Since I have recently discussed the benefits and risks of domestic infant adoption and gave tips on reducing your domestic transracial adoption risks, I am now going to talk about the same topics in regards to international transracial adoption. (Please remember that these are generalizations, and that there are always exceptions and differences in opinion).

First, let’s start with the benefits.

-There are millions of children, ready and waiting right now for a family. This was big for me. Instead of having to prepare a profile to be shown to pregnant women and wait to be chosen, I could follow a process and be matched with a child, and even have the opportunity to chose a child that is waiting for a family. Remembering how very many children there are out there needing homes and families was very motivating to me during the process.

-The fees are broken up over a period of time. While international adoption is not any less expensive than a domestic infant adoption (and sometimes is more expensive), the fees are rarely due all at once, and are typically broken up over an approximate 6-18 month period of time, which is easier for most people to handle than having to come up with one big sum all at once.

-There is some level of predictability to the process. International adoptions are definitely full of surprises and ups and downs, and yet they do tend to follow a process…for example…homestudy, immigration, fingerprints, dossier, referral, court, travel.

-You get to travel internationally. Now this one will also go on the “risks” list, and I know that it is something that is intimidating to many adoptive parents, however I can say without any reservation that the trips we have made for our international adoptions have been some of the most amazing experiences of my life. I have been to Vietnam twice because of our adoptions, and I have spent three amazing weeks in Ethiopia because of our adoptions. Beyond being blessed with our children, I have made friends, tried foods, seen things, experienced things and been places that I never would have at this time in my life if it wasn’t for our adoptions. Our travels have permanently changed the way I look at the world and at my life. I consider that a blessing.

-When your family comes from different countries, the world feels a whole lot smaller.

-If you choose a reputable agency and program (more on that in my post on minimizing risks in international adoption), you can know that you are adopting a child that is an orphan, and is truly in need of a home. While there are no guarantees and there are always exceptions and times when things can go wrong, with international adoption, there is a much smaller risk of “losing” the child you are matched with when compared to domestic adoption.

Here are some resources for international adoption, and you can check out my next two posts for the risks of international adoption, and ways to minimize those risks.

And of course, if you have a benefit of international adoption adoption to add to the list, please leave a comment.

The International Adoption Blog

The Ethiopia Adoption Blog

The China Adoption Blog