| How to
Adopt Internationally |
| Boni
Bender-Klosson really searched the world over for her beautiful daughter.
After several attempts and much frustration they successfully adopted daughter
Karen in Bolivia in 1994. The Klossons are in the Foreign Service. From
the time they began their adoption odyssey to the end, they had lived
in 3 separate countries. Being an expat is hard enough but trying
to adopt as an expat can be daunting. Boni shares with us her unique
experiences and advice about adopting internationally.
Q:Being
an expat, was it hard to find an adoption agency?
A: It
was hard to find an agency who would work with us. Most agencies only wantto
handle domestic adoptions for people living in the U.S.. We thought we
would adopt from Russia or China. So we asked the U.S. Embassy in Russia
if they knew of a reputable agency who was currently operating. They said
the agency Los Ninos International (LNI) [see resources] has a good reputation
and did Russian adoptions. |
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We contacted
LNI and they agreed to work with us. At the time, we learned that
there was a moratorium on adoption from both China and Russia which meant
being added to a very long list. We ended up going through Bolivia.
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Q:What
were some of the resources you used to learn about international
adoption?
A:A
good source is the Adoption Resource Book (by Lois Gelman). This book lists
all adoption agencies in the U.S. and lists their specializations such
as international adoptions. I suggest anyone considering adoption
look through that book. One factor for adoptions is the age limit
of the parents. |
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| We learned
that in Bolivia one parent cannot be over 50.
In some countries
if you are over the limit, say 56, you have to adopt a 6 year old.
There are other limiting factors you need to be aware of.
Also when researching
an agency they should be able to give you a list of satisfied customers.
Call them and interview others about their experiences. Try to get
a feel for how much support the agency provides because once you
are in country, and you are waiting for your child, you really need the
support of a good agency. I cannot stress this enough. The support of a
good agency is crucial.
Q:How
long does it take to complete an adoption and how much does it cost? |
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| A:The
entire adoption process for us took about a year and a half to complete—that
includes assembling the proper paperwork, etc. The cost averages
between $25–35,000.
Q:What
kind of paperwork is required?
A:LNI
provided us with an information packet which we called our Bible. It never
left our side. The following is a partial list of some of the requirements:
•statement
of net worth and police statements. It’s harder to go through this
with an adoption than just to have your own child. You have to really prove
that you can afford a child as well as prove no police record in your home
state. Additionally, you must obtain police clearance from the country
you are living in.
•home study—done
in English. Be sure to pick somebody you feel very comfortable with.
•certificates
of marriage and divorce, letter from employer, proof of insurance,
tax returns, medical forms. |
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| •birth certificates
for all family members. Get at least 5 each. You can always use them
later. Make sure they are notarized, if you have to go back for that,
it’s a long time and much more costly.
•3 personal
letters of recommendation and one from your pastor, pictures of all
family members, including close-ups, the family together and your house,
fingerprint charts and statement of mental competency.
Q:That’s
just a partial list?
A:Right.
Every country has different requirements. What you need to know is that
for each of those documents we had to have the original, and notarized
copies. Bolivia requires the notarized copies from your hometown
to then be authenticated in your state capital. |
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| Then they
have to be stamped by the State Department and then stamped by the
Bolivian Embassy. We had to do that for every document!
Q:What
an effort!
A:Yes,
but when we finally heard the Bolivian judge say, ‘she’s yours’ we forgot
all that—the bureaucratic running around we did, the paperwork and the
long arduous process.
With a Bolivian
adoption you must appear before a judge. He asked us to promise to
give her an education and to include her in our will. We said, “sure,
of course.” Then he asked us to make a sign. My husband and I looked at
each other and didn’t know what to do. All we could think to do was to
place our hands over our hearts and we pledged that we would take
care of her. That’s when he said, ‘ok, she’s yours.’
Q:Any
other tips or advice for those considering international adoption?
A:•Keep
a daily diary. It helped me remember the details of every step.
•Take lots
of pictures when you’re in country. This will be wonderful for the
child in later life when you try to recreate their family history.
•Try and find
a support group. The U.S. Embassy in Bolivia introduced us to other
parents who were adopting at the same time. I didn’t feel so alone, we
were all going through the same thing at the same time.
•Expect the
unexpected. Things don’t always go according to plan. Don’t give
up and concentrate on the long run. It’s really worth it!
International
Adoption Resources (both willing to work with expats)
Los Ninos International—www.losninos.org
Staff is multilingual and includes social workers. Accredited under
international standards through the Council of Accreditation (COA).
Contact: Jean Nelson-Erichsen, 1600 Lake Front Circle, Suite #130, The
Woodlands,
TX 77380 Ph: (281) 363-2892; JErichsen@LosNinos.org
International
Children’s Alliance— www.adoptica.org Staff includes psychologist,
licensed not-for profit child placement agency, currently placing
children from Russia, China, Bulgaria, Ukraine and beginning next
year, Albania. Contact: Deborah McFadden, 1101 17th Street, N.W.
#1002, Washington, D.C. 20036 Ph: (202) 463-6874; adoptionop@aol.com |
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