[begaines]

Hi, we adopted Abby almost 4 years ago now.

We want to adopt another child. What other countries are there that you would suggest adopting from.

Have any of you adopted again and if so which country?

Thanks

[joepegcamp]

We're gearing up for an Ethiopia adoption. (Domestic interests us, too.)

Search the threads. The folks on this board had a lively discussion about adoption options a few months back. Lots of great info.

[alliej]

We are adopting from the Republic of the Marshall Islands. We started the process January 2009 and received our referral June 12th. We will most likely travel in July to bring our baby boy home. I know the waiting time are much longer now for this program but if you want any info please let me know.
Kim

[sak9645]

Prior to the U.S. ratification of the Hague, many Latin American countries, which had already ratified, were reluctant to place children with U.S. citizens. Now that the U.S. has ratified, there is a good possibility that some of these countries will begin working with Hague-compliant U.S. agencies.

I recently went to the website of an agency I respect, and noticed that it had recently reopened its Ecuador program, for example. And several very respectable agencies now have pilot programs in Mexico, which is Hague-compliant and getting a less risky than it used to be, if you choose a good Hague-accredited agency.

Countries like Ecuador and Mexico could be a good choice for families with Guatemalan children, who want to celebrate the cultural richness of Latin America. But do remember that any pilot program, even one run by a very experienced and ethical agency, is going to have some risks and unknowns.

For those who don't want to HEAR the word "Hague" for a while, Africa has some interesting possibilities. The only truly stable and longstanding program is Ethiopia's, but some reputable agencies have been developing pilot programs in other countries. Proceed with very great caution, but recognize that there is a huge need for homes for children in many African countries that have been ravaged by war, famine, disease, and other issues.

Nepal is open again, and though it is not politically as stable as one might like, and although it has some unusual rules -- like the rule prohibiting you from adopting if you already have children of both genders -- there's a definite need for adoptive families.

And don't completely rule out the "old standbys". Although I wouldn't recommend China for NSN adoptions because of the long and uncertain wait times, it remains a good choice for adoption of school aged healthy children and children of all ages with significant special needs -- things like heart defects, cleft palates, limb malformations, spina bifida, vision or hearing impairments, and so on.

Russia has remained remarkably stable. It's an expensive country from which to adopt, mainly because of the need to make two or even three trips, and some people worry about the incidence of prenatal exposure to alcohol. Still, it remains one of the most popular countries for Americans.

Korea's program is much decreased in size, because of the increasing prosperity of the country and changes in social mores. Still, it has been in existence for over 50 years and is remarkably organized and ethical, and it is still accepting limited numbers of applicants.

In short, there are still choices. The choices are greater for married couples than for singles, but even singles can still adopt from some countries. And new country programs are arising regularly, though you need to be very careful about new programs and work with very reputable agencies.

Sharon

[Betelnut]

I would go for the United States. There just seems to be less bureaucracy and uncertainty.

[Devora]

The attached table may help -- There are a couple of things on it that need to be updated but most of it is up to date (at least to my knowledge).

[2xaround]

Do you want to adopt an infant, toddler, older child, etc? Are you married? How old are you? As you know, all these things need to be considered when choosing a country.

We have a 2 year old daughter at home and wanted to maintain birth order. Being in our mid 40's limited our possibilities for maintaining that birth order. In addition, we wanted to adopt from a country that we felt drawn to. Ethiopia fit the bill for us on every level. For a matter-of-fact, our dossier arrived in country on June 4th, so we're now waiting on our referral. The program has grown in popularity, especially with the closure of Guatemala and Vietnam and China taking so long. This has caused longer timelines and some real growing pains in country.

I also have a blog friend who recently completed an adoption from the Democractic Republic of Congo. It was a pretty smooth process, but I know very little about the program requirements.