Statement of Understanding of International Adoption Risks
WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT
You need to expect the unexpected! Internation adoption is unpredictable. You will be
required to reset your expectations at least once during the process and likely several
times. Your expectations may have to change in regards to one or more of the
following:
1.
Time frames for the completion of the adoption.
2.
Adopting a particular child.
3.
Travel arrangements.
4.
Adoption fees and or expenses associated with the adoption process
5.
Other undetermined factors.
International adoptions are very complex. You will be required to work with several
different people, overcome cultural and language barriers and politics. Although Africa
Adoption Services cannot predict what complexities that may occur during your case,
we will work tireless to ensure your case moves as smoothly as possible, but you need
to be open minded and prepared that delays WILL happen.
There are many factors that will be outside of our control. We cannot predict what
USCIS, foreign adoption officials, foreign attorneys or facilitators or orphanages or
social services directors will do. To complete an adoption, clearance must be given by
Africa Adoption Services, your home study agency, foreign adoptions officials and
USCIS. While Africa Adoption Services will advocate and work hard for you, we cannot
guarantee the referral or placement of a child with your family.
Even after you have committed to a particular country, adoption opportunities in that
country may change. Adoption in the country may dramatically slow down or the country
may close adoptions for a particular period of time or all together. We will do our best to
anticipate and inform you of alternatives available to you in the event that this happens
in the program you have chosen. International adoption is closely tied to national and
international politics. When these politics change, adoption opportunities may change.
This could impact your adoption at any point in the process.
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LOSS OF A REFERRAL
You may be assigned a child and subsequently lose the child referral for one of several
reasons:
1. The child could become too ill for placement.
2. The child could not be made legally free within an adoptive family’s timeframe or
within the country’s availability.
3. The foreign authority or referral source who assigns the child may withdraw the
referral of the child with or without explanation. This may be due to local or
national politics, a change in officials, increased sensitivities regarding
international adoptions, the birth family coming forward for the child within the
allotted time allowed by their country while the child is still in their country.
4. A national family could come forward to adopt the child within the timeframe
allowed.
If you lose a child referral, an acceptable second child may or may not be available
immediately. Even if one is available, it may take a while to finish the adoption process.
Africa Adoption Services will work continuously to make another acceptable child
referral as soon as possible, but cannot guarantee the length of time it will take to refer
such a child. In the event of a lost referral, monies paid out to third parties are nonrefundable. All other monies will be credited towards subsequent adoption.
TIMEFRAME
Your adoption process could take longer than you originally expected due to changes
in:
1. The political environment in the foreign country
2. The sensitivity of the foreign public regarding international adoptions.
3. Adoption bureaucracy leadership.
4. Other unknown factors.
The child you adopt internationally could develop some sort of medical problem while
waiting for you to bring him/her home. This may necessitate you paying for
extraordinary medical expenses and emotionally coping with the situation long distance.
Africa Adoption Services cannot guarantee a specific timeframe in which any particular
case will be completed. Estimated time frames will be given, but each case is unique
and can take longer or shorter than another case. The average time frame from referral
to travel is 9 to 12 months. Families should not expect to travel before 9 months post
referral and Africa Adoption Services will not consider your case delayed unless it has
been greater than 12 months from referral.
MEDICAL INFORMATION
The medical information presented to you at the time of referral for the child you adopt
internationally may be incomplete or inaccurate. Medical situations may be over or
under diagnosed. The differences in medical terminology used by foreign medical
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personnel and US physicians may cause you to be over or under anxious when
accepting a referral. A child may test negative for a particular lab test and positive at
home in the US. A child may also test positive for a particular lab test and negative at
home in the US. It is extremely important for you to choose a medical professional with
expertise in evaluating children available for adoption to assist you during the referral
process in order to minimize these risks.
LEGAL ISSUES
Africa Adoption Services only refers children for adoption whom its foreign sources
believe can be successfully adopted, it is possible that unresolved legal situations may
arise during the adoption process which may make the child no longer available for
adoption. Legal availability cannot be clarified in some cases because of the lack of
resources. Officials have limited time and money and typically will not clarify a child’s
legal situation until an adoptive family has accepted the child’s referral. In other cases, it
is a birth relative or national family’s rights at issue.
ETHICS ISSUES
If at any time Africa Adoption Services becomes concerned about ethics in your case,
the agency may choose to withdraw from the case.
BIRTH FAMILY FRAUD
A birth family may fraudulently misrepresent herself as the legitimate birth mother of a
child that she places for adoption. Such a case may or may not be successfully
completed in court. If the US Embassy suspects birth mother fraud, they may withhold
issuance of the child’s visa. Africa Adoption Services seeks to work with only reputable
referral sources who can personally attest to a birth parent / child relationship; however
Africa Adoption Services cannot guarantee the legitimacy of the relationship between
family and the child. Some countries have procedures in place to protect against birth
family fraud. It is the policy of Africa Adoption Services to only place children who have
been abandoned or from deceased parents. Africa Adoption Services makes it a
practice not to work with relinquishment cases. Africa Adoption Services will only work
with relinquishment cases in very rare circumstances.
IMMIGRANT VISA
The US Embassy processing your adopted child’s US immigration visa may find that
your child does not meet the USCIS “orphan” definition, or that your family does not
meet necessary requirements (i.e. income requirements). We cannot guarantee that the
US government will issue any particular child an immigrant visa. It is the strong
recommendation of Africa Adoption Services that I-600 filing is done stateside and
families do not travel prior to Visa issuance.
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FEE CHANGES
Africa Adoption Services fees will not change. However, foreign adoption fees may
change at any time without any prior notice. Events causing fee changes or the costs of
overall expense of your adoption trip to rise may occur at any time. The economics of
supply and demand, inflation, or the need for additional adoption services required by
new US or foreign regulations may cause prices or fees for services to rise. Africa
Adoption Services will try to keep you informed of those situations of which it has
knowledge.
TRAVEL & ACCOMMODATIONS
Costs for travel and accommodations are separate from usual adoption fees. Estimated
travel costs are $5,000.00 per person.
We, the adoptive parents, understand that Africa Adoption Services’ goal is to help us
adopt a child and that the Africa Adoption Services staff are personally committed to our
case. We understand that although Africa Adoption Services does not have complete
control over many aspects of the adoption process, but Africa Adoption Services will
stand by us to facilitate, advise, counsel, and support us throughout the entire adoption
process. We understand that Africa Adoption Services staff and representatives will
work many faithful hours to help our family grow. They will help us through the good and
the difficult times. We understand that this adoption is a partnership and that we must
do our part to maintain perspective and commitment during the entire adoption process.
We understand that our attitude makes a difference both at home and abroad. We
agree to cooperate with Africa Adoption Services at each step of the process to help us
bring home a child.
We understand that Africa Adoption Services has elaborated many of the risks of the
international adoption process but that it is impossible for Africa Adoption Services to
relate every possible difficulty or concern we may have along the way. As such, we
understand that it is our responsibility to educate ourselves.
We have read and understand these risks. We are willing to pursue an international
adoption in light of these risks.
____________________________ ____________________________ __________
Signature of Adoptive Mother
Printed Name
Date
____________________________ ____________________________ __________
Signature of Adoptive Father
Printed Name
Date
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