Around the world, there is a long history of informal adoption of an orphan.
As the world has become more modern, the process of obtaining guardianship/adopting a child has evolved and is a complicated legal process that incorporates the culture and laws of both the "sending" country (the child's native country) and the "receiving" country (where the child lives after adoption), the United States.
At times the process can appear to be redundant and unnecessarily complicated, not to mention lengthy.. Why is this the case?
It is all to protect children.
You may be thinking, that you would never harm a child. You may want to explain how wonderful of a parent you would be..Luckily, this is the case for most adoptive parents who want to open their hearts to an orphan child! Sadly, this is not the case for all individuals..
The laws/regulations exist to prevent individuals from obtaining guardianship who seek to harm or abuse a child.
The laws also protect children by ensuring the child is a legitimate orphan. In many countries, children are temporarily placed in orphanages because of poverty or other issues which make it difficult for parents to take care of their children. The laws make sure the child is not taken away from living parents or relatives love and care for the child.
The laws also help to ensure the child you are seeking to adopt can be immigrated legally from their native country to the United States.
As with many things in this world, the laws/regulations can be bothersome. However understanding their purpose can help to appreciate why they exist!
So you may be still thinking, what does all of this have to do with cost? Well- all rules and regulations cost money to enforce and to monitor. International adoption is required by the government to be monitored by a Hague Accredited Agency. This accreditation requires a large investment by the agency, which is why many agencies are not accredited. The process also requires certain hoops to be gone through by the prospective parents like, adoption training, a home study, post placement reports, attorney fees, etc. All of this costs money.
Family Connections is a Fee for Service Agency, which means that you only pay for the services you need!
Are you interested in seeing a fee schedule for International Adoption? Check out our website http://www.adoptfamilyconnections.org/fees-for-adoption-services
On the plus side- the Federal government comes to your aid to mitigate the costs. When your adoption is finalized you become eligible for a Federal tax credit worth over $13,000 in the tax year you finalize. You are also gaining a tax deduction. One thing I have observed after over twenty-seven years of helping families adopt children is that when the child joins your family these costs no longer matter to you.
At Family Connections we keep our costs as low as possible and at the same time provide you with excellent services for your international adoption. The agency hires an attorney to monitor the legal aspects of your adoption and our social work staff helps with the social side of adoption.
Family Connections understands this process and how difficult it can be! Our hope is to be able to come along side you in this process! We have over twenty years of experience and can help you step by step through this journey.
Please call or office at 607-756-6574 for more information.
Family Connections, Inc. is an authorized New York State adoption agency who has achieved Hague Accreditation from the Council on Accreditation. Family Connections, Inc. provides home study and post-adoption supervisory services for families adopting internationally. Family Connections, Inc. also acts as a Primary Provider for families adopting from Pakistan and Ukraine.
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