Is International Adoption risky?

Risks exist in every type of adoption. It is ultimately up to the adoptive couple to determine what risks are acceptable to them and which risks are unacceptable.

Some of the most common risks involved with international adoption are discussed in this article. Adoptive families considering international adoption should speak with their adoption professionals about potential risks, in addition to taking the time to talk with other adoptive families who have adopted from the same country and orphanage. Adoptive families should also consider talking with medical professionals who specialize in working with international adoptions to discuss any potential medical concerns or risks.

Risk: Country shutting down or suspending adoptions
Some countries suspend the adoption petitions for periods of time while they review adoption policies and procedures. During suspension, adoptions in process are halted, which can lead to very frustrating delays. Be sure to research the countries you are considering as some countries more frequently suspend their petitions than others.

Risk: Safety
American couples adopting intenationally have not been well-received by some countries and may face a strong anti-American sentiment during visits to the country they are adopting from. Additionally, couples adopting overseas are cautioned that language barriers may cause confusion when filing adoption paperwork or communicating with the foreign adoption agency or orphanage.

Couples adoptive overseas may also be the targets for fraud or extortion in some countries. Most recently, the U.S. government has issued a warning to adopive couples traveling to Guatemala. According to the U.S. State Department, "The U.S. Embassy in Guatemala has occasionally received reports of Guatemalan police in and around some of the major hotels in Guatemala City attempting to extort money from adopting parents by threatening to take the biological or foster mother and the prospective or adopted child into custody.  We know of no legal basis under local Guatemalan law for such actions and encourage all U.S. citizens who encounter similar experiences to report them immediately to their local lawyer and the American Citizens Services section at the U.S. Embassy in Guatemala City.  Please read the Guatemala Consular Information Sheet at: http://travel.state.gov/ for updated information about security and other local conditions."

Risk: Country processing paperwork slowly
The paperwork process can be one of the most consuming parts of the international process. Some countries are very deliberate and slow in processing the international paperwork. This leads to longer waiting times. Be sure to research the country you are considering to evaluate waiting times.

Risk: Health condition and records
Some countries are much better at providing medical records than other countries. Some countries also have inferior medical services and records, which can lead to limited medical information for the child you are hoping to adopt. With that being said, some countries have made great strides improving their medical information. While medical information is not always available, you can explore characteristics in the region, such as probability of alcohol exposure during birth, hepatitis, etc. There are also resources/clinics within the United States that are very helpful with reviewing medical records of children adopted internationally and can discuss potential risks to prospective adoptive families.

Risk: Quality foster care or orphanage
The quality of the child's institutional care should be evaluated. Poor quality care can lead to significant developmental, emotional and mental issues as your child grows. It is important to explore these risks so you are fully prepared for these possibilities. Poor care is not a guarantee of mental, emotional and developmental problems, but it does raise the risk factors in some cases significantly. It is also important to determine the number of children per care worker. The more children a worker must care for, the lower the quality of care, which is especially important for newborns and infants. It is also important to determine nutritional food quality along with frequency of meals and sleeping routine. This will determine what the child knows and is comfortable with so the family knows what to expect from their child when they return home. Although these scenarios are potential risks, it should be noted that some countries are able to provide exceptional care.