International adoption is a positive force in the United States in legally bringing children to the country from cultures and nations that enrich our understanding of the world and potentially save these children from a life of hardships in their countries of origin. That said, international adoption policies of different nations may make it difficult for some individuals to appreciate the benefits of adoption from country-state to country-state.
Even when international adoption policy is not an issue, though, the logistics of international adoption can be too much for applicants to reckon with, prompting them to seek out other arrangements. In short, intercountry adoption is laden with potential hurdles for prospective parents. The following is a partial list of possible problems with international adoption:
Though some couples might be ecstatic with any child to call their own, a number of other couples will be insistent on bringing a baby into their midst. Unfortunately for them, infant children are next to impossible to obtain across international lines, and for various reasons. One particularly evident reason is that international adoption takes time.
Of course, this assumes that international adoption policies of foreign nations are static, unchangeable creations. On the contrary, as American states may arbitrarily change their statutes, so may any individual country set upon modification of its international adoption policy. In fact, from year to year, eligibility of foreign nationals to adopt from a certain territory may be amended if not totally eliminated altogether.
Another complication brought about by international adoption policies, and to some applicants the most important of them all, is the total price of intercountry adoption. As international adoption policy is instrumental in determining the fees of child adoption from accredited adoption agencies, prices must be researched on a case-by-case basis.
No matter what country one adopts from and no matter how lenient its international adoption policies are, in finalizing a transfer of custody, new adoptive parents should expect to pay costs.
Certainly, the realities of international adoption should not scare prospective parents. After all, for thousands of Americans each year, the process is a success. Nevertheless, they should be fully committed to adoption from a foreign country.
