1. Identifying a Homestudy and Placement Agency:

All States have agencies who have been licensed to provide Homestudy and Post Placement services.  Some States also allow independent, licensed Social Workers to provide Homestudy services.  You may be identifying an agency in your State, who is licensed to provide Homestudies and also provides Placement services with foreign countries.  For example:  Adoptions International can provide Homestudy services for New York metropolitan area and for Pennsylvania residents, along with our Placement services for the countries in which we work.  Many families, however, may opt to work with Adoptions International for their Placement services, and  need to identify a  Homestudy provider. Adoptions International will work with families from all over the U.S., as well as U.S. families living overseas, and some families from European countries.

The Homestudy should help prepare you for the challenges inherent in raising a child who is adopted, and who is adopted from another race and culture.   The best Homestudies are not judgmental, assure that you meet the State's criteria for being adoptive parents, and should be "interactive", so that families can share their fears and questions openly.  Learning how to talk about adoption with your child, how to deal with cultural and identity issues which may arise for the child, and how to strengthen communication, as well as sensible child rearing practices, should be the emphasis. You should be prepared for all of the issues that can arise in an adopted person's development.  Families adopting older children should be prepared for
adjustment issues. 

It's helpful to have a Homestudy done by a provider who has experience in preparation for International adoption and who will provide strong Post Placement support services and resources.  Adoptions International will work closely with your Homestudy provider to assure that the written document meets the Country requirements, as well as Immigration and Naturalization Services (INS) requirements.

Fees for Homestudy and Post Placement Services can vary greatly, as can the type of preparatory services agencies provide. It is wise to check around,  not only to compare fees, but also types of service models the agency provides.

2. Applying to INS (Immigration and Naturalization Services)

Everyone planning to adopt internationally should apply to INS for the I-600A packet (Orphan Petition Packet).  You can request this packet by calling: 1-800-870-FORM  or by reaching the INS Website:  http://www.ins.usdoj.gov.     We recommend that you apply for this immediately, as you will need to be fingerprinted and wait from 6-8 weeks for the fingerprints to clear.  While you are waiting for your fingerprints to clear, you can be working on getting your Homestudy completed.  Most agencies will send the approved Homestudy to your local INS office to complete your pre-adoption petition, or they may send you the Homestudy to take or send to INS.  We recommend that you use Certified Mail or Registered Mail, so that you can track and have a record of anything you send to INS.

When your local INS office has your approved fingerprints and approved Homestudy by a licensed agent in your State, they will approve your I-600A petition and send notice to the Country you've identified as your adoption choice.  You will then receive a form (I-171H) which basically tells you that you've been approved by INS to adopt internationally.

Some countries require the I-171H with your dossier, before they will consider your petition to adopt from their Country.  For example: China and Romania require this with the dossier.  Guatemala needs it fairly soon after a child is referred, in order to get INS approval for the required DNA testing of mother and child in that country. So it is always a good idea to begin this step as early as possible.

3. Applying to Adoptions International

We are providing our Application form for you to print out and complete.  If you have any questions about this form, please call us at 215-238-9057, or email.  You must send a non-refundable Application fee of $250. with the application.

Intake Interview:  Upon receipt of your application, a Social Worker will contact you to discuss any remaining* questions you have about the process, the countries, and your specific concerns. * I say "remaining" questions you may have, because we encourage you to call us in advance of applying, and try to answer your questions as fully as possible.

Contracts:  Contracts will be sent to you immediately after the Intake Interview.  Contract fees and payment schedules are clearly spelled out, as   are our Grievance Procedures and Refund Policies.  (Full Refund or Partial Refund)

Dossier Requirements:  Upon receipt of your contract and initial contract fee, we will send you the list of required documents for your Country of choice, including forms Adoptions International has developed for each Country.

Our staff is available to discuss and answer any questions you have about gathering and completing your dossier.  We will guide you through each step,  to assure that you have an appropriate dossier as quickly as possible. If Dossier requirements change, we'll advise you of any changes immediately.

Applying to the Country:  Once we have your completed dossier, we submit it to our staff in the country of your choice.  All dossiers are translated in-country, and translation fees are included in the Country Fee.

Referring a Child: Our referrals are made in accordance with your place on our waiting list(s), taking into account your age and gender preferences.  We know how difficult the waiting period can be, and try to keep all waiting families updated with where you are on the list, and a general time frame we predict for the referral.

We provide as much medical information as is available.  All children being referred from Guatemala, Romania, and Russia will have had laboratory tests for AIDS, Hepatitis B, and Venereal diseases, as well as a private pediatrician's report.  We provide as much background information as we can about each child. 

Acceptance of Child:  Once a child is referred to you and accepted by you, we supervise the progress of your adoption procedures.  We've prepared a Handbook for each Country, describing the steps, the time frame for each step, and what might be required of you at various stages in the process.

Updates: We receive pictures, sometimes videotapes, and medical updates about every 6 weeks from our staff in Guatemala, Romania and Russia.  Our Program Director keeps a record of where your adoption is "in process", and we keep you informed regularly.  We encourage you to call with any of your questions or concerns.   We try to answer questions in a timely way.

Travel:  Adoptions International will prepare you for travel to visit your child, or bring your child home.  We assure that you travel by appointment, and have all necessary documents to expedite your child's visa process.   Our staff in each country escorts families through the required processes in the Country.  Each traveler is met at the airport, taken to prearranged accommodations, and has translator assistance during the stay.  Escorting is possible from Guatemala and Romania. 

Postplacement Services: Adoptions International can provide a full range of post placement services to those families in our licensed area.  We try to guide families from other areas to appropriate services and provide resources as needed.   Some countries require post placement reports, some do not.  We encourage each family to make full use of post placement services, as every new child coming home is an adjustment.  Support groups, as well as individual social worker contacts, can be invaluable to your family's adjustment.

Please call or email with any questions you might have.