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Originally Posted By Deana

I am very interested in finding out more about international adoption. I have been interested in it for a long time but thought adopting a special needs child would be more affordable. Well after our adoption disrupted we are no longer interested in adopting an older child and I am even more interested in international but don't know how we will ever afford it. Any information you guys could provide would be very appreciated, any advice and experience etc. You can post the information or you are welcome to email me. Thank you.

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Originally Posted By belinda

First Deana, go to the Joint Council on International Children's Services. The web address is www.jcics.org
Be sure to go to their list of Member Agencies, we got so much information just from checking out the different agency websites. I know the financial part of international adoption scares off many people...but please don't let the myths about costs deter you. There are federal tax credits, state subsidies, adoption grants, and loans available. The Dillon International site has some good info on financial aid. They are at www.dillonadopt.com Another one to check out (especially regarding adoption loans to cover the tax credits before you receive them) is www.asiadopt.org
There is lots of good info under their financial options link.
I hope some of this helps. Feel free to email me at anytime if you have anymore questions. Good Luck!!! We are so glad that we did this!!!!!

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Originally Posted By SusanC.

Is very expensive and paper-laden. BUT, in our experience, also very rewarding as you're not competing with anyone for a specific child and there is the ability to adopt a child who is very young.

There are countries where the expense is not as high. Ukraine has a unique adoption program where you don't actually "pick" a child to adopt until you are in country and have met and spent time with the child. This prevents the "falling in love with a photo" scenario. Ukraine allows independent adoption, and I am aware of many families who have adopted from there for approximately $10,000 or so - and have brought home more than one child at a time. That's still a lot of money... but remember Belinda's information on adoption loans, credits, etc. Here is the website of a lady named Cathy Harris who has adopted 5 children independently from Ukraine and offers free advice on how to do it - she's helped hundreds of families to do this also and there's hundreds of pictures of little Ukrainian children who have now found homes in the states featured on the website. Cathy is a really neat lady to correspond with. http://www.ukrainianangels.org/

It seems like Russia also allows independent adoption. Haiti has adoption programs in approximately the same cost range as these two countries as well.

We adopted from Kazakhstan. The last I heard, Kazakhstan is currently in a temporary moratorium situation. They also do not allow independent adoptions and the agencies have all driven the fees up into the $20,000-25,000 range. Unfortunately it is also a predominantly Muslim country where current world events have soured the attitudes of many of the adoption officials. I don't know what the coming days and months hold for that country in regards to adoption. So - as much as I loved Kazakhstan and am proud to have adopted my daughter from there - I guess I wouldn't recommend it.

Well... That's what I can think of now. If you have any specific questions you'd like to ask me, feel free to e-mail me at sculver@fone.net

Hope this helps!
-SusanC.

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Originally Posted By Pam

One of our best adoption experiences was overseas and the adoption of our five month old baby girl from Korea. She had been spoiled rotten in her foster home (carried on foster mom's back and slept with) and attached to us right away and has had only issues that regular kids have...no RAD or sexual abuse, etc. She *does* have bipolar II disorder (as I wrote about once), but this has more to do with her genes than her adoption. She is doing well, is in school for Cosemetology, and the bond between us is very strong. I think you can adopt from Korea without traveling so you save some expense (this was a factor with us). If you have enough money, I highly recommend adopting a baby or toddler from any asian country. They have less of a chance of being adopted then our kids in foster care, since there are so many of them in those poorer nations. The boy we adopted at 6 from Hong Kong is doing remarkably well too. He never had any behavior problems and is sure to be our first family millionaire. Brilliant kid.