[sak9645]

Korea remains an option -- and a good one -- for you because its requirements favor healthy, young married couples. It is the country with the longest-running formal adoption program with the U.S. and has a track record of being highly ethical and well-organized. The children tend to get good medical care, and are usually in foster homes, rather than institutions, prior to adoption.

On the down side, the waits are getting longer, and some of the birthparents aren't as healthy as they used to be -- for example, more of the young mothers have consumed alcohol. Most agencies are no longer allowing gender selection for first time parents, because too many families request girls, and boys spend an unfortunately long time in care. Some agencies have closed their programs to families wanting healthy infants and toddlers, because the Korean social welfare organizations with which they work have too few such children.

Still, I would definitely recommend checking out Korean adoption. If you would be open to a child with a minor or moderate special need, you have an even better chance of completing an adoption in a reasonable time frame.

Taiwan has a very small adoption program, run by individual social welfare organizations. Almost unknown, for a long while, it has now become flooded with applications, mainly because of China's long waits. As a result, some agencies have closed their programs, and those that are keeping their programs open may have fairly long waits; still, you MAY be able to find one that will work for you.

Taiwan has a few programs where you actually can have contact with the birthmothers, and/or where the birthmothers choose the characteristics of the prospective parents. But it has other programs that do not have these characteristics.

As someone said, Kazakhstan is considered an Asian country, but it has Caucasian, Asian, and biracial Caucasian/Asian children available. The Caucasian children are of Russian heritage; the Asians are generally of Chinese heritage. Since more Americans request Caucasian children, families open to Asian or biracial children may be able to complete adoptions more quickly.

Kazakhstan is generally considered to provide good care to orphans. Perhaps because there are many Muslims in the country, alcohol abuse seems to be less than in some Eastern European countries.

The biggest downside of Kaz is the long travel required. Many parents wind up staying in country for six or more weeks at a stretch, or making two or more trips. With some agencies, you do not get a referral before travel, but go "blind" and make a selection in-country; this can be very difficult, since a family does not have easy access to relatives, friends, doctors, and so on, as they assess a child. Evaluating agencies carefully is particularly important when working with this country.

You might want to check out Nepal, as someone mentioned. It has recently reopened, after a stoppage. This country has had a program marred by allegations of fraud and corruption in the past, so it is critical to work with an agency of the highest integrity.

You may also want to consider other parts of the world. Russia's program remains popular, though expensive because of the need for two to three trips.

Ethiopia has the most organized and ethical program in Africa, and tends to have very good care for children. Some other African countries are opening up and can be a good choice if you work with an experienced agency and are open to some uncertainties with regard to time frames and total cost.

Although Guatemala has closed, Colombia is still open, and some other Latin countries are poised to reopen, now that the U.S. has ratified the Hague. Their programs aren't easy to navigate right now, however, so you need a very strong agency. Mexico was once shunned by most agencies and parents because of a history of corruption and some very difficult procedures; however, a few excellent, Hague-accredited agencies now are establishing reputable programs there.

All in all, you have quite a few options, so take the time to consider all of them and find one that is right for you.

Sharon