There are many reasons one may choose to adopt a child; yet no matter one’s individual reasons for adoption, there are numerous options once that decision is made. One such option is international adoption. International adoption is the adoption of a child from another country. When thinking about adopting internationally, there are many issues to consider.
One of the factors to consider when adopting a child from another country is their age. With international adoption, the age of the child is more limiting than with domestic adoption. Commonly, children adopted from abroad are older. When adopting from another country, the chances of getting an infant or newborn child are extremely slim. If one has their heart set on adopting and newborn or an infant, international adoption may not be the most feasible choice.
One must also keep in mind that the prospective parents will normally have to travel to the child’s home county for a few weeks or so. There are several reasons why prospective parents need to travel to the child’s birth country. One such reason is that in many countries, there are laws that make it necessary for the adoptive parents to be present in local court procedures. There are also some U.S. state laws that oblige the adoptive parents to see the child prior to the adoption. The length of stay in the child’s home country varies by U.S. state laws, as well as the laws of the other country.
Another important issue for adoptive parents to consider is that they will usually be adopting a child of a different race and culture than their own. An adoptive parent should be able to embrace that child’s nationality and culture and help them learn about themselves. The adoptive parent should fully consider how to help their child adjust to a new culture, without changing their own. If the adoptive parents do not know much about that culture, it is not as big a problem as they may think. The new family can learn and celebrate together.
With this type of adoption, keeping the fact the child is adopted a secret from the child is usually not an issue because it often involves the adoption of a child of a different ethnicity than the parent. One should always be open and honest with their child. Adoption is something a family should be proud of and not hide. The child should be told things honestly so there is minimal confusion and so the child learns to be proud of where he or she came from as well as who they are.
The child should also be reassured that he or she is fully a part of a loving family forever and that there is nothing wrong with him or her. Some children may feel that they were abandoned by their birth family because there was something wrong with them; to counteract this, one must reassure the child of the falsity of that statement and show the child that they love them and will forever.
By Lauren Culliton