptions.

Personally, I chose not to have biological children. My conscience wouldn't allow me to add to the existing over-population problem , knowing there are so many existing orphans who are neglected, sold as slaves for sex, starving to death, being tortured and mutilated (in wars, etc.), who desperately need a family. Their only chance of survival is if someone rescues and adopts them and removes them out of the country they were born in.

We may have a lot of problems in the US that need to be fixed but have to remind ourselves how lucky we are compared to many third world and war torn countries. Thank you for your post. Anyone who wants to know more and educate themselves is brilliant in my eyes.

I'm sorry Axesurj but you have your facts backwards. Foreign adoptions are very expensive and very complicated.

No adoption is easy, though. And I disagree with those who said celebrities are doing it for show. Maybe a few celebrities who have adopted domestically have done this (I hope not) but certainly not for anyone who chooses foreign adoption.

Answer 2

I'm an adoptee who worked in the US adoption services for a while. I have noticed a steady increase in foreign adoptions. I believe this is due to a number of reasons. Most younger families want to adopt an infant or younger child because in most cases they pose less problems then children who have been in the system for a while. With more acceptance of single parenting in this nation there is a decrease in the availability of infants particularly caucasian children. Both forms of adoption are by no means easy. There are tons of hoops one must jump through to be approved for an adoption. However, foreign adoptions typically do cost a lot more than domestic adoptions. Depending on the country you may not only have to pay for the adoption costs but also travel to that country often more than once before the adoption is complete. As I mentioned because of the decrease of available infants and the time it takes to terminate rights of children in the foster care system it is difficult to adopt younger domestic children, unless you are willing to foster first. Foster can provide families that opportunity but it also poses a huge risk of losing a child should they be returned. Many people don't like this option. They want to know that when they commit to a child that they are a permanent part of the family with no risk of leaving. So my guess is that even though the cost is greater the risk is less once the child is signed over to you.

Answer 3

The reason people adopt from abraod is complicated
One many adoptive parents are older. Adoption is there last resort. They have tried naturally for years then went to fertility drugs invetro etc and no luck. Now they are in there 30's and want a baby soon. Adoption in the US can take years.
If you do private you have to wait for birth mother to pick your name out of 1,000 then you pay for all her prenatal care. When she gives birth she can say i changed my mind and you can't do anything about it Or you can take the baby home and when you go to finalize in 30days she can change her mind
Now if you went through foster care the child would be there because their parent abused or negelect them and they were taken away. So you will have a child that needs therapy usually
Overseas adoption you are almost guarnteed a child in a year or less. You don't have to worry about the birth parent because the child is in an orphanage. You are more likely to get a baby or at least a child under two. It can be cheaper than a private adoption here.

Answer 4

Personally, I don't understand why people prefer to adopt from overseas. There are many great kids who need homes here in the USA.

I know that when we started looking into adoption we had some family members suggest adopting from China. My wife and I were were resistant to the idea.

The only reason is perhaps you don't want to go through the process in the USA. When my sister privately adopted their agency was very tough on the home study. However, our own experience going through the state Foster Care system was relatively easy. I think people hear horror stories about the process and that the kids are all high demand kids and so look into other options.

Answer 5

My husband and I adopted from foster care. We met someone who had worked for an agency and she is the one who suggested we go that route when we decided that the infertility treatments we were considering were too expensive and too risky.

Before our license was finalized I started attending the local chapter of foster and adoptive parents organization in our town and met other foster parents. I met one lady who I consider my mentor and who I feel was sent from God.

She ended up knowing of a foster baby that needed a long term placement, she had been moved to a short term home because the birth mother looked like she was getting her act together. Well her act fell apart, she left the treatment center, and went back out there, and it didn't appear she was going to get her baby anytime soon, if ever.

When we took my baby girl she was four months old and had been in 2 foster homes, the second of which had 4 small children and didn't give her much individual attention. She was used to being in the swing most of the day, preferred to nap there in fact, and didn't cry when she woke up alone in her crib. The back of her head was also flat (from being in a swing or crib so much).

