International adoptions are on the rise (there were nearly
23,000 of them last year in the United States), while
scams are becoming more prevalent, particularly among adoption service
providers specializing in international/intercountry adoption. A few examples:
- Parents pay thousands of dollars in fees and are promised a
child, then don’t receive that child. They learn that several groups of parents
were lined up to adopt the same child. - Parents are “matched” with a particular child and arrive in
the country, only to discover that their child has died or has already been
adopted by a different family. - Parents intend to adopt an orphan, but learn that the child
they hope to adopt was sold to an adoption facilitator and brought to the United States with
documents. - Parents are required to “donate” thousands of dollars
towards an orphanage relief fund. They assume that the money is being used to improve
living conditions in their child’s orphanage or to purchase supplies, clothing
and medicine for the children. They learn that the funds have been diverted to
an unscrupulous adoption worker’s personal account or were never used for their
intended purpose. - Parents are assigned travel dates to bring their child home,
and those dates change, again…and again…and again.
Some of the confusion, particularly with travel dates, can
be attributed to the ever-changing adoption procedures instituted in many
countries. However, if you suspect a hint of wrongdoing on the part of your
adoption service provider, start asking questions.
Compare notes with others who have adopted recently through
your agency or who are waiting to adopt. Ask whether they are experiencing
similar issues and document, in writing, their concerns. Your agency should be
happy to provide you with referrals; you can also gather information from
members of local adoptive parent groups.
Ask about the type of screening and training that your
agency requires of its staff. Do employees have to pass background checks and
meet minimum educational and experience requirements? Do those requirements
pertain to all staff, both full-time and part-time?
Check the average waiting periods and other restrictions for
adopting children from specific countries (Country-specific information is
available at The U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Consular Affairs)
Contact several agencies to determine whether their restrictions are similar
(they should be fairly consistent among agencies). If your agency appears far
out of the ordinary, you’ll need to do further investigation.
Check with the licensing department of the state where the
agency operates
to determine whether the agency is licensed, how long they’ve been licensed and
whether their license is valid. Because the U.S. government
without oversight.
If possible, check with adoption authorities in
the country from which you plan to adopt, to determine whether your agency is
accredited (and on good terms) with their government.
Contact the Better Business Bureau in
the state in which your agency is licensed to determine whether any complaints
have been filed (a complaint doesn’t necessarily indicate that your agency is a
“bad guy,” it merely alerts you that someone has registered a concern).
Keep a journal of your thoughts, emotions, and expectations,
recommends the staff at Ethica, a non-profit group
that advocates for better adoption regulations. Because there are so few legal
protections for people involved in adoption, it’s critical for you to keep
detailed records, just in case you have a misunderstanding or something goes
wrong. They recommend keeping copies of documents and contracts, receipts,
e-mails, and faxes. “Write down the dates and times of phone calls, whom you
spoke with, and what was discussed. Make notes of inconsistencies, questions
raised, or comments that your adoption service provider makes that strike you
as odd or unusual.”
Related Articles:
- How to Choose an Adoption Agency
- International Adoption: How to Choose a Reputable Agency
- How to Avoid Adoption Scams
- Tips for Avoiding Adoption Fraud
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