I’m going to link you to several different agencies so that you can get an idea of how they do things differently. Our first agency, Adoption Associates, was fantastic at processing paperwork and “crossed every t” before papers went overseas.

Our second has done the same (and I won’t ever mention our second agency until we have finished our adoption).  AAI was extremely thorough when it came to keeping us informed, answering our questions, and getting us information about AJ and our other referral (oh, did I ever tell you about that?).

 JSCIS

Adoption. about 

Adoption Associates 

International Adoption Help 

Cradle of Hope 

Wasatch International Adoptions 

Post from: Blisstree

International Adoption Process

African, Caucasian, Chinese, Guatemalan, Vietnamese, Korean, Ethiopian, Nepalese, Russian, Ukrainian, Haitian, Kazak, and more…

Race always matters, right?

But in adoption race matters more, especially when parents adopt children of another race. Should adoption agencies be allowed to discriminate by race or even a couple’s racial preference? I know that when we filled out our Home Study papers we were asked to also fill out a questionnaire indicating what children we were comfortable accepting in our home.

But, according to the law since 1996 it has been illegal to consider race when determining whether or not families are able to raise adopted children. That particular law was intended to increase the amount of black children adopted.

Has that happened? No.

The Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute recently conducted a study on transracial adoptions that indicates that race should be a factor in adoption placement and that agencies should be allowed to screen “non-black” families for their “ability to teach self esteem and defense against racism or for their level of interaction with other black people”. The authors’ recommendations reflect the findings that transracial adoptees report struggling to fit in with their peers, their communities and even with their own families. The study also says that minority children adopted by white parents are likely to express a desire to be white, and black transracial adoptees have higher rates of behavioral problems than Asian or Native American children adopted transracially; they also exhibit more problems than biracial or white adoptees, or the biological children of adoptive parents.

All good on paper and great in statistics (but provisions have not been adequately enforced…like recruiting same race adoptive parents?) but is it better to leave children in foster care or hopping from one foster care home to another than to give them a permanent home? The problem then lies in the support adoptive parents are given but that just may be my opinion (or is it?)

Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute makes a fine point regarding transracial adoption when it actually defines the term: Transracial adoption – defined as occurring when a child’s race/ethnicity is different from that of both parents when a couple adopts, or from that of a single parent when only one adopts – adds an additional layer of complexity to the issues faced by many adoptive families. While transracial adoptions can provide much-needed homes for boys and girls who may not otherwise have them, it is important to address the potential challenges in this growing practice in order to best serve everyone involved, especially the children.

Do we, as parents learn to be color blind? Do we become immune to the pure and simple fact that our children are a different color or do we just tune it out, making choices every day to ignore the looks, grimaces, and comments people make about us and our children?

Should we be colorblind because we love our children or should we recognize that children need to be with their own race to have a more fulfilling life?

This is hard for me because one of my sons is Caucasian/Russian and another is/will be Guatemalan. There will be an obvious difference between the two and some bystanders may only recognize that Gus is adopted. In our community there are plenty of Hispanic and South Americans so Gus will have access to a part of his culture. In fact, several Hispanic community members have already told us they are very excited that he is joining our family.

Several leading welfare groups are now calling for an overhaul of the federal laws that were put into place in 1996 to create the so called “color blind” system that created so many white-parent/black-children families. The recommendations can be found in the report by the Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute (but the key revision is to prohibit race from being taken into consideration about adoption from foster care, meaning race is a factor when selecting parents).

So, hypothetically, if a white couple wants to adopt a black baby and race is now a factor…that couple can not adopt that child until (or if) a black couple does or does not come forward, right?

Detroit Free Press 

 NPR

 Washington Post

Time

Post from: Blisstree

Should Race Matter?

According to the agency The Great Wall of China the requirements to adopt from China are as follows: (I have highlighted circumstantial issues that pertain to Britney’s case.)

Age Requirements for Parents

• Married couples 30 to 49.5 years old or less (at application to Great Wall) are eligible to adopt from China. This age eligibility requirement is assessed by dossier registration in China. Both adoptive parents must be less than 50 years old when their dossier is registered at the CCAA.
• Adoptive parents must be at least 30 years old when the dossier is registered in China.
• Adoptive parents must be less than 50 years old when the dossier is registered in China.
• Married couples 30 up to 55 years old are eligible to adopt a Waiting Child from China. Both parents must be less than 55 years old when the dossier is registered in China.

Age Guidelines for Adoptive Families

• Couples 30 to 44 may apply to adopt a child 3 to 12 months old. (apparently the twins are 6?)
  
