Current Issues in International Adoption

March 1, 2003

Locating an ethical adoption service provider

Locating a reputable agency, facilitator or attorney is one of the most important steps adoptive parents undertake in their adoption process. Currently in the United States, there is little governmental oversight of the adoption business. Individual states license adoption agencies, and some states allow unlicensed facilitators to provide adoption services. However, there is little parity between state regulations, and all too often, little that states can do to sanction adoption agencies who provide unethical services. There is even less oversight on the foreign entities involved in intercountry adoption. Therefore, choosing an adoption service provider can be a lot like negotiating a minefield.

Obtaining complete medical and social information on the child

For many adoptive parents, receiving the referral of their soon-to-be child is an exciting long-awaited event. In many international adoptions, there is little medical and social information available on the referred child. What kind of information should parents receive about the child? What steps should be taken to ensure that the child does not have undiagnosed medical problems? How long should a parent be given to decide if a child is appropriate for their family? What assurances can agencies give regarding the medical and social information on a child?

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