Compare and Contrast Foriegn vs Domestic Adoption

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Compare and Contrast of International vs. Domestic Adoptions The definition of adoption is the act of transferring parental rights and duties to someone other than the adopted child’s biological parents. The decision to adopt can be fraught with many decisions, and there are several sources to gain information on adopting. Many states have their own set of regulations and laws and there are also another set of guidelines and laws for adopting internationally. Choosing to raise another’s child is a decision that involves many potential obstacles. When looking at adoption, one of the first steps is whether to adopt internationally or to keep the adoption on domestic soil. Ultimately the goal is the same for both types of adoption; a child to love, raise and nurture. Financial obligations, restrictions and timeframes to adopt are to be compared when making the decision to proceed with either a foreign or domestic adoption. The financial cost of a domestic adoption starts even before one is chosen to be the adoptive parents. In a domestic adoption, there are pre-adoption expenses due to an agency, a lawyer or the person that is searching for a child to adopt. A home study is required by most states in order to be considered eligible to adopt. Foreign adoptions also have similar pre adoption expenses before the adoption process truly begins. In a typical agency adoption, the fee includes the home study, placement fees, the matching of a child to a family and some post adoption counseling may be involved. It is extremely important to talk with the agency or attorney to find out what exactly is included in the fee or what will need to be paid out of pocket. Costs for a domestic adoption can range anywhere from $500 to $40,000 and up. (Child Welfare Information Gateway. 2011) There may be costs for the birth mother including medical expenses for the birth mother and

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