A new report by the U.S. Department of State highlights an adoption trend that professionals have known for years — international adoption to the United States is dropping, and rapidly so. While it was once a staple for hopeful American parents, adoption from foreign countries is a much more difficult path to travel today. The report from the Department of State details how intercounty adoptions to the U.S. have dropped over 13 percent from last year — and over 84 percent since 2004. In total, American families adopted only 4,059 children from foreign countries between October 2017 and September 2018. The decrease in overall foreign adoptions can be explained by the decrease from the previously largest-sending countries to the U.S. These include:
In its coverage of the report, the National Council for Adoption points out how the Department of State has contributed to this decline through increased regulation of the process. Rather than advocate for intercountry adoption, moves by the U.S. Department of State over the last decade have made it harder for hopeful adoptive parents to adopt internationally — where there are millions of children without families, waiting to be adopted. At the same time, countries across the world are closing their doors to hopeful adoptive parents. The biggest players in American foreign adoption in the early 2000s — including Russia, China, and South Korea — have all imposed restrictions on the number of children being placed abroad. Officials cite the best interest of the children as primary factors, although politics play as great a role in adoption regulation as anything else. Another point of interest from the report? Only 81 American children were adopted out to foreign countries in 2018, while the list of waiting children in foster care has risen to a nine-year high. International adoption has been a complicated issue for years — one that has predated the current administration. Unfortunately, making international adoption easily accessible again doesn’t have a quick solution. There are many factors that come into play, both those within the United States government and those within foreign governments. Before you decide to pursue international adoption as a hopeful American parent, we encourage you to be as informed as possible about the process and what to expect adopting from the country of your choice. For more information on inspiring change within the international adoption system, stay up-to-date on announcements from the U.S. Department of State and the National Council for Adoption.
In 2011, the General Assembly of the United Nations declared March 21 as World Down Syndrome Day. So, in order to help spread awareness of Down syndrome in the adoption community, we’ve compiled a list of what to know during World Down Syndrome Day and how you can spread awareness among your friends and family. Whether you’re a hopeful adoptive parent who’s just curious about World Down Syndrome Day, or you’re thinking about adopting a child with Down syndrome, read on.
If you’re thinking about your preferences for adopting a child, you might have considered adopting a child with special needs, such as Down syndrome. Like with any child, it’s important to be fully prepared for this step in your parenting journey, as this is an incredibly big decision to make. While adopting a child with Down syndrome is absolutely rewarding, you definitely shouldn’t pick this route if you feel uncertain about whether or not you can provide for their needs as they grow up. Before adopting a child with Down syndrome, it’s important to be honest with yourself. If you’re serious about adopting a child with Down syndrome, here are some questions for a self‐evaluation:
You should be prepared to provide your child with more than enough opportunities to live a fulfilling and engaging life, regardless of whether or not they have Down syndrome. Every story is different, and each child is unique, so there isn’t a step‐by‐step guide to raising a child with Down syndrome. If you’re weighing all of your options, it’s very helpful to look at what it’s really like to adopt a child with Down syndrome along with other Down syndrome adoption stories.
Every year, there is a growing list of children with Down syndrome who are ready to meet their forever families. If you’re open to adopting a child with Down syndrome, and you’re prepared for everything that comes with it, let your adoption professional know. There are also many professionals that specialize in special needs adoptions and would be happy to provide additional resources.
If you’re not ready to adopt, but you’d still like to spread awareness on World Down Syndrome Day, there are plenty of opportunities to do so. You might think about sharing videos, fundraising with your family and friends, and taking the time to share your support through social media. It’s important to acknowledge the reality that people with Down syndrome will face numerous difficulties throughout their lives. If you’re thinking about adopting a child with Down syndrome, it’s important to do your part to spread awareness about World Down Syndrome Day as well.
