If you find that you would like to adopt a child abroad, you may face a few extra hurdles than if you were adopting from within your own country. You may wish to adopt a child from a foreign country because they lost their parents in a natural disaster or war, there are lots of reasons. Some are incredibly private and personal.
Adoption is an incredibly loving way of providing a child a home. It’s one of the best things you can ever do. Giving a child, who may have had a rough start in life, the best chance to feel like they belong.
Here are some of the things to know if you do want to go this route of growing your family…
Where and who?
The two things the law of your country wants to know first is where is the child from and who are they with (i.e. who is responsible for them?).
If you wish to adopt a child from Spain, for example, and you are an American, then you have to get documents of the child and the home or organisation they are in. This includes a copy of their birth certificate, any doctor’s records of the child, proof that the child is within an orphanage, a care home or other place. Not to mention, you’ll need a copy of their passport as proof they can travel.
It’s a complex process but well worth it.
Help for you both
Usually, the organisation that is responsible for the child, such as an orphanage, will work with you to get you and the child home safely and quickly. However, unless you have an immigration attorney, you may stumble over some hurdles. So it’s a good idea to work with a legal team that understands all forms of immigration, the documentation required, the latest laws surrounding the area most relevant, etc.
This is also something you should desire, because you need to prove that your adoption of the child is not malicious. You have to prove you’re not child trafficking and that you have the means to support yourself and the child financially.
Make plans
Before the child is given the green light to travel to you, you have to show a child services professional that you are ready for the challenge.
They will arrive at your home, talk to you about the things you need to know about parenting and also, help the child settle in. This will be things like learning the language, getting used to the currency, understanding their rights as a new citizen among other things. They will also check the living quarters of the child. So, prepare their room, bed, and the usual things like food that the child will like.
If you choose to adopt a child abroad, any child at all, you are doing one of the best things a human being can do for another. Just make sure you have thought through everything before making the decision.
Feature image credit: Kelli McClintock / Unsplash
