International Adoption: Building Families Across Cultural Lines

Abstract

Adoption is a long and involved process. Before receiving a child, parents must wade through months of paperwork, bureaucratic red tape and waiting lists. Not all adopted children in America were born within the borders of the United States. These children come from Asia, Eastern Europe, Africa, or Latin America. International adoption carries with it different difficulties beyond the paperwork and bureaucratic regulations of all adoptions. In addition to satisfying the laws of state and federal government, potential adopters must also work with the laws and regulations of the country from where they are adopting. The paperwork will be both in English and the language of the country, and traveling to pick up the child is often required. Once the child arrives home with his or her new parents there can be problems of language, climate adjustments, health issues and culture shock. Once these hardships have passed, most find themselves the proud parents of a young boy or girl. International adoption is a different process than domestic, but the end result is the same- a child to love and raise.