Introduction time...

CEGUID1020 · August 2013

Hello! My name is Casey and I am a creeper...er...I mean lurker.

I have been on this blog off and on for the past 6 months or so. My husband and I are only approaching our first year of marriage but have dreamed of adoption since we were dating. We believe this is something we are called to do when God says the timing is right. We are both interested in IA, but aren't opposed to foster to adopt.

I am currently a foster/adoption worker and previous CPS investigator (Don't hate me!) so I am very familiar with the process. I just wanted to introduce myself! Also a quick question, for those that have completed IA, how did you choose your agency? (I am sure this has been answered millions of times previous. Feel free to link me to discussion) Thanks all and I look forward to getting to know you all!

Dr.Loretta · August 2013

Hi and welcome. No hate here, I know at least one other CPS worker who is also doing foster/adopt.

Go through the list of FAQs--I think #8 or #9 discuss international adoption and how to choose a country and/or agency. Captain Serious is an active poster and did IA twice, so she's a good resource

CaptainSerious · August 2013

Hi, and welcome!

When adopting internationally, I find it's usually best to first pick from which country. The US Department of State's website lists the requirements to adopt from each country (https://adoption.state.gov/). I always recommend you find a country that you wish to adopt from first, and then chose an agency that has a strong program in that country. There are some great agencies that have some really strong programs in countries they've been working in for some time...and some fledgling programs in countries that are new to them. Even though these agencies are generally highly recommended, their newer programs may not work as well as those that are more renowned, because they haven't had the time and experience to figure out all the kinks, establish strong contacts, and become aware of all the pitfalls.

It's also a good idea to find an agency that has a strong program in more than one country you are interested in. Adoption programs can be very volatile, as they are dependent on the laws of multiple countries/compacts, diplomatic relations, public perception, etc. It's not unheard of for a country to drastically slow down their process or close entirely, and if your agency specializes in more than one country you are interested in, you should be able to transfer to another program with limited difficulty or cost (you should make sure of this when interviewing agencies).

I interviewed each agency I was considering (at the time, there were only 8 agencies processing adoptions from Peru, where we adopted from, so I looked into them all) and asked them a LONG list of questions I put together based mostly on questions complied out of The Complete Idiot's Guide to Adoption, but also including other questions that I came across along the way or that I found to be personally important. The yahoo group "Adoption Agency Research" was also a phenomenal resource for vetting agencies. You can ask about the agencies you are interested in directly, and also search their archives and files.