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This section is very content-intensive and being so, we have provided topical navigation links below which will "jump" you down this page to their respective section.
 Immigrant Visas Issued To Orphans Coming To The US
China/Vietnam/Korea/Asia
Russia/Eastern Europe
Guatemala/Colombia/Central, South America
Other Country Information Sites (Personal Pages)
US Government Resource Sites
National And International Adoption Organizations
International Adoption Newsgroups
State-By-State Adoption Information
Adoption Travel Hints/Suggestions
Financial Assistance For Adoption
Some Organizations Helping Children Abroad
Agency Research
Great Information From Adoption Organizations
Single-Parent Resources
Country Information On Embassies And Consulates
Information About Document Legalization And Apostille
Current information on the primary countries that the United States has adoption relationships.
US Department of State statistics for immigrant visas for orphans entering the US, 2001-2003. More figures available at: Department of State Immigrant Orphan Statisics.
 |
FY 2003 |
FY 2002 |
FY 2001 |
| 1 |
6,859: China |
5,053: China |
4,691: China |
| 2 |
5,209: Russia |
4,939: Russia |
4,279: Russia |
| 3 |
2,328: Guatemala |
2,219: Guatemala |
1,870: S. Korea |
| 4 |
1,790: S. Korea |
1,779: S. Korea |
1,609: Guatemala |
| 5 |
825: Kazakhstan |
1,106: Ukraine |
1,246: Ukraine |
| 6 |
702: Ukraine |
819: Kazakhstan |
782: Romania |
| 7 |
472: India |
766: Vietnam |
737: Vietnam |
| 8 |
382: Vietnam |
466: India |
672: Kazakhstan |
| 9 |
272: Colombia |
334: Colombia |
543: India |
| 10 |
250: Haiti |
260: Bulgaria |
407: Colombia |
| 11 |
214: Philippines |
254: Cambodia |
297: Bulgaria |
| 12 |
200: Romania |
221: Philippines |
266: Cambodia |
| 13 |
198: Bulgaria |
187: Haiti |
219: Philippines |
| 14 |
191: Belarus |
169: Belarus |
192: Haiti |
| 15 |
135: Ethiopia |
168: Romania |
158: Ethiopia |
| 16 |
124: Cambodia |
105: Ethiopia |
129: Belarus |
| 17 |
97: Poland |
101: Poland |
86: Poland |
| 18 |
72: Thailand |
67: Thailand |
74: Thailand |
| 19 |
62: Azerbaijan |
65: Peru |
73: Mexico |
| 20 |
61: Mexico |
61: Mexico |
51: Jamaica, Liberia (both 51) |
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US Department of State info: CAMBODIA
US Department of State info: CHINA
US Department of State info: INDIA
US Department of State info: KOREA
US Department of State info: THAILAND
US Department of State info: VIETNAM
Asia: http://www.comeunity.com/ and Adoptive Parents of Vietnam Newsgroup (APV)
Korea: http://www.adoptkorea.com/ and http://www.friendsofkorea.org/
Cambodia: http://www.famcam.org/index.html
India: http://www.ichild.org/
China: http://www.fwcc.org/
Vietnam: http://www.fcvn.org/ and http://www.adoptvietnam.org/
Thailand: http://www.neiu.edu/~rghiggin/Thaiadopt/start.html
US Department of State info: KAZAKHSTAN
US Department of State info: RUSSIA
US Department of State info: UKRAINE
Eastern European: http://www.eeadopt.org/
Russia and Ukraine: http://www.frua.org/
US Department of State info: GUATEMALA
US Department of State info: COLOMBIA
Latin American Parents Association: http://www.lapa.com/
There are several very good/informative sites put together as personal ‘links’ pages. Here are a few:
http://www.myadoptionlinks.com/
http://www.karensadoptionlinks.com/
US Department of State International Adoption site
National Adoption Information Clearinghouse-US Department of Health and Human Services
US Citizenship and Immigration Services: Intercountry Adoption
US Citizenship and Immigration Services: State by State office listing
US Citizenship and Immigration Services: Required forms and documents
Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute
US Passport application
IRS Adoption Tax Credit Publication 2003
IRS Form 8839: Adoption Tax Credit 2003
Process for US Immigration and Naturalization Ethica FAQ
American Adoption Congress
Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute
Ethica: An independent voice for ethical adoption
International Adoption Alliance
Joint Council on International Children's Services
National Council for Adoption
Lets Talk Adoption: Internet radio show
As of September 2004, there were 1284 newsgroups focusing on International adoption on Yahoo.com alone. More can be found on Googlegroups, and on adoption resource websites such as adoption.com. Whether you are researching countries and agencies or already home with your child, are a single parent or adopting an older child, newsgroups are an excellent source of information from other adoptive parents who are more than happy to help you done your common road. And group archives will save you a lot of time by keeping frequently asked questions at your fingertips.
