[kazmama25]

The previous posters are correct. When international adoptions "fail" it usually means that the child is removed from the home at the parents request for whatever reason. It's very sad. However, I have never heard of a situation where the child was reclaimed once they are adopted and in the U.S. We adopted our daughter from Kazakhstan and I never heard of this happening but I suppose it's possible. Unfortunately referrals can be lost, especially if your agency does not have good overseas coordinators. This is definitely a question worth asking agencies when researching them. There are plenty of reputable agencies who do not frequently lose referrals.
With Kazakshtan, we were required to bond with our daughter for 14 days before our court hearing. I complained about this at the time because it was a long trip far from home (our entire trip was about 6 weeks). But now that I look back on it, that time was so important. We were able to really get to know Emi and she was able to get to know us. We could interact with her and really get used to the idea of her being our daughter. Can't imagine life without her now.

I think that prospective parents need to really consider what their expectations are and research different kinds of adoption by attending classes and talking to other parents. International felt like the right way to go for us and we have never once regretted it. But we have several close friends who are adopting domestically (open) and it seems to work well for them. There are always risks with all kinds of adoption- it's just about finding what will work well for your family.

Good luck!!