[afriend_chan]

I'm so overwhelm. Where do I begin? Here is what my husband I have decided.

- We have decided to adopt (since I can't have children of my own) internationally.
- We have decided to have an Asian looking baby girl (because we're Asian) of age 0 - 5 years old.
- Gathering info from various posts, we feel "better connected" to Taiwan, Korea, Singapore, and Malaysia.

What's next?

- Find a Agency in US or do it on my own? Any adoption agency to recommend ? We're in Claifornaia (Bay Area).
- If doing it on my own, where/what do I start?
- Any recommendation on foreign agency/orphanage home?

[JenC]

I would first do a search with topics like "Taiwan adoption agency" or "Korean adoption agency" to get you to some websites of agencies. Look around their websites and gather some basic information, like what the agency requirements are and what the requirements are for the country. I'm not sure if Singapore and Malaysia are possibilites - I've never heard anything about them. Then basically you'll have to decide on a country. Call the agencies if you want and ask them questions if you have them before deciding. After you choose a country, you'll need to choose an international agency and a homestudy agency (1 agency can do both, but only if it is your home state. Your internation agency does not need to be in your state). From there, the agency will get you started on your homestudy and other running around. I'm under the understanding that you pretty much can't do intercountry adoptions like this independently, but I'm not for sure.

HTH!

[Max'smom]

Most countries don't allow doing it on your own. Korea, for example, requires that you go through a licensed adoption agency that Korean agencies have formed a partnership with. I could be wrong, but I don't think Singapore and Malaysia do many adoptions to the US. Taiwan is an option. You also might consider China - it has a very well established program and is one of the two top "sending countries" to the US (the other is Russia).
Good luck!

[sak9645]

If you are in the right age range and healthy, Korea is probably the "safest" choice for you. Americans have been adopting from Korea for over 50 years, and the process is very ethical and smooth. The children are referred very young, and it is possible to bring home a child under one year of age. The Korean medical care system is of very high quality, and the information about a child's health status tends to be reliable, especially with regard to issues like prenatal exposure to alcohol. The children are usually placed into well-supervised foster care before adoption, which tends to ensure that they get love and attention. You can travel to bring home your child, or you can opt for escort. Fees are in the moderate range and very predictable.

One drawback with Korea right now is that the number of available children is fairly low, and efforts are being made to reduce the numbers still further by encouraging domestic adoption. This could increase the wait time. Also, because most Americans want girls, and boys tend to stay in care longer, many agencies no longer allow first-time parents to specify gender.

If you choose Korea, you will have limited choice of agencies. Korea is the only country that requires Americans to work through an agency in their jurisdiction that has a contract with the Korean government, except in the case of certain special needs adoptions. The good news is that most of the Korea agencies have been doing adoptions for years, and are very experienced and ethical. You can find a list of Korea agencies serving your state at adoptkorea.com. This site is maintained by an adoptive Mom, not an agency, and is updated regularly.

As a result, if you want Korea, you simply need to go to the list and pick one of the two or three agencies serving your state. Each agency will be affiliated with one of the four social welfare organizations in Korea involved with adoption.

Be aware that private adoption from Korea is not allowed, even if you are of Korean heritage.

Taiwan has a very small adoption program. You can adopt directly through one of Taiwan's Social Welfare Agencies or through any of the relatively few American agencies working with Taiwan. Procedures and requirements will vary by the organization you choose, but you will generally have to be under 45 and married for five or more years. In some cases, you may actually have to be approved by the birthmother of the child you wish to adopt.

Children may be in well-run orphanages or in foster care. They can be referred very young. Families may make a fairly short trip, or may have their children escorted.

Malaysian adoption is almost impossible, unless you are related to the child to be adopted. You will probably have to live in Malaysia for two years to get permission to adopt, and you cannot adopt Muslim children unless you are Muslim. Consult the U.S. State Department for details. And be very, very careful if anyone offers to help you adopt from Malaysia; check the agency or facilitator out very carefully.

Adoption from Singapore is apparently so uncommon that the U.S. State Department doesn't even list the country on its adoption website. One of the reasons, I suspect, is that Singapore is a very prosperous country, and the need for international adoption is very limited. I am not aware of any reputable American agencies placing children from Singapore.

Do remember that you can also consider China, Vietnam, and Thailand. China is the #1 country from which Americans adopt, and has an extremely organized and ethical adoption system. Many thousands of children need adoptive homes, and China is one of the few countries where the number of girls needing parents is greater than the number of boys.

Vietnam has recently reopened after being closed to American adoptive families for a few years. In the past, it was a good choice for families wanting infants, and was fairly liberal on parental requirements. It was also fairly quick. Right now, because the new program hasn't been in place for very long, it is hard to predict timetables and such. However, it has the potential for being an excellent program, at least as long as the Vietnamese government can keep out the corrupt facilitators who, basically, were responsible for bringing about the shutdown the last time.

Thailand can be an option for young married couples. It may be hard to adopt a child who is much under age two, however, and the process can be lengthy. Still, some excellent American agencies work in Thailand, and are successfully assisting families with adoptions.

Sharon

[afriend_chan]

Sharon,

Thank for all the information. Very informative. Thanks again.

Regards,
Irene

[lyssie]

If you are

[lyssie]

Congratulations on your decision to adopt! Here is a blog spot to check out. It is a great sucess story of a couple who adopted twin girls from China. sophieandsage.blogspot.com Make sure to watch the video at the end it is so good!