This Page is a work in Progress....
International Adoption (IA) is not the only way to go and it is not always the best choice. It ever-changing and each agency has its own order, approach to, and recommendation for the process. This page shares what the process has been for us.
STEP 1: Research, research, research
This is one of the most unsettling and overwhelming steps for someone who tends toward over-gathering and over-analyzing information. There is a lot of scary stuff about IA (International Adoption) on the internet.
My advice for this step -
* PRAY
* Seek counsel
* Recognize that in most every scenario, there will be a horror story or two; when you find
those, ask some common sense questions: Was there something fishy? Where did the
error seem to lie? Was it preventable? If there are more than a few horror stories tied to the
same agency, it's probably best to cross that one of the list.
* Look for reliable resources; here's a list of some places to start:
Show Hope: How to Adopt
Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability - great site to check fiscal
responsibility/stewardship of agencies and organizations
* Make note of the agency's mission and priorities; are they just in the business of adoption, or
do they promote orphan care in areas where the goal isn't adoption?
* Know that research and wise consideration are important, but in the end, there is a huge
element of faith involved. YOU can NOT control the International Adoption process.
STEP 2: Choose agency, sign contract, begin HOME STUDY PROCESS
Again, every agency, state, and country has its own specifics.
For us, the Home Study segment included:
* 4 meetings with our adoption specialist/social worker: 3 @ her office; 1 @ our house
* 10 hours of online training through Adoption Learning Partners (a great resource)
* Collection and submission of several documents, forms, questionnaires
* Medical check-ups for all family members
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