So, you want to adopt a child. As noble as the thought is, it is a challenge, be under no illusions! There are hundreds of things to think of, and a few hundred more to do. It is a legal process, which establishes a familial relationship between an adopted child and the adoptive parents.
A legal adoption can be either closed or open. In a closed adoption, the birthparents and the adopter don’t know each other. An open adoption is where adoptive parents have at least some contact with the birthparents. While adopting a child is a joyous occasion for the whole family, it can lead to a multitude of challenges and problems, specific to your country’s law and unique to your family. Here, we look at some common adoption problems and challenges associated with it.
1. Financial Challenges:
- The financial aspects of adoption will depend on the agency you choose for the process. If you choose a private adoption agency, you may have to pay more in terms of adoption fee and other expenses compared with any public agencies in your state/country. Prepare to pay more if you are adopting a child who is a foreign national.
- Your financial expenses can increase if you are paying for the expenses of the birth mother’s hospital/medical bills. Your actual expenses will depend on your specific situation. You will also have to pay the fees of the attorney and any other miscellaneous expenses you might incur during the adoption process.
2. Legal Challenges:
- It is extremely important that you know and understand all the legalities pertaining to child adoption in your country.
- Make sure both birthparents know about the adoption, either open or closed. If the birth mother has agreed to give her child up for adoption without consulting with the birth father who hasn’t yet relinquished his rights to the child, you may experience a lot of legal hassles.
3. Intercountry Adoption:
- With intercountry adoption, you may face different problems as such types of adoptions come under the legal preview of the child’s home country as well as the country of the adoptive parents
- You may need to know about the special visa requirements. You may also need to know the laws about international adoptions. For instance, citizens of USA, at present, are not permitted to adopt from certain countries like Fiji, Senegal, Rwanda and a few others.