If you are looking to grow your family through adoption, the idea of adopting a child from another country may immediately seem appealing. Doing so may offer you the chance to provide a child with opportunities that they may not otherwise have in their country of origin. Yet as many of those that we here at Dempsey Law can attest to, there can be many complexities involved in this process.
Issues such as human trafficking and the illegal abduction and sale of children have received increased attention in recent years, which can raise ethical questions about international adoptions from certain areas. To help ensure that such human rights violations are not inadvertently supported, the governments from several countries around the globe have established the Hague Convention on the Protection of Children and Cooperation in Respect of Intracountry Adoption. The countries that participate in the Convention are tasked with adhering to a strict set of standards, ensuring that a child that you adopt from another country was not made available for adoption through illegal means.
The transition in culture a child experiences when being adopted into a family from another country can be shocking (particularly for older kids). Thus, according to the U.S. State Department, Convention countries only permit international adoptions after consideration has been given to the reasonable potential of placing a child with a family in their country of origin. Only after such consideration has been made can a child be approved for an international adoption by their home country.
Additionally, Convention countries are required to be transparent in sharing the costs associated with adoption, freeing you of the worry of being financially exploited in your efforts to being a foreign child into your home.
More information on international adoption requirements can be found throughout our site.