Those looking to adopt internationally may find a more difficult process ahead of them as the Trump administration prepares to shutter all international offices of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. On Tuesday, The Washington Post reported that USCIS Director L. Francis Cissna will transfer all USCIS duties from international employees to domestic offices and the State Department’s embassies and consulates. More than 20 offices — including those in New Delhi, Port-au-Prince in Haiti, Rome and other foreign cities — will be impacted by these changes. Cissna said in an email to staff that the office closings are designed to maximize USCIS’s resources. The changes will likely affect such processes as family visa applications, citizenship petitions from military members stationed abroad, and foreign adoption. Adoption professionals worry that the closing of USCIS offices will further slow the already complicated process of international adoption. “These are services that U.S. citizens are paying for,” Ryan Hanlon, vice president of the National Council For Adoption, told the Washington Post. He also noted that USCIS runs on fees from immigrants and U.S. citizens: “It shouldn’t be more complex.” Foreign adoption processes vary by country but, for many people in the process, having a local USCIS expert available abroad during these steps can be invaluable. In order to obtain a visa for an internationally adopted child, parents must be approved by USCIS before traveling to the country from which they will adopt. Once they arrive, they often need to complete a visa interview at the embassy or consulate within that country. Only after they have received a visa are they typically able to return back to the U.S. Obtaining all the documents necessary for reentry into the United States can be difficult, but it’s a process that most international USCIS offices currently complete. These offices also investigate fraud, aid asylees and refugees, and provide public information in local foreign languages. With the anticipated closings of these USCIS offices, it’s more important than ever that hopeful intended parents work with a qualified, Hague-approved adoption agency from the very beginning of their adoption process. Otherwise, they may find their adoption process in jeopardy after they have spent the time, effort and money to travel to a foreign country. Watch for updates from the Washington Post for other developments on these closings. For more information about international adoption, please contact your local adoption agency or USCIS.
Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month, officially recognized in 1987 by former President Ronald Regan, aims to increase awareness about Americans living with developmental disabilities. At Considering Adoption, it’s also an opportunity to spread awareness about the many opportunities and resources that exist for special needs adoptions. In honor of Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month, we’ve compiled a list of the most important things to know about special needs adoption for hopeful adoptive families and prospective birth mothers to help spread awareness about this amazing opportunity. For more resources, you can always ask your adoption professional for additional information.
There are plenty of adoptive families and prospective birth mothers who are curious about adopting or placing a child with developmental disabilities or other special needs, but don’t exactly know where to start. A special needs adoption will come with its own set of challenges, but that doesn’t mean it won’t be rewarding. If you’re considering a special needs adoption as an adoptive family, it’s helpful to learn more about the experience from others who have lived it, and to reach out to an adoption professional for support. Another thing worth mentioning: in adoption, the definition of “special needs” can vary. Although most people imagine that a child with special needs will have mental, emotional, or physical disabilities, this isn’t always the case. In fact, a child can be considered special needs if they’re an older child, part of a sibling group, have a medical condition, have a history of abuse or neglect, or from a specific ethnic background. Before moving forward with a special needs adoption, you should think about what exactly you’re open to.
If you’re a prospective adoptive family, you’ll have a lot of choices when it comes to your preferences for an adopted child. One of those choices will be deciding if you’re ready to raise a child with special needs. Of course, your personal experiences with special needs adoption will depend upon the child you plan to adopt. Before committing to a special needs adoption, here are some questions that you should think about for a self‐assessment:
We hope that these questions don’t scare you off from pursuing a special needs adoption. When it comes to this type of adoption, the most important thing is to be honest with yourself. Adopting a special needs child is a life‐long commitment, and you may want to think twice if you’re feeling uncertain. We can’t promise you that a special needs adoption will always be easy, but this is an extremely rewarding route for many families if you are considering it.
When you’re a woman considering adoption, it can be stressful and overwhelming to think about placing your baby up for adoption when they have special needs. You might be thinking, “Will I be able to find an adoptive family who wants to adopt a special needs child?” and “Will an adoptive family be able provide everything they’ll need as they grow up?” Adoption is just as much of a possibility for you as it is for any woman. You will absolutely be able to find supportive adoptive parents who will love your child just as much as you do. Your adoption professional will work with you to find the perfect family, help you create the perfect adoption plan, and will be by your side from beginning to end. This decision will be extremely personal and emotional, so you’ll absolutely need a strong support system by your side. You can always lean on your adoption specialist, as well as your family and friends, for guidance. Always remember, choosing adoption for your baby is not “giving up.” Your decision for your baby simply means that you’re making the brave and selfless choice to find a family who can provide your child with all of the love and support they’ll need. If you are considering adoption for your baby, there are several professionals who specialize in the placement of special needs children, such as:
Whether you are a prospective birth mother or a hopeful adoptive family, Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month is a great time to familiarize yourself with the special needs adoption options that are available to you. If you are interested in pursuing a special needs adoption, this can be an amazing and life-changing journey. As with all other types of adoptions, the best place to start is by contacting an adoption professional.
Building the family of your dreams is an amazing opportunity, but there’s one practical aspect that you don’t want to forget — and that’s paying for your adoption! If you’re looking for articles that can help explain why adoptions tend to cost so much, the common types of adoption fees, and so much more, then you’re in the right place. Below, find some of the best articles and resources to help you prepare for the costs of adoption.
