[HollyTC]

My husband and I have been unsuccessful in trying to have a child of our own and would like to adopt. The (potential) problem is that we're only in the US for a few years with my husbands job and if we were successful in adopting, we would take the child back to the UK to live at the end of the contract.

Assuming that in all other aspects we would be considered good adoptive parents, does anyone have an opinion on whether the fact that we'd take the child to live in Britain discourage birth parents from choosing us?

Has anyone had experience of foreigners adopting an American child and moving away from the US?

Any feedback would be welcome.

[sak9645]

You've posted on a board that is primarily for Americans, Canadians, and other people adopting from the nations of Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, and Latin America. You might do better posting on the board that is for people both inside and outside the U.S., who are adopting U.S. kids.

I believe that most adoptions of U.S. kids by non-U.S. citizens involve older children and children with special needs. It is much harder to adopt a healthy infant, simply because there are relatively few healthy infants to be adopted. Even many U.S. citizens wait a long time, unless they happen to be lucky. U.S. citizens often choose to adopt from Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, or Latin America, simply because it isn't easy to adopt domestically, even if parents are open to a non-White child.

I do think that you might find that some birthparents are not willing to place with people who will be raising their child abroad, particularly since the trend is to open adoption and some ongoing contact between the birth and adoptive families. However, I would think that others might be comfortable about the U.K.

You would do well to contact some agencies and see, first off, if they will accept non-U.S. citizens and, second, what their experience has been with birthmothers and their wishes regarding the citizenship and residency of the adoptive parents.

If you find that you cannot adopt a U.S. child, you may want to consider adopting from a third country. You won't be able to do this while living in the U.S., as U.S. law prohibits granting an adoption visa to a child unless one parent is a U.S. citizen. But if you will be going back to the U.K. in the next two years or so, you can certainly wait and adopt when you return. Many British citizens have adopted from countries such as China.

Sharon

[kimmom]

I am assuming that you are not US citizens because you are going "back " to the UK. Have you considered adopting from the UK? It may be easier for you to adopt from your own country and bring the baby here, for the next couple of years. If you are willing to be very open and maybe visit the US once in a while I would bet you could find a birth mom to work with you. Congratulations on your decision to adopt. Best wishes to you for an easy and quick process!!!

[sak9645]

My understanding is that it is very difficult for U.K. citizens to adopt in their home country, for the same reason it is difficult for Americans to adopt here -- limited availability of healthy newborns, especially (but not only) Caucasian healthy newborns. Also, the process tends to be fairly difficult in the U.K., as I understand it.

Many U.K. citizens adopt children from countries where there is a greater need for adoptive families for children, just as Americans do. However, as I indicated, a foreigner living in the U.S. cannot adopt internationally and bring a child to the U.S., unless his/her spouse is a U.S. citizen. An adoption visa won't be granted, and the only way it would work would be for the person to go back to his/her country of citizenship, complete an adoption, live there for a couple of years, and then apply for a regular visa for the child if he/she wants to come back to the U.S.

Sharon