[cali_mom]

My husband and I have been looking to adopt for quick some time, and we finally set down and decided that we want to start the process at the end of this year. We were really set on Korea, but then, when I started to refresh my knowledge on Korean adoption, I found that a lot of agencies are closing down their programs already.

We're hoping to be referred a child between then age of 2 and 6. I've heard at age 3 they are considered special needs, but then I've also heard that healthy children in that age range will still require the up-to-24-month-waiting-period to be referred. Does anyone have any experience to know which is true/more likely?

Would be advisable to attempt a special needs adoption with the Korean program closing in 2012? And if so, would anyone happen to know of any agencies still actively working in Korea?

[Max'smom]

Hi,
Every state has a different selection of adoption agencies that the Korean government has given permission to for the purpose of placing children. You really should just call the agencies in your state and ask them your question - the people on this board are knowledgeable in general, but in many cases, they may be in some other state or may have completed their adoption already, so their information may not apply to the future. Since the norm for Korean non-SN is a referral of an infant, and you seek a 2 year old or older, you probably wouldn't be going through the regular non SN route. This being said, you would need to check with the adoption agencies in your state.

[bixb]

I think Max'sMom is right. Some agencies in my area have stopped taking new applications for Korea, some have made no changes, and some are taking applications but with longer anticipated wait times. The 2012 is a goal - not an official cutoff, so it's unclear what is going to happen. Domestic adoptions in Korea are increasing but not at the rate needed to halt international adoptions, if the children are to be adopted. It is a very confusing time for everyone. I did a lot of research on this topic and got different answers by agency. I think they were all being honest, but nobody really knew what to expect. You will probably find the same mix in your area (some agencies still on, some shut down for now).

[sak9645]

I agree with BixB.

There is no official word that Korea's international adoption program will end in 2012. Korea's increasing prosperity has reduced the number of children available for adoption, and the Korean government is making an effort to encourage domestic adoption of those children who are available. Still, it is by no means certain that the domestic program will accommodate all children who need homes. In particular, if the pattern found in other countries prevails, older children and children with special needs may continue to need overseas families.

With the standard infant/non-special needs program, you must use an agency that the Korean government has licensed to place children with families IN YOUR STATE. As a result, you may find only one or two agencies, if any, open to you if you go this route.

However, if you are open to older children and children with special needs, you will have a somewhat broader selection of agencies.

I would suggest that you first call the agencies in your state that have Korea contracts and see whether they are accepting new applicants. If so, see if they are able and willing to place an older child with you. A lot may depend on which of the four Korean social welfare agencies a particular American agency is linked with.

If these agencies cannot help you, begin to look at agencies that have special needs programs open to people in your state.

I am sure that you can find a way to bring home a child. Whether you can do so in less than two years is unclear, as timetables change all the time, and are getting longer. But if you truly want a child from Korea, you may have to accept the longer wait.

Sharon

[mdaisyq]

Children in the age range you are thinking of adopting are quite rare for Korea. Most healthy children are under 1 year at referral, There are waiting children but they tend to be 2 and under with the children closer to 2 having waited a while because of their medical needs and these needs are not minor.

I have heard that Korea prefers to not have children over the age of 3 placed for international adoption because by age 3, the child would be speaking Korean and to have them placed in an international family the change in language and culture would be too hard for them.

Adoption agencies are not closing down their programs, but rather not accepting more applications. Personally, I think this has more to do with the big influx of families who would have otherwise adopted from China switching to Korea and/or concurrent adoptions from Korea by waiting China adoptive families, rather than a projected impending Korean shutdown.

[cali_mom]

Originally Posted by mdaisyq

Adoption agencies are not closing down their programs, but rather not accepting more applications.

That may be the case, but all the same it still hinders our ability to adopt from there. Essentially we don't want to send all that money to a country's adoption program just to have the door close in our face. I don't know if the money would be refunded or not, but it would still be a waste of years if that were to happen.

I've also thought that Korea and China are raising their time frames to get people to look elsewhere, but with all the countries that seem to be closing down the options seem to be getting more and more limited.

Thanks everyone for the advice, tips, etc.

[Max'smom]

Cali mom,

What the above posts are trying to tell you is that if they aren't accepting applications, then you lose no money: the agency will tell you "we have enough families waiting to adopt, we aren't accepting any more applications." Korea picks only those US agencies that are ethical and reliable - I haven't heard of a single case of someone losing money unless they broke one of the rules in the contract. But if you want to move on to another country, that is another thing.

[Mommy2Kaelynn]

Cali Mom -

I'm going to PM you.

Chandra
Mommy to Kaelynn Rose Soo Jin
referral - 4/24/2007
Accepted referral - 5/11/2007
TC - 11/16/2007
Home forever - 11/20/2007
Finalization - 8/25/2008