Yahoo! International Adoption Groups search page
Listing of Department of Social Services-adoption divisions, all state-licensed adoption agencies, state adoption support.
OANDA Currency Converter Cheat Sheet (printable, a must have when traveling!)
Statistics, photos and cultural information about all countries of the world
World Maps
World Weather
World Time
Required Travel Documents, Visas, Passports, etc
US Embassies and Consulates Worldwide
Be wary of claims of grants to help cover the costs of adoption. Many are ‘sponsored’ by specific agencies and are basically a way to get prospective adoptive parents to sign-on with the agency. They then get a ‘grant’ that applies to already inflated costs. When you research grants and loans, check out who sponsors them.
National Adoption Foundation
Half the Sky Foundation
Spiral Foundation
Kidsave
Contact us today if you are interested in submitting your organization.
Many prospective adoptive parents sign on with an adoption agency without doing any research at all as to their reputation and ethical practices. Especially regarding International adoption, this is a grave oversight. People make the assumption that just because an agency is state-certified and licensed, they have been checked out by some governing organization and their sound and ethical business practices and overseas operations are guaranteed. Not so. There is no single entity that oversees and certifies adoption agencies practices, policies and behavior in foreign countries. State licensing only ensures that the agency meets certain criteria regarding training, personnel requirements, accounting practices and reporting. Whether an agency uses an overseas facilitator (the person in-country who arranges connection with available children and assists with the paperwork process there) who operates ethically or if they use questionable means (birthmother coercion, bribes, falsified documents) to gain access to the youngest babies in the shortest amount of time regardless of the means is not officially regulated by anyone. It is basically a self-policing business. Unethical facilitators (and believe me there are always those in a business where there is a LOT of money to be made) are either tolerated because they supply the agency with what it needs (lots of young healthy infants) or, at best, the agency drops the facilitators from their program. The problem is, the facilitator will move on, locate another agency that jumps at the chance of having a new contact, and the cycle continues. Don’t think it can’t happen to you, and do not put blinders on and risk working with a shady operation solely to have the child of your dreams. Working with an agency with questionable practices only increases your risk of having difficulties and delays in your adoptive process; additional fees, expenses and delays; or ending up without any child at all and tens of thousands of dollars in the hole. There are plenty of reputable agencies out there to work with.
Do your homework and research through as many avenues as you can. Ask around. To illustrate the intense resistance to scrutiny in this business (and it IS a business), there have been several websites set up to be some sort of reporting or rating system so families can share their experiences with specific agencies. Granted, this is a hard thing to do objectively and thoroughly, but I believe all information is valuable and should be weighed with other research. At the moment, none of these sites is currently operating…they have been forced to close due to lawsuits from some of the agencies and individuals reported on. Not necessarily because the information wasn’t correct, but it’s easy to close a small operation that can’t handle legal fees or bury them in red tape, especially when the offended party has the kind of resources that a large-scale operation can produce (you do the math: some agencies’ fees, outside of out-of-country expenses and paperwork, come to ten thousand—or more—dollars per adoption and they process hundreds and hundreds a year). Again, there are many reputable agencies. Seek them out. Especially, take advantage of the many newsgroups out there and post a message requesting input from members who used specific agencies. Believe me, you will get plenty of feedback.
Some national and organization sites for research information, followed by some valuable personal webpages compiled by adoptive parents.
National Adoption Information Clearinghouse: Assessing the reputation of adoption agencies
Better Business Bureau: Using an Adoption Agency
Ethica Agency Research site
State, County and City Government Consumer Protection Offices
States Attorneys General Office Listings
Research the financial records of non-profit organizations
Dave’s Adoption Agency Checklist
Karen’s Agency Research Links
Comeunity Agency Research page
eeadopt Agency Research page
There is currently an international treaty that has been ratified in whole by some countries, in part (or signed but not yet ratified) by others (including the US) to regulate globally the process of inter-country adoption in an effort to protect children and families. It is called the Hague Convention, and you can read more about it here:
Hague Convention of 29 May 1993 on Protection of Children an Co-operation in respect of Intercountry Adoption
American Adoption Congress Hague Response and Links
National Adoption Center: List of Positive Adoption Language
Another Article on Positive Adoption Language
Teacher’s Guide to Adoption (Thoughtful information for everyone!)
National Endowment for Financial Education: Straight Talk on Adoption Costs
C.A.S.E. The Center for Adoption Support and Education
NAIC Cost of Adoption Fact Sheet
Department of Defense: $2000 Adoption Expense Reimbursement Program
FWCC Resource: State Listing of MD’s with Adoption Experience
National Council for Single Adoptive Parents
P.O. Box 567
Mount Hermon, CA 95041
Single Mothers By Choice
P.O. Box 1642
Gracie Square Station
New York, NY 10028
212/988-0993
Making Lemonade: The Single Parent Network
2461 Santa Monica Blvd., Suite 329
Santa Monica, CA 90404
Parents Without Partners, Inc.
