Intercountry Adoption : Where Do I Start?

Series Title:	Factsheet for Families
Author(s):	Child Welfare Information Gateway
Availability:	View Publication Printable Version (PDF - 307 KB)
Year Published:	2009 - 13 pages

Americans adopted 17,433 children from other countries in FY 2008. This factsheet provides an overview of the intercountry adoption process, including deciding if intercountry adoption is right for your family, selecting the country your child will come from, choosing an adoption services provider, meeting immigration and citizenship requirements, and adjusting to life as a new family. It also discusses some of the differences between adoptions from Hague Convention and non-Hague Convention countries.

Intercountry Adoption from Hague Convention and Non-Hague Convention Countries

Series Title:	Factsheet for Families
Author(s):	Child Welfare Information Gateway
Availability:	View Publication Printable Version (PDF - 211 KB)
Year Published:	2009 - 10 pages

The process for intercountry adoptions changed in some significant ways with the U.S. ratification of the Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption on April 1, 2008. The rules are different for U.S. citizens who adopt a child from a nation that is party to the Hague Convention than for those who adopt from a nation that is not party to the Hague. This factsheet is designed to provide basic comparative information about the two types of intercountry adoption, as well as resources for more detailed information.

Accredited Agencies
U.S. Department of State
List of adoption service providers able to provide adoption services in connection with Hague adoption cases after the Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoption enters into force for the United States.

Related Information Gateway Topics

Systemwide: Statistics - Intercountry adoption
Adoption: Adopting from minority groups