Adoption!

http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/menuitem.eb1d4c2a3e5b9ac89243c6a7543f6d1a/?vgnextoid=063807b03d92b010VgnVCM10000045f3d6a1RCRD&vgnextchannel=063807b03d92b010VgnVCM10000045f3d6a1RCRD

Adoption is the legal act of permanently placing a child with a parent or parents other than the birth mother or father.

Inter -Country Adoptions:

- adopting children from all over the world has steadily increased in the last decade. Over 20,000 inter-country adoptions are taking place per year in addition to more than 200,000 foreign-adopted children already living in the US.

-the US Department of Homeland Security, US Citizenship and Immigration Services all play a role in the adoption process

-Prospective parents are encouraged to familiarize themselves with inter-country adoption processes before filing applications. An adoption agency is helpful for guidance and assistance with immigration of orphans and adopted children.

There are 2 LEGAL ways to bring an adopted child into the country. Form 1-130 which is that you have the child in your primary care for two years, and then you can file the petition for an alien relative. And then there is form 1-600 which means you can petition to have that child adopted at any time, even if it takes place after they turn 16 or 18.

If the child is older, it is harder to adopt them except there are two exceptions: 1. biological siblings of a child can be adopted if under 18 years of age, and 2. orphans over the age of 16 may be adopted as long as the 1-600 petition was filed before their 16th birthday.

KINDS OF ADOPTION:
open adoption- the adopted child/person has access to her file and records. In the US the adults adopted as children can only access their birth records in Alabama, Alaska, Kansas, New Hampshire, and Oregon.

semi-open adoption- the birth parents may meet the adoptive parents one or several times but nothing more. Letters and pictures may be exchanged. The relationship can change to be open or closed over the years

closed adoption- non-identifying information such as medical records are shared until the point of placement. After the adoption is legalized, no further information is shared between the adoptive and birth parents. In some other cases, no information is shared at all.

Types of adoption:
Domestic adoption- within the country that he/she was born and normally resides.
Foster care adoption
Intra-family adoption- step parents or through surrender, the death of a parent, or hen the birthparent cannot care for the child and another family member steps in.

Same-sex couples: Very unclear in the United States. Judges and clerks vary on criteria.

Costs: adoption costs and assistance vary between countries. In some countries it is illegal to charge for an adoption, while in others, adoptions must be facilitated on a non-profit basis. adoption programs will give assistance, especially with their expenses. In the United States there is a $10,390 tax credit for adoption.