International Adoption - Choosing a country?????

[heebyjeeby]

Hi.I'm a newby Married, 2 daughters 7 and 5. Just filling in forms for international adoption!! ...Something we.ve been thinking about for a year now. I'm 41 and my hubby's 58 so most countries are out for us because of the age.Guatemala seems good for us. We seem to tick all the boxes. Read up loads on the net about the country and it's definately top of the list. Just wondered if anyone else out there is just starting out as we are...or maybe already adopted a Guatemalan child? Need advice! Most of the websites I find are American and soooo different to uk rules and regs. Grateful for any help,
Heeby x

your best best is to join OASIS as they have a list of country contacts. There are many families in the UK who have adopted from Guatemala though I haven't come across one on mumsnet. The otheroption is to join UKAO yahoo group which is the UK Overseas Adoption webgroup. I know there are at least a few Guatemala families on there.

Hey thanks. I'll check them out. Just looked at your piocs- Your son is so gorgeous! It all seems a lofe-time away for us. How long did it take you from applying to the agency to bringing your son home? I'm going to have to slow down...It has taken over my life over the last month already...I can't sleep...or think of much else right now.Deep breaths...What was the age criteria in the country you adopted from?
Heeby

LOfe-time??? - Sorry - life-time

I was about 3 yrs door to door (as it were). My DS was adopted from Kazakhstan and there are no legal age restrictions as such, it is up to the ministry of education and teh judge to agree what is appropriate given the child and parents.

I would therefore be posisble for you to adopt and infant under 2 at least in theory. Kaz is not for the faint-hearted though, it is the Wild West equivalnet of te adoption world! My blog is on www.simplesite.com/journeytokaz. I was there three months due to many bueauceatic delays.

Don't worry about the obsessive phase it does pass eventually. A few fellow ICA'ers were bemaoning the other day that if only we could have maintained the single mindedness we needed to complete our adoptions then we would probably be running the country now!

Where are you based - there are meet-ups in some places where you can talk to adopters.

You could also try contacting the Intercountry Adoption Centre who have up to date info on various countries, produce info booklets and also run Information Days for those in the early stages of the process. You may be able to find someone else who has been along to one of these, I think they are quite helpful.
www.icac.org.uk
Agree about OASIS and also AFAA is an org for those who are adopting from overseas or have already done so. Think Guatamala use US agencies for their adoptions does anyone else know?
Good Luck with your plans.

i think 3 years is pretty realistic for most countries now...china and thailand used to be faster but they have slowed right down

HJ - remember that most of the stuff you read from Us agencies re timescales will not be valid for Uk adopters - even if you use the same agency

Thanks for all the feedback.3 years does seem SUCH a long time to wait!We've been told we won't be on the September 3 day course as it's full so we're now hoping to be on the next, which is December. Do we have a visit from the Agency before we go on the course or does that all start later?

I'm just trying to decide who we should ask to be our referees.I know I need to ask 3 - 1 being a family member. Does anyone know at which stage the interviews take place and are the referees interviewed intermitantly during the 3 year process? How intense are the interviews? I know it may vary depending on the agency but just feel I should forwarn my refs and check they would be around as Don't want any delays if poss!

I'm in Cheshire by the way.

Thanks, Heeby.

whetehr you get a visit before the course depends on your agency. Best practice is to have the home study running concurrently with teh course but that doesn't always happen.

Referees are interveiwed once for the home study early on in the process (hopefully within 6 months of starting).

Very rough time line is:

Homestudy and prep course then panel hearing - 6-9 months (or up to 12 depnding on problem along the way)
papers sent to Dfes and lots of waiting around for them to issue certificate of eligibility - 6 months
Translation and notarisation and lots of sitting around waiting - 6 months
Back to Dfes for file to be copied and sent to Embassy and more waiting around - 6 months
Processing by sending country Embassy and sitting around waiting while they approve and send on to country - 3-6 months
Waiting for country to process file - 3-6 months
Getting all your documentation redone as you've waited so long that it is all out of dayte - 3 months
Waiting for a Match within the country - 3-6 months
Waiting for visa and getting ready to tracvel - 3 months.

I don;t think my referees found the interview particularly intense just tell them to beahve as if someone is intereviewing them for you to get a job. ie Positive but with a hint of realism (thay don;t have to say you are perfect parents).

it is worth discussing with them the problems that ICA children face as most Sw's will be impressed that you understand and have tried to prepare the people closest to you.