1650 South Dixie Hwy., Suite 510
Boca Raton, FL 33432
800/637-7974
Information on Consulates and Embassies is invaluable, although there is a lot of variety from site to site. Some foreign government sites are limited and have very little English. Some of them have extensive resources that include links pages of news, historical and cultural information, where to get products and services from their country in the US, and travel and tourist information. Often you will find that Foreign Embassies in the US plan cultural events that can be great resources for adoptive parents.
When traveling abroad, it’s always a good idea to register with the US Embassy in the country you are visiting when you get there so that they are aware of your presence.
When planning your adoption trip, you will be required to have a Visa for that country in addition to your US Passport, and will need to get it from their Foreign Consulate in your district of the US. Processing times, requirements and fees vary from country to country, so plan ahead.
VISA Information/Consulates (in U.S.) and in-country US Embassy sites by country (for the main countries with adoptive relationships with the US):
US STATE DEPARTMENT: ALL US EMBASSIES AND CONSULATES ABROAD
ALL FOREIGN EMBASSIES AND CONSULATES IN THE UNITED STATES
China:
China Embassy, Washington, DC
New York
San Francisco
Los Angeles
Chicago
Houston
China Center for Adoption Affairs
US Embassy in Beijing
US Embassy, Beijing: Adoption Issues
Russia:
Russian Embassy, Washington DC
New York
San Francisco
Seattle
US Embassy, Moscow
US Embassy, Moscow: Adoption Issues
Ukraine:
Ukraine Embassy, Washington DC
New York
Chicago
San Francisco
US Embassy, Kiev, Ukraine
US Embassy, Ukraine: Adoption Issues
Ukraine Consular Adoption Information
Guatemala:
Guatemala Embassy, Washington, DC
Consular Offices in the US
US Embassy, Guatemala City
US State Department, Guatemala: Adoption Issues
South Korea:
Korean Embassy, Washington DC
GENERAL VISA INFORMATION
Atlanta
Boston
Chicago
Houston
Los Angeles
New York
San Francisco
Seattle
US Embassy, Seoul
US Embassy, Seoul: Adoption
Kazakhstan:
New York
Kazakhstan Embassy, Washington DC
US Embassy, Almaty, Kazakhstan
US Embassy: Kazakhstan General Statement on Adoption
India:
Indian Embassy, Washington, DC
Chicago
Houston
New York
San Francisco
US Embassy, New Delhi
US State Department, India: Adoption
Vietnam:
Vietnam Embassy, Washington DC
US Embassy, Hanoi
US Embassy, Hanoi/Consulate, Ho Chi Minh City: Adoption Issues
Background on the suspensions of US/Vietnam adoptions
Colombia:
Colombian Embassy in US: Washington DC
Consulate in Atlanta
Consulate in Boston
Consulate in NewYork
Consulate in Houston
Consulate in Washington DC
Consulate in Los Angeles
Consulate in Miami
Consulate in San Francisco (site in Spanish)
US EMBASSY, Bogota, Columbia
Adoption Information from US Embassy
Haiti:
Haitian Embassy in US, Washington DC
Haitian VISA Requirements
US Embassy, Port-au-Prince
US State Dept., Haiti: Adoption
Philippines:
Philippine Embassy, Washington DC
Philippine Consulate, Chicago
Philippine Consulate, Honolulu
Philippine Consulate, Los Angeles
Philippine Consulate, New York
Philippine Consulate, San Francisco
US Embassy Manila
US Embassy: Adoption
Romania:
Embassy of Romania, Washington DC
US Embassy, Bucharest
US Embassy: Adoption
Bulgaria:
Embassy of Bulgaria, Washington DC
Bulgarian Embassy Statement on International Adoption
Bulgarian Consulate, New York
US Embassy, Sofia
US State Department: Bulgaria Adoption
Belarus:
Belarus Embassy, Washington DC
Belarus Consulate, New York
US Embassy, Minsk
US Embassy, Belarus: Adoption
Annual Post-Placement Report Forms and Information:
China
Ukraine
US STATE DEPARTMENT ADOPTION NOTICES ABOUT SPECIFIC COUNTRIES
US Department of State Apostille and Document information
Official documents are valid only in their own country. To get valid and recognized these documents for use abroad, they have to be legalized, some times even super-legalized. Mostly, a translation by an official recognized translator is necessary, too. In some cases, also this translation has to be legalized.
Furthermore, in many cases the documents have to be legalized by a consulate. However, some countries concluded conventions about waiving entirely or partially such legalizations. More and more countries are becoming members of the so-called "The Hague Convention" of 1961. Within the member countries the consular legalization of documents is replaced by an easier legalization proceeding, called "Apostille".
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