[sak9645]

Remember that there are as many types of international adoption as there are countries open to adoption. As an example:

1. While most international adoptions are closed, there are a few where you may actually meet the birthparents. As an example, Taiwan has a couple of programs in which the birthmother gets to choose the foreign family and may meet them. In Vietnam, birthparents sometimes come to the Giving and Receiving ceremony. In Guatemala, there have been occasional meetings with birthparents. Even with Russia, where adoptions are technically closed, you may find that you have paperwork with identifying information about the birthparents that you can choose (or not choose) to follow up on; however, the birthparents do not have such information on you.

2. With some countries, such as Korea, the foreign and U.S. paperwork can often be completed in time to bring a child home within the first year of life. With other countries, it may not be possible to adopt a child who is under age two.

3. Some countries, such as Colombia and Korea, want young married couples. If older parents can adopt at all, they must adopt significantly older children. Other countries are very open on age -- for example, Guatemala, Ethiopia, and China.

4. With most countries, children have been abandoned or totally relinquished before they are referred to families, and the chance of a fall-through because the birthparents decided to keep their child is minimal. However, some Guatemala agencies refer a child at birth, even though the birthmother will still have to sign relinquishment papers at four different points during the process, and some birthmothers will decide not to go through with the adoption. Also, with some countries, such as Russia, a referral can be withdrawn right up until the foreign family goes to court to finalize, if a domestic family decides to adopt the child.

In short, research countries before deciding if international adoption is for you. You may find a country that is a perfect fit, as I did. Or you may decide that you would do better with domestic adoption.

Sharon