Adopting from Europe?

Question

what is the best European country to adopt a baby from? Do any of the countries allow you to actually go and pick out the baby you would like from the orphanage? It is easier than adopting within the U.S. I've heard, is that true?...my best friend is interested in adopting a baby or toddler from abroad.

Answer 1

check out all your adoption options. www.adoptive-parenting.com

I adopted from the US because I couldn't stand the wait of a year of more after being referred to a child. However, all children deserve to have a loving family...if your heart is for European children..follow it.

Answer 2

It isn't easier at all to adopt from Europe. There are a lot of toddlers and often quite a few babies available through US foster care. Depending on where your friend lives, it could easily take less than a year, depending on how fast she can take the preparation classes. I know it can be hard to fit in classes, but the classes are really good! I learned so much from the ones I took that helped me to be a better mom. Adoptive parenting is "parenting plus" so it is good to have as much preparation as possible.

As for adopting from Europe, you basically can't adopt internationally from Western or Northern or Southern Europe at all. There are maybe a dozen international adoptions a year from all of those countries put together, and I suspect that most or all of them have substantial ties in the country (such as one parent who is a citizen there). Most countries prefer that their children be raised in their native country and culture, and if that is in any way possible it is the best thing for the child.

That leaves Eastern Europe, and even there there are few international adoptions. The only exceptions are some of the republics of the former Soviet Union, specifically Russia, Ukraine, and Kazakhstan. A few hundred chidren are adopted from those countries each year to the US -- versus many thousands in foster care in the US that need permanent homes.

And adoptions from these countries are not exactly straightforward. There is corruption sometimes, and prospective adoptive parents have been required to pay all manner of "fees" that aren't really required or legal. Russia and the Ukraine stopped processing adoptions for many months a couple of years back, and some families were caught in the middle of that. Some agencies that used to work in Russia were not reaccredited. Here are the ones that are: http://moscow.usembassy.gov/consular/con...

Ukraine kind of allows adopting parents to pick from a few children at a particular orphanage that they assign to you. I personally don't like that idea very much--when you give birth you do not "pick" the child, so why should you with adoption? And it isn't like picking a puppy, how would anyone choose? Those are just my feelings, but I personally feel very uncomfortable with that. Ukraine is also tightening up things quite a bit. Back in December they issued a quota which allowed only 32 applications from US citizens to adopt children under 6 years old with no siblings:

http://travel.state.gov/family/adoption/...

They have since rescinded that and issued a new quota that allows a total of 1,453 applications for adoption for all children for all countries, but still that is a pretty small number.

And in all these countries the costs are very high and the children have usually been in orphanages, so there is a very high rate of developmental disabilities. Not that children with disablities don't deserve homes--of course they do! But many people adopt internationally instead of from US foster care because they feel that foster care children have more problems--and that is not really the case. Plus, children adopted interculturally have not only the loss of their birth/first/natural parents to face, but also the loss of their country and culture and language. This is no small thing and international adoption is not to be entered into lightly.

Answer 3

This is all a bit racist, isn't it? A nice white baby from Europe -

There is still some adoptions going on in Eastern Europe, but it takes a very long time and there is a possibility, even a probability, that there will be a last-minute denial.

Countries open for ethical adoption at this time are the Philippines, Vietnam, China, and Colombia.

Avoid Guatemala - even if the Embassy there will issue you a visa, and more than likely they won't.

You can try the foster-parent route here in the US. However, if you specify that you are only interested in fostering children who are eligible for adoption, you will find that there are fewer kids available than the prior answers indicated. Why do you think so many people look overseas?

Your friend needs to make the inquiries herself from now on.

Answer 4

try to adopt here first. there are plenty of children without a family in our country.

Answer 5

Do Americans think they can just waltz into any country they choose and pick out a baby to meet their needs

How pompous

No you can't get your grubby little hands on our kids - go away