Now that we have looked at some of the benefits of international transracial adoption, I am now going to discuss some of the risks.

-Many adoptive parents worry about the health risks associated with adopting internationally. Many countries that allow Americans to adopt children do not have medical care equivalent to what we have available, and children can and sometimes do come home with significant undiagnosed health concerns. Minor issues, such as lice, scabies, parasites, etc. are also common in international adoptees.

-The actual age of the child can often be unknown, and birthdates can be estimated and/or incorrect.

-It is common for parents adopting from some countries to get very little to no information at all about the background or family history of the child that they are adopting. This is not only concerning for some adoptive parents, it can be difficult for the adoptee when they are older.

-There is a lot of paperwork and hoop-jumping involved with satisfying the requirements of two governments (yours and that of the country the child is living in).

-The process is rarely “fast”, and if you want to adopt a very young baby, there is often a wait for a referral.

-Although I counted this as a benefit, I will add to this list the fact that you must travel internationally, because to many adoptive parents this is intimidating and scary.

-There is not much that is more difficult than being in love with a child and having him or her be on the other side of the Earth. There is often a lot of worry and feelings of helplessness. The waiting stinks!!

-Rules, regulations, criteria and processes involved with international adoption can change with little to no warning. (See my post on minimizing risks in international adoption for more on this).

-Some parents who have adopted internationally have found out after the fact that their children were not truly orphans. When you combine countries struggling with poverty and other issues, a “demand” for young babies, and a lot of money, it is not difficult for unethical practices to occur. (See my post on minimizing risks in international adoption for more on this too).

Do you have any other risks to add to the list?

Here are some more resources for international transracial adoption. See my next post for tips on how to minimize your risks.

The Guatemala Adoption Blog

The Africa Adoption Blog

The Korea Adoption Blog

The Viet Nam Adoption Blog