International Adoption Sites
Are you considering adopting a child from another country? If so, you probably know that there is no shortage of children who need a good home. It seems as though every time a celebrity couple takes a trip overseas, they come back with a newly-adopted child. Even if it's not quite this easy for the rest of us, we can still find plenty of children who need a good home by looking at the many international adoption photolisting websites. Many sites are actually set up by foreign adoption agencies that will be more than happy to help with the process of adopting and making a new addition to your family. In fact, you might spend so much time looking at those adorable faces that you have a hard time settling on only one!
Ethical and Safety Concerns in International Adoptions
The more reputable foreign adoption agencies specialize in what are called child-centered adoptions. It would seem obvious that any adoption would be "child-centered," but that's not always the case. Some international adoption agencies are more interested in money than the best interests of the child. Disreputable agencies are more willing to cut corners other agencies would not. Child-centered adoptions allow both birth and adoptive parents to have more contact or openness with each other. International adoption photolisting websites can help you select the rightinternational adoption agency. Besides some of the obvious concerns that surround inter-country adoption, there are a few ethical and safety issues to consider.
The Hague Convention
International adoptions are regulated by The Hague Convention, which basically ensures that practices such as the sale and exploitation of children do not happen. This helps allay some of the safety concerns involved with international adoptions, but it's not foolproof. Even so, it's better than no regulations at all. When you go to pick out a child from an international adoption photo-listing website, check to see if the country the child is from participates in the Convention. Either way, the agency should be able to tell you what sort of laws are in effect in the nation the child is from, as well as any pressing political or social concerns. If you can do any background checks on the agencies themselves, feel free.
Medical Condition of the Child
Not every country has the advances or procedures in medicine you'd find in developed countries. The child may not have recieved the best general care in her previous home or institution. Do as much checking with the agencies as you possibly can on what sort of conditions the child has been living in thus far and what sort of medical conditions she may have. Request any medical records that might be available; you want to be sure you are able to meet the child's medical needs. Depending on the child's age and situation prior to adoption, she may also have some emotional and developmental problems as well. Overseas adoption photo lists online may be able to help you in gathering this information.
Inter-Racial or Inter-Cultural Adoptions
A child from a different racial or cultural background may look different from her peers. If you remember anything about scool, you probably know what it's like for kids who aren't like everyone else. It would help to be able to give your child some information about her background so that she'll know more about where she came from. Be prepared to engage in counseling with your child to ensure that her transition to a new country and culture is as smooth as possible.
As you can see, there are a lot of things to consider when adopting a child from another country. International adoption photo-listing websites can help in picking out a child, but you also want to do as much research as you can before you begin the process.
