I is for International Adoption

Today, we're grateful for the perspective of Dwell mom Sarah who, along with her husband Kyle, brought home their son and third child from Bulgaria earlier this year.

“International adoption is a process that can vary greatly, depending on the country that families choose to pursue and the age, gender, and special needs families are open to. Some countries have long timelines and may even require adopting families to reside there for a certain period of time. There are countries, such as Ukraine, that require multiple trips before families can bring their child home, while countries like China only require one trip. Countries like Columbia tend to have older children with fewer special needs available for adoption, while countries like Bulgaria often have young children with moderate special needs waiting to be adopted. The choice of which country you pursue truly depends on what best suits your family.

There is sometimes a misconception that international adoption involves paying one agency or person thousands and thousands of dollars in exchange for a child. What people must keep in mind, though, is that intentional adoption involves paying multiple agencies and government entities, travel expenses, etc. There is certainly corruption that takes place, but choosing a country that is part of The Hague Convention helps ensure that your adoption is ethical.

Children placed for international adoption are typically either abandoned or surrendered at birth. This is also something that tends to vary by country. Many countries will try to place children for domestic adoption first. Once a child is eligible for international adoption and a file is completed, those children are either matched with families who pursue a traditional route, or they are listed as waiting children on advocacy sites like Rainbow Kids or Reece’s Rainbow. We found our son through those advocacy pages, and we are so grateful for the work they do to help children find families.

After lots of prayer, we were led to our son in Bulgaria.

We knew we wanted to adopt a little boy with Down syndrome and we also wanted to maintain birth order within our family unit. In many countries, there are more boys available for adoption than girls, and that was the case in Bulgaria.

International adoption is an incredible experience, and I am often in awe that out of all of the miles, countries, and cultures that separated us, God brought us together and completed our family.