This list of 12 best countries to adopt from internationally will help you on the way to becoming parents.
Every year, many people start the long and complex process of adopting a child and starting a family. Becoming parents through adoption is not easy at all and sometimes it takes a while before you are allowed to take the child into its new loving home. There are laws you have to deal with before the adoption becomes final but in the end, it’s all worth it. Many future parents decide they want to adopt from another country. Americans who want to adopt a baby internationally have to deal with U.S. federal law, individual state laws as well as the laws of the country the child is from. That means a lot of paperwork and a lot of waiting.
If you are thinking of adopting and you’re wondering what countries are open for international adoption, you should familiarize yourself with the Hague Convention which applies to all adoptions by U.S. citizens adopting a child from another country. The Hague Convention on the Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption is an international agreement concluded in 1993 in the Netherlands establishing international standards of practices for intercountry adoptions. 90 countries are party to the Hague Adoption Convention, including the United States. What this means for potential parents is that you may receive greater protections if you adopt from a Convention country. However, some of the most popular countries to adopt from are actually not parties to the Convention.
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Before you can finally adopt a child, you have to go through a lot of screening and tests in order to determine whether you will provide a good home for the child. All these things cost so you should prepare to pay a lot. If you are not in a great financial situation, you are probably interested in knowing what the least expensive countries to adopt from are. While adopting from Thailand or Haiti may be cheaper than from other countries, you may also want to consider ways to adopt a child without a lot of money.
However, when thinking about adopting from another country, there are certain factors you must consider before you start the process. Adopting a child internationally means you are also adopting their culture and that child needs to grow up with a strong sense of identity and cultural heritage, according to International Adoption Guide. This is something you should not underestimate because the child’s background will always be present in his life to some extent, and the child has to be aware of who he is.
Many people don’t have a preference and they simply want to adopt a child in need of a loving home, but it is much better to have a certain country in mind. You must present valid reasons for adopting from that specific country when you sit down to talk with a social worker. They usually expect the adoptive parents to be well researched on the topic. Of course, you should also consider the adoption criteria your desired country has because there is no point in wasting your time if you do not meet the criteria. Each country has certain criteria which may differ greatly, but be prepared to limit your choices as you may not fit all of them.
Defining the best countries to adopt from 2017 is tricky as everything is relative, indeed. We can, however, consider the easiest countries to adopt a child. By easiest, we mean countries whose adoption process takes less time and you can take your child to its new home faster than you would if you adopted from a different country. We wrote about it earlier in 10 Easiest Countries to Adopt a Baby From, so check it out.
Nothing is definitive in this aspect as well and while some parents find it easier to adopt from a certain country, another family may have a difficult time adapting. But these countries are known to require less time to complete the adoption process. According to Mom.me, you should pursue countries with established histories of international adoptions for bigger chances of a smooth adoption. We also considered experiences of many adoptive parents when making this list as well as Avvo Stories and Adoption. We compiled a list of such countries so let’s have a look at 12 best countries to adopt from internationally.