While some adoptive families might have the funds to support their adoption dreams from the get‐go, others might need additional support to make their dreams of raising family come true — and that’s completely understandable. Affording adoption is one of the biggest concerns for many adoptive families, and it can be intimidating to come up with the costs on your own. Even though it may be a difficult journey, we hope that these articles show that affording adoption is more than possible.
With the right tools, budgeting for your adoption is more than possible. Don’t let the costs of an adoption deter you from this life‐changing opportunity. If you’re having trouble finding additional resources, reach out to an adoption professional for more information.
If you don’t have much experience with adoption, you may have been guilty of unknowingly spreading misconceptions about adoption and the people who were adopted. How can you fix it? Take some time to educate yourself and listen. Adoptees (and everyone in the adoption triad) will thank you for it.
Let’s start with these five things adoptees want you to know:
There are so many different ways to be an adoptee, and it can color a person’s relationship with their adoption in different ways. There are foster care adoptees, international adoptees, transracial adoptees, domestic adoptees, open and closed adoptees from very different eras, combinations of these, and even more ways to have been adopted.
That means that a person’s experiences with adoption will be different from one adoptee to the next, and likewise, their emotions will vary. Some adoptees have overwhelmingly positive feelings about their adoption, while others have primarily negative emotions. Most adoptees fall somewhere in between.
People tend to default to domestic infant adoptions when talking about adoption, because it’s such a common family-building method today, but please don’t forget to acknowledge all adoptees and all experiences.
For people who have never been touched by adoption, their image of adoption usually involves a baby or a young child. But that baby grows up, and that adult still has a relationship with adoption.
This means that you should always consider the lasting effects on a person when you speak about adoption. People both inside and outside the adoption triad need to learn how to speak about adoption (and teach their children about adoption!) so that they don’t accidentally say something damaging to a young adoptee that could affect them into adulthood.
Adoption is a joyful thing: adoptees gain a family. Adoption is a painful thing: adoptees lose a family. Adoption is both of these things, and adoptees want you to acknowledge that.
Always remember that everyone involved in an adoption had to lose something precious in order to gain something precious before you inadvertently say something harmful like, “Your child is lucky to have you,” to an adoptive parent. An adoptee will hear it and know you don’t understand that they feel both joy and loss.
Many adoptees avoid talking about their adoption, searching for birth family (or they worry about birth parent visits if they have an open adoption), asking questions or otherwise expressing an interest in their personal history for fear of hurting their (adoptive) parents’ feelings. Adoptees love their parents, but some have a deep-rooted fear that their parents will abandon them if they do something wrong, even if their parents have always been very reassuring to the contrary. And nobody wants to hurt the feelings of a loved one.
However, adoptees want you to know that if they express an interest in their adoption or birth family, it does not mean that they love their family any less, or that they feel their family is somehow lacking.
Many of the resources, articles and conversations out there are aimed at birth and adoptive parents. This makes sense to some degree — adoptees start out as babies or children and aren’t always initially involved in the wider conversation. But that brings us back to #2… adoptees grow up. When they do, many would like to be included, considered and listened to in the adoption discourse.
Not all adult adoptees feel the need to talk about their adoption much, and that’s fine. For others, it’s a more front-and-center part of their identity, and that’s fine, too. But if any adoptee wishes to talk, those within the adoption community should immediately make room for them to be heard and feel seen.
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Whether you’re a member of the adoption triad, or you’re someone who’s never had much experience with adoption, adoptees (and therefore the entire adoption community) can benefit from you learning how to speak about their adoption with respect and kindness!
Check back at the Considering Adoption Blog soon to find out what birth mothers want you to know and what adoptive parents want you to know.
If you’re an LGBT individual, you might have thought about starting a family through adoption. This is an amazing way to make your family dreams come true, but you probably have a lot of questions about the process. If so, there are plenty of articles that go in‐depth about what to expect. To help you get started, here are some of the best resources for LGBT families who are ready to start the adoption process.
If you’re new to adoption as an LGBT couple, or if you’re a prospective birth mother who is looking to find LGBT families for her baby, you might be curious about all of your options. Below is a list of some of our favorite articles on LGBT adoption for beginners.
While an LGBT adoption is very similar to a heterosexual adoption, you may have some questions about what some of the differences are. The best place to start getting the facts about LGBT adoptions is right here.
We hope that these articles helped provide some insight into the world of LGBT adoptions. Although there will be certain unique challenges as an LGBT couple that you should be aware of, there are many ways to prepare before you begin your adoption story. Remember, no two adoptions are ever the same, and your story will be as unique as you are. If you’re looking for more same-sex adoption resources, you can always check out LGBT stories from real couples who made their adoption dreams come true. There’s nothing quite like reading LGBT adoption stories from couples who have gone through the whole experience from beginning to end.