The birth parents continued to go down the path they were on, and their rights were terminated when my baby was 16 mos old and we finalized the adoption 2 mos later.

We were lucky, most foster parents do not adopt the first baby or child they take in their home. We were prepared to take a child and love him or her and possibly give them up if the parents were able to work their case plan. Thank god we didn't have to do that with our baby girl. I truly believe she was meant to be our daughter.

She will be two in January and we are so happy.

Answer 6

I think it is a question of intent and availability. I was adopted as a white infant boy by a white family domestically 25 years ago because my parents could not have children. The agency I work for has a department that deals with adoption, although I don't handle cases like that I often hear about them. In todays day and age, it has become quite common place for unwed teenage mothers to keep their children, where as in days past they would be whisked off to some hospital in the hills where they would either get an abortion or give the child up for adoption. The tabboo is no more. Despite this, may families still want to adopt children. Often, it is easier to turn to international adoptions simply because of the availability of children up for adoption in countries like Russia or China. Some individuals may do it for the sake of having a family, others may do it for the sake of providing these children wth a family. The truth of the matter is that pregnancy issues are far more open in the United States, and it is becoming harder and harder to adopt children, particularly infants, domestically.

As far as celebrities adopting children, and this is my own opinion, I think this is less an act of compassion and more an act of inflating their own sense of self by creating the illusion they are nurturing and giving.

Answer 7

My husband and I are looking into adoption, and from what we have learned, it seems easier to adopt from foreign countries. In the US, most adoptions now are "open" which adds a bit of a scare for alot of people (us included) because the birth mother can always change her mind (and rightly so) and decide to keep the child. Whereas, in foreign adoption, the children are already given to adoptive care, and you have one less worry that you will go through all the steps and not have a child to show for it. I can say for us, that is really one of the major reasons why we prefer the foreign adoption route.

Answer 8

I've heard many adoptive parents say they did it, not for humanitarian reasons, but because they don't want any 'birth mama drama' meaning they don't ever want to ever have to deal with the birth family and adopting internationally almost guarantees their wish will be granted

I find this disgraceful and certainly not in the best interests of the adopted child. Every child deserves to know their history, whenever possible.

For anyone with the child's best interests at heart, there are ways of supporting and helping those kids without ripping them away from their culture. For example, Madonna's child was not an 'ORPHAN' He had a living father and extended family - why could madonna not find it in her heart to support the family to help keep them together rather than taking the child who was obviously loved by his family who were so poverty stricken they had no choice but to place him in an orphanage

Answer 9

Actually the United States is a very easy country to adopt babies in/from, not like other western industrialized nations where domestic infant adoption to strangers is a rarity. We actually adopt out infants, especially the black ones to Canada and Europe.


But foreign babies come with a special cache, very difficult for them to find their roots. A lot of them won't even be able to speak their native language, it is very sad, as they struggle even more than domestic adoptees, I mean obviously they have lost more, but their suicide rates are even higher than the domestic adoptees


Most Americans are very casual about adoption and don't seem to care about the impact on the child, just how infertile people 'Really really want" a baby, it doesn't seem to matter at what cost to said baby.


We believe in consumerism, everything has a price including babies.

Answer 10

It can be difficult to adopt from the US, especially if you are wanting to adopt a baby. Most easy adoptions in the US are of older kids (over age 5 even) or kids that have special needs. So, to adopt a baby, it is easier to do so from a foreign country where the demand to adopt is not as great.

Answer 11

It is much easier to adopt from a Foreign Countrie. The USA has far to many mandated procedures during an adoption within this Country. Foreign Countries are looking for parents that are under the age of forty five and the procedure is far less expensive. One trip is all that is required into a foreign Countrie or a Company representative will bring the child to the USA. How sad that America has their prioritys backwards.