International Adoption 101
This will vary slightly for families living outside of the United States.
1. Submit application to Hopscotch Adoptions, Inc. Your Hopscotch Adoptions, Inc. support team will schedule an orientation meeting or phone consultation. To the extent you are working with a home study agency other than Hopscotch or an adoption attorney, please advise us of the contact information at this time.
2. Begin a home study with an approved home study provider if other than Hopscotch Adoptions, Inc. The home study is a series of meetings with a social worker in your state of residence to learn about issues related to international adoption, to determine your suitability to parent an adopted child, and to help you prepare for the experience. Hopscotch Adoptions, Inc. provides home study services only to New York and North Carolina families at this time. In all other states, Hopscotch Adoptions, Inc. will require your home study agency to enter into an agreement by and between, you, and a third party home study provider setting out the responsibility of each party in the home study process, and the post placement reporting and provision of services. Hopscotch Adoptions, Inc. is responsible for ensuring that the home study agency is licensed under applicable state law, and meets the quality standards imposed by the regulations promulgated under the Hague Convention on Inter-country Adoptions (“Hague”). We therefore must approve the use of your proposed home study agency, and may charge a fee to that home study agency for the work required to supervise it under Hague.
3. Submit a BCIS I-600A application to your local district USCIS office for a Non-Hague Convention Country (non-HCC) or an I-800A application to the National Benefits Center (NBC) for any Hague Convention Country (HCC). You can download the form online. Processing of your application can take several months, so you should begin this step even if you have not decided on a country from which to adopt. Hopscotch Adoptions, Inc. will provide a sample completed form for your reference and work closely with your home study provider to insure that your home study meets USCIS, NBC and country requirements.
4. Collect the documents (dossier) required by the country from which you are adopting, such as your birth certificates, marriage certificate, employment letters, references, and medical clearances. Many of these documents will also be required for completion of your home study, and must be notarized, authenticated/apostilled, translated, and approved by the embassy of the country from which you plan to adopt. Some countries only require a simple notary and apostille for the dossier documents. Hopscotch Adoptions, Inc. will provide you with step-by-step instructions about dossier preparation for the sending country of your choice along with templates to guide you.
5. When you receive your referral from Hopscotch, please consult with an international pediatric adoption specialist (IA Specialist) as soon as possible (we have provided a list of specialists for you to consider within your inquiry package). It is very important to us that you are comfortable with the decision you make, so we expect to be in constant contact while you assess the information and opinions about your referral. If you decide not to accept the referral, you will remain at the top of the referral list for the next available child with no penalty.
6. Prepare for travel and your stay abroad with assistance from your Hopscotch Adoptions, Inc. support team. While waiting to travel, and to the extent you feel it is within your means, collect donations to take to the orphanage for the children who will remain behind. Donations are in no way a requirement and will not influence the care or outcome of your adoption.
7. Travel to your child’s country to meet him/her and finalize the adoption. Most families’ trips will be a few days to several weeks, depending on the country requirements and your choices. Bilingual coordinators guide you through the process overseas. Your Hopscotch Adoptions, Inc. team will be in regular phone contact with you throughout your trip.
8. Obtain an immigrant visa for your child from U.S. Embassy, with the assistance of your Hopscotch Adoptions, Inc. team. Return home with your child!!
9. Participate in post-placement supervision with your home study agency, which includes several visits over a timeframe specified by your child’s birth country or placing agency (usually 3 years) to make sure that the placement is going well, and to offer support and assistance in the event that outside services are needed. Reports of these post-placement visits and photos of your child are forwarded to adoption officials in your child’s birth country so that they can know the child is loved and doing well.
10. Readopt your child in your state of residence court, in order to obtain a U.S. birth certificate and U.S. adoption decree. If only one parent travels abroad or the child was escorted to the U.S., re-adoption is required in all 52 states.
11. Talk to your accountant about the tax benefits of adoption.