Agree about preparing refs it is useful if they can feedback how well thought through your decision to adopt is.
Also we used friends who had children and they were able to say how well we'd looked after them on occasions- poss not so important if you already have children and have proven parenting skills. Timescales can vary from country to country but 3yrs not unrealistic - if you get through quicker very much a bonus! matches seem to be taking longer than they used to with all countries now so worth researching this quite carefully before starting assessment as you will have to let them know which country you are hoping to adopt from. You can change at a later date but this will prolong the process.

i agree with everyone else. try not to stress about the referees being "availabel" - they wont interview them until after you start your home study which will be into next year i woudl guess...

Is the day in december an information meeting or the first meeting of their preparation groups? As KC says, soem authorities will insist you complete all the group meetings befroe they let you formally apply, then they have to allocate you a Sw and then wait til he/she has tiem to start your home study [sigh]

The 6 months timescale for the home study doesnt start when you first approach them, it begins when they start your home study. Unless your authority is very efficient (or they contract out the overseas home studies) i think it woudl be realistic to be at panel next summer

have they given you the cost of your home study yet?

Dear Kewcaumber
I would like to adopt from Kazakhstan (my first dd is adopted from the Georgian Republic which is not available anymore).
May I ask which adoption agency have you used?
Thank you,
Niceasacat (Shelley)

I am in oz, but have some friends who are going through this and I was a referree for them. They were very restricted by age and it turned out that the best choice for them was The Phillipines where you can also apply for sibblings. There is also a reasonable chance that a toddler from the Phillipines might have some exposure to english language already. It is actually quicker than most other countries (18-24mths) and I understand that with some of the south american countries you have to spend quite a bit of time and money in the country when you go to collect the child.

I used an agency called Enroute based in the US who deal only with European families but work through Frank Foundation. There are only a few who will work with non-US families. They have no wesite only an email address which I'll have to look up for you.

Thank you Kewcumber. From what I have looked into, Kazakhstan is my best option, as children there are relatively young. My daughter now is 4 1/2 and sh also likes the idea of a 'baby'...
Niceasacat (now Noga - shorter to type...

if you want a child under 18 months Russia and guatemala are also a possibility.

Hi Kewcumber
Russia changes the law. Now it is at least 1 1/2 to 2 years old. Guatemala is an option. Quite expensive but I am considering it.

Guatemala adoptions are currently suspended so it is no longer an option.

Yes I'd heard the same about Guatemala. They have suspended in the past and then reopened but doubt this will happen this time.
Contact ICA for up to date info on countries, they produce downloadable info sheets with country reqts etc and also do info days for those in the early stages of the process
www.icacentre.org.uk

Hi All Happy New year

I would love advice from anyone who has adopted from Russia, agencies etc. I live in Scotland and really don't know where to start.

your best source of info would probably the INtercountry Adoption Centre (ggogle for phone number) or OASIS.

Hi all,
I adopted a little boy from Russia two years ago - it has been the most magnificant experience of my life. Tonight when we were in bed reading a story, he stopped me, turned to look at me in the eyes and said 'you are my mommy, I love you'. My heart literally skipped a couple of beats.
I believe that adoption is a very, very positive option for completing your family - I believe it so much that I set up a website www.internationaladoptionguide.co.uk to explain the process and I am now organising an event called Children without Borders on the 9th February - a day devoted to International Adoption where you will be able to find out everything (well almost) that you need to adopt from overseas. More info can be found at www.childrenwithoutborders.co.uk.
I could cry when I think of all the years I wasted on IVF trying to have children when all I really wanted was to be a parent. It is beautiful experience.

Hi greedymonkey.
we are also looking to adopt a child from Russia, perhaps we could swap info and encourage each other along the way

HI

I am a single adopter early 50s who has been approved for domestic adoption and been in the system here for 5 years or so. They are now willing to convert it into an overseas adoption because I have waited so long for a match.

Advice about countries and agencies would be very welcome. I saw from an earlier message that Kazakstan and Russia seem like possibilities - does anyone have experience they could advise with?

thank you

Jeanc

jeanc - UK dossiers are currently on hold in Kaz at the moment, I don't know whether this is temporary or if there is a more serious underlying problem. There is also talk of bringing in age limit of 50 in at some point but that also has not been confirmed so it maynot be the best choice for you at the moment.