Canadian Guide to Intercountry Adoption How to Bring Your Child Home from Abroad By Robin Hilborn Fifth edition, 2006 $12 / ISBN 0-9733470-8-2

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EXCERPT

But conditions change, as ever, and a closed country now is an open country next year. For the latest news from each country, plus historical background, go to the Family Helper web site, www.familyhelper.net/news/newscy.html.

I've organized this fifth edition as you might proceed for an international adoption, describing each step, from your first decision to go international, to flying your child home.

I begin with a portrait of intercountry adoption -- each year Canada welcomes about 2,000 children from abroad -- and move directly into the pros and cons, and the issues you need to think about. The idea is to give you the basis for deciding if you're going to start down the road of an international adoption.

After that we're off on the ride: weighing the advantages of different countries, getting a homestudy done, choosing an adoption agency, sending off the paperwork, and waiting for The Call which will change your life.

And since the subject of money insists on surfacing, I've surveyed the cost of adopting from various countries, how to save money on air fare, and how to pay for it all.

Adopting internationally is a complex process, but reasonably reliable, as about 2,000 happy Canadian families a year can attest.

If I had any general advice to give, I'd urge you to learn all you can about the international process. Identify the risk areas and then assess whether you can accept the risks.

The international adoption journey is full of twists and turns, but take heart: thousands have travelled this road before, and found success and happiness.

A portrait of intercountry adoption

The story of intercountry adoption in Canada is one of dramatic growth in the early years -- the 70s, 80s and early 90s -- reaching something of a plateau over the last ten years. In 1970 there were 10 intercountry adoptions in Canada; this leapt to 2,000 by the mid-90s. The numbers are now fairly stable, running between 1,800 and 2,200 a year:

  1995: 2,010     1998: 2,222     2001: 1,874     2004: 1,955
  1996: 2,061     1999: 2,019     2002: 1,926     2005: 1,871
  1997: 1,800     2000: 1,866     2003: 2,181

In fact these numbers are small compared to overall immigration. International adoptees account for roughly 1% of all immigrants to Canada.

In 2005 Canadians adopted 1,871 children from abroad. 973 (52%) came from China. More than ever, people are choosing China. Other major source countries are Haiti, the U.S. and South Korea.

And domestic adoption? Annually in Canada, about 1,700 children are adopted through public agencies, and about 700 through private agencies.

That's a total from all sources of fewer than 4,500 children a year finding new Canadian families. Not many, considering the demand. I've seen an estimate that there are 16,000 Canadian couples seeking to adopt.

Where are they to turn, these Canadians who yearn to become parents? There are few healthy babies available for adoption in Canada, and waiting times are long, so would-be adoptive families look to other countries. (Behind the dearth of healthy babies is the decision of many single mothers to raise their children.)

Some positives

Intercountry adoption is popular -- why do people choose it?

-- Speed. Families wanting to adopt an infant domestically may find themselves on a years-long agency waiting list (because infants are hard to find: birth control and abortion are widely available, plus most single mothers raise their children). You could finish an international adoption in a year (because orphanages, for example, have many children available for adoption). As adoption expert Michael Grand explains: "The primary reason for the growth of foreign adoptions is that of expediency: it's simply faster. ... People are frustrated working in the domestic system because there are so few infants around."

-- Legal certainty. In domestic adoption a birthmother can change her mind during a certain period after giving consent, or a birthfather can later appear, claiming his rights. In intercountry adoption these legal complications are practically unheard of -- the birthparent's rights have been resolved. Most international adoptions are finalized in a court abroad, so your child is legally yours before you come home.

-- Choice of child. In some countries you are assigned a child. In others you may specify the sex and age of your child, or you may choose a particular boy or girl from a list of available children in a central registry. For those who want to be almost guaranteed a daughter rather than a son, China is the place to go.

-- Flexibility in rules. Rigid criteria at home may exclude people because they are older, single or the wrong religion, whereas various countries offer a variety of eligibility criteria.

-- Track record. You may know someone who adopted abroad and be impressed with their success.

[The text continues with "Some Negatives".]

Robin Hilborn edits and publishes Family Helper, which began as Adoption Helper in 1990. Write to him at helper@familyhelper.net.

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