Domestic Versus International Adoption
Adopting a child is often one of the biggest and most important decisions a couple will ever make. While exploring all of the available options, one of the first things families de...

Adopting a child is often one of the biggest and most important decisions a couple will ever make. While exploring all of the available options, one of the first things families deciding to adopt will encounter is whether to adopt domestically or internationally. Domestic adoption is done within the United States, whereas international adoption is adopting a foreign child from another country.

Both domestic and international adoptions have special and separate conditions that can influence their costs. Each has different expenses; those adopting internationally are required to pay for visas, flights, and other traveling expenses, costs those adopting domestically do not have to pay. However, there are other charges those individuals may have to consider such as living and medical expenses for the biological mother (an expense not generally found in international adoption). Though each has separate expenses, typically they turn out to be roughly the same amount.

The wait time for a child adopted domestically versus international varies depending on the actual location and origin of the child. One does not always take longer than the other; a domestic adoption can take as long as an international one and vice versa.

One of the biggest differences one will find between the two types of adoption is the amount of medical and social history available of the child. Those adopted internationally often have very little, if any, medical information available. On the contrary, couples adopting domestically are typically provided with a comprehensive medical history and any social history of the biological parents that may pertain to the child and be a factor in a couple’s decision to adopt that particular child.

Both also have separate circumstances and issues when it comes to legal concerns. Couples considering adopting internationally should be fully aware of the adoption process that is required in the country they are considering adopting from. Each country has its own set of legal directives that must be met in order to finalize an adoption. A common myth facing domestic adoption is that the birth parents of a child may one day revoke their consent and take the child back. Because of this fear, many choose to adopt internationally, where there is virtually zero contact with a birth mother and the adoptive family. However, despite this widespread thinking, once an adoption is finalized in the United States, the adoptive family is legally the child’s family. Post-adoption revocations are very uncommon, rarely hold up in court, and are usually the result of illegal and unsound adoption practices.

Before making any decisions, a couple considering adoption should fully research any and all viable options and choose the one that suits them best. Whether a domestic or international, couples should choose an adoption plan that