# Thinking of adopting abroad.



## madison (May 6, 2005)

HI,


  We are thinking of looking into adopting abroad & I wondered if there is anyone here who has done so or is in the process of doing so ?
  I know this is not something to go into lightly & we have decided to wait & just find out as much as possible & then if we still feel the same
  in a years time then to go forward with it.
    
    I am 42 & my husband is 32 & I know I am not getting any younger ! 


  We were wondering if the process is the same as adopting here ? I know you have to be assessed my SW in the UK but didn't know if it was exactly the same
  ie.. time scale as involved & evasive etc..
. 
    My younger brother is adopted but he is 40 now & many things have changed since my parents adopted him ie.. he is only 1 1/2 years younger than me, he didn't have
    to have his own room, there were already 4 children under 10 in our home when we adopted him, he is British but his parents were both from Jamaica.


  Thank you for any help.


    Katy. xx


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## Boggy (Dec 13, 2006)

Hi Madison

Sorry I don't have any experience of adopting from abroad. I know that you have to complete the home study here, as if you were adopting in the UK, and most LA's won't prioritise assessing people who want to adopt abroad so I'm afraid long time scales and the same amount of invasive questioning is probably inevitable.

Here's a link to a previous thread:

http://www.fertilityfriends.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=210211.msg3328478#msg3328478

http://www.fertilityfriends.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=97662.0

Sorry i can't be of more help 

bx


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## madison (May 6, 2005)

B,


    Thanks for the links, I have looked on your local council site & it says they have an agreement with PACT when its overseas adoptions.. I don't know if thats a good
    or bad thing ??


    Thanks again & any other ideas from anyone welcome   


    Katy. xx


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## ❣Audrey (Aug 22, 2008)

I think it can depend what countries you are thinking of adopting from also, because each country has it's own set of criteria that it expects adoptive parents to meet.  We did look in to adopting from abroad ( China specifically as my family originate from there) but it would have been 2016 before we would even be able to start looking for a match.

xxx


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## madison (May 6, 2005)

2016... gosh, how did you find out how long it would be ?? Did you find that out before you started the process as it would be handy if I could find things like that out before we
                      start the ball rolling as if its that long I wouldn't be accepted as I am just 42 now ! We are thinking of Ethiopia or Africa really, would be Jamaica but I think it is harder to 
                      adopt from there now.


                      Thank you & good luck. xxx


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## ❣Audrey (Aug 22, 2008)

I know with China they had set things like both parents over 30 years of age, under a certain BMI and then we had to research waiting times by talking to other people going through the process and looking at the relevant websites.

As for adopting from Ethiopia, it may be worth pming a member called SpayKay as I know she was in the process of doing this xxx


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## Anjelissa (Jan 11, 2007)

Hi Madison,

I'm afraid I don't have any experience of adopting from another country, although we are going to panel in less than a month for adoption in the UK.

I just wanted to leave you a message to wish you Good Luck!   
I remember you from when I was going through my 2nd or 3rd IVF, you were so supportive and had so many lovely words of encouragement   
(I was 'Angie x' then)

All the best for the start of your adoption journey, and feel free to drop me a line if you have any questions regarding UK-adoption, I'd be happy to help if I can.

Luv Anj x


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## ❣Audrey (Aug 22, 2008)

Madison!  I do have some helpful info finally!!!

What to Expect When You're Adopting has a fab section on adopting from abroad with good links etc in so may well be worth you taking a look at xxx


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## thespouses (Jan 5, 2006)

We are adopting from abroad, I will give you full details if you PM me but in brief:
You are assessed in the UK with the same process as those adopting from the UK but in some cases they would make slightly different recommendations (e.g. age limits may be different).
In some cases your LA assesses you but now this is rare - usually they farm it out to a VA - one VA in our region does about 10 LAs as far as I can make out.
The UK end and the overseas end both cost - in some cases the overseas end is much much more than the UK end (Russia is like this).
You have an agency, normally in the US, to do the overseas end.
Several countries are in a state of flux at the moment. Guatemala is closed and China takes forEVER, but some countries seem to be coming up on the inside, so to speak!
There are advantages and disadvantages - we chose abroad for several reasons, some related to my/DH's age, some related to the procedure in the country we've chosen, although one big reason is that I'm a dual national.


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## thespouses (Jan 5, 2006)

Oh yes, meant to say - there is a Yahoo group for adopting abroad - you have to have started the process to join (we joined when we'd registered with the VA and had a prep course date - we'd really have appreciated some advice before that but actually got some good, though pricey, advice from a lawyer).


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