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Countries that offer their children up for international adoption are called donor countries. These are countries who have more children then their nations have adoptive parents. And there are many. Theoretically you may can adopt from:
How do I choose a county?
This is one of the most important and difficult decisions to make. Primarily you must be able to filful the criteria of that country before you select it. It is no good, as a single parent, to to select a country that does not allow single parents, or be 66 and apply to adopt a baby from a country who won't allow parents to be more then 45 years older then their children. So one must fulfil the countries adoption criteria.
Often people are drawn to a specific country. Their family may have originated from Eastern Europe and they want to maintain that link, others may themselves be from another country, for example India and want to adopt a child that is ethnically the same. Others have travelled and fallen in love with a country and its people. Some have particular knowlege about a country, or a political leaning towards a country.
Some people have particular racial an ethnic requirements. They want their children to look exactly like them, thus they will choose a country where this match is possible. Others have friends who have adopted from a specific country and want to follow in their footsteps.
Sometimes it is a process of elimination. Samoa? Never heard of it - cross it out. China yes that sounds good but can I have a transracial family? Bulgaria maybe.
Of course with international adoption you are steering away from the traditional family, but you have to make a decision that you can live with for the rest of your life and one that will suit your family and your child.
The easiest way to choose, is to choose a country which you have some knowledge about and a connection to. Maybe you know some of the language, you have friends there, you have family connections, you studied it in history, you went there on honeymoon.
Countries at war or suffering a natural disaster
Be wary though of wanting to adopt from countries at war or suffering from natural disasters. Often news pictures entice people to open their homes and their hearts - but it is rarely possible to adopt the children who have survived. In the immediate aftermath, it is often difficult to ascertain that a child is truly an orphan. Parents may have become separated from their children in the confusion.
It is not ethical to place a child for adoption unless it is clear that no parent able to care for that child will be found. If it is clear that a child has no parent, good adoption practice requires that attempts be made to place the child with extended family, members of the community, or others in his/her birth country, in order to preserve his/her heritage. A search for a domestic family can take many months in the aftermath of a disaster.
A country's government may be in disarray and what resources are available may be deployed on life saving projects. Thus, the courts and other entities that could handle relinquishments and adoptions may not be functioning at all. Even if a country manages to get its legal system functioning and to identify parentless children, it may not permit adoption, by law or custom. This is particularly true in countries that live by Shaaria, Islamic law, which does not recognize adoption.
To find out more read: http://www.jcics.org/Afganistan.htm
The countries are as varied as the ethnic make up of the UK:
Applications received by Department Children Schools and Families From 1 January 2002 to December 2007
Country No. of Applications
Total Applications Received: 2002:285, 2003:301, 2004:333, 2005:369, 2006:363, 2007:356 Total applications received from 2002-2007: 2007 Source: DCFS January 2009
When do I need to decide on what country to adopt from?
Most local authorities and adoption agencies want to know in the very beginning what country you are going to be adopting from. Often they will not start the process until you have decided. It is unadvisible to make initial contact unil you have decided where you are going to adopt from. It is difficult although not impossible to change countries mid process. Definitely by the time you go to panel you must have made a firm committment, changing countries after panel will mean you going back to panel, which you do not want to do.
Sometimes the country that you have chosen closes adoption or else has a temporary halt on international adoptions and in these cases it is possible and even advisible to change - but depending where you are in the process you may still have to go to panel.
Where do I get more information about adoption requirements in the the countries I want to adopt from?
The Department of Education and Skills website provides some information on the requirements of specific countries. They can be found at ***.
Joint International Children's Social Services - which is a US based organisation provides up to date information on adoption proceedures in most countries. They can be found at *****
Your local social services will not know anything about any of the countries' adoption laws.
Other adoptive parents can provide a wealth of information and we can put you in touch with some others who have adopted from the same country.
Other resources can be found on our LINKS page
Now I have decided to adopt and I know from which country - what do I do now?
Go onto our next page THE JOURNEY to find out the procedure in the UK
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