• Couples 45 to 50 may apply adopt a child 13 months to 3 years old. Dossiers must be registered before both parents are 50 years old.
• Couples 51 to 55 may apply adopt a child 4 and older through the Waiting Child Program.
• China bases eligibility on each person’s age. If one spouse is under 30 or one spouse is over 55, the couple is not eligible to adopt.

Education Requirements

• Each potential adoptive parent must have a high school education. A diploma or GED is acceptable.

Financial Requirements

• The family must show a positive net worth (assets vs. liabilities) of at least $80,000. (Net Worth FAQ)
• There must also be an income earning of at least $10,000 per person in the household, including the adopted child.
• Adoptive parents must demonstrate an annual minimum combined income of $30,000. This represents $10,000 per adult + $10,000 for the adopted child. An additional $10,000 income is required for each additional person in the household. For example, a married couple with two children living in the home must earn at least $50,000

Parental History

• Prospective adoptive parents who have terminated parental rights after the age of 18 are not eligible to adopt.
• If you have been investigated by Child Welfare Services please contact Great Wall for a personal consultation.

Health History

Families are not eligible to adopt if any of the following apply:

• Diagnosed with major depression or any other severe mental health concern;
• Current diagnosis of depression or anxiety or currently on medication for depression or anxiety. If you were previously diagnosed with depression or anxiety, you must be off medication and recovered for at least 2 years.
• Diagnosed with alcoholism within the last 10 years;
• Any history of illegal drug/narcotic use or abuse;
• Any surgery within the last year;
• Major organ transplant/surgery within 10 years;
• One or both parents use a wheelchair or mobility aid;
• history of cancer;
• diagnosis of lupus;
• binocular blindness;
• Active Hepatitis A, B, or C; or
• One or both parents have a seizure disorder.
• BMI over 40. What’s my BMI?

All health issues will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. Please contact Great Wall if you have questions for a private consultation.

Criminal History

Families are not eligible to adopt if any of the following apply:

• Current warrants or currently on probation
• ANY use of or arrests for illegal drugs
• No more than 3 DUI or DWI charges, no DUI or DWI charges within the last 5 years regardless of outcome
• Any arrest for a violent crime (examples: assault, domestic violence, child abuse/neglect)
• Any felony arrests

Any other criminal charges are reviewed on case-by-case basis. Please contact Great Wall for a personal consultation.

Marriage Requirements

• If the first marriage, couples who are married over 2 years.
• If either spouse is in a second marriage due to the death of a spouse, the current marriage needs to be a minimum of 5 years.
• If either spouse has 1-2 divorces, the current marriage needs to be a minimum of 5 years.
• Couples where one or both spouses have 3 or more divorces are not eligible.

Maximum Number of Children
Every child deserves the undivided care and attention of a loving parent, especially children who have been orphaned at a young age. For this reason, the CCAA limits the number of children in the household to a maximum of five.

• Couples with less than 5 children under 18 years old living in the household may adopt from China.
• Couples with adult children (not living in the home) may adopt from China.
• Couples with more than 4 children in the family; but not all live at home, may adopt from China.
• If there are more than 4 children living in the household; please contact us to discuss your specific situation.

Household Requirements
Adoptive children entering a family require time to adjust to their new environment and bond with their adoptive family.

• If you have recently given birth to a child, or adopted domestically or from another country, you must wait until the child is 12 months old to submit your dossier to China.
• If you have recently adopted a child from China, you must wait until after you have submitted the 12 month post-placement report to submit your dossier to complete another adoption from China.

Religious Requirements

• CCAA requires a statement in the Home Study regarding spiritual beliefs.
• Families with religious beliefs that prohibit any kind of medical treatment, including blood transfusions, for the child, will not be eligible to adopt. According to the CCAA this includes religions that use alternatives to blood transfusions, as this is not available in every country.
• CCAA and Great Wall do not require families to be associated with any religion.

Subsequent Adoptions from China

• Adoptive parents may submit their dossier to China after they submit the 12 month Post Placement Report for the previous adoption.

Citizenship Requirements

• One adoptive parent must be a U.S. citizen
• If one parent is not a U.S. citizen; the other parent (who is a U.S. citizen) must travel to China to complete the adoption.
• If you are a U.S. citizen living abroad, we can help you to adopt from China; Great Wall has placed children with Americans living in Africa, Asia, Europe and the Middle East.

Additionally, the current wait times for China from submission of the dossier (which can take from 6 months to a year to compile) is up to three years.

I would personally love to see how she is going to pull this rabbit out of her hat.

Post from: Blisstree

Oh really, Britney?