The Adoption Process
In order to complete an international adoption, families must complete several steps and work with three main organizing bodies:
First Step: In order to begin your adoption journey you must first decide on a HOMESTUDY AGENCY. This is the agency that specializes in providing a study of your family. They asses your strengths as a potential adoptive parent, and help you to work through any questions or concerns that you have about your adoption journey. This agency assists with the completion all of the paperwork required for your approval to bring a foreign child into the United States.
Second Step: Your homestudy agency assists you in completing the necessary paperwork for USCIS (UNITED STATES CITIZENSHIP AND IMMIGRATION SERVICES) formerly known as INS: This large government agency, with local field offices near your home, processes your request to bring an orphan child in the United States. This agency must give you approval to bring a child into the U.S. or you will not be able to adopt internationally.
Third Step: Once you have begun your homestudy process and sent your orphan petition to USCIS, you must decide on a country from which you would like to adopt. Once you have decided on a country program, you must sign up with a CHILD PLACEMENT AGENCY. This is the agency that specializes in the particular country (ies) from which you will adopt. They will assist you in compiling the necessary paperwork for your international adoption, making sure that your paperwork is completed properly, according to the requirements of the country. They will also help to match you with your child, and will coordinate with the orphanage or home where your child currently lives to arrange for you to pick up your child and bring him/her home.
Fourth Step: Everything comes together - USCIS approves your homestudy and grants you permission to bring your child home. Your Child Placement Agency arranges for you to travel to pick up your child.
Fifth Step: You come home with your adopted child. Your family is complete.