Nobody likes to wait. It is a common human reaction. When an individual sets their sights on something, they want to see results immediately. When prospective adoptive parents set their sights on adopting a child, they will quickly learn that waiting is part of the process. It must be difficult for adoptive parents to realize they have a child in some part of the world but they must wait months to hold them. Unfortunately for these individuals, waiting is a reality with adoption. Prospective adoptive parents are compelled to learn to be patient.
Waiting time for adoption depends on many things. First of all the adoption waiting time depends on the type of adoption prospective parents choose. For example, if a couple choose private adoption, it is likely to be focused on their geographical area. They may choose to search on their own or through an agency. If they are fortunate to find a birth mother, their wait could be quite short. It will take time to complete the legal paperwork but the adoptive parents could possibly have their child in less than a year.
Waiting time for adoption depends largely on the type of child. If prospective adoptive parents are working with an adoption agency in North America and are seeking a healthy newborn, their wait time could be eight years. However if a couple are willing to accept the responsibility of a child with special needs, they may not have to wait too long. There are thousands of children with special needs in North America. If prospective adoptive parents choose to adopt a child with special needs, the child can be placed almost immediately.
International adoption or foreign adoption has become quite popular in North America in recent years. The reason for this is the wait time for a healthy newborn baby is much shorter. When adoptive parents choose to adopt a child from overseas, for example China, Russia or Ethiopia, the wait time for adoption is approximately two years. Of course that depends on when their application is reviewed. Since there are thousands of people want to adopt children from overseas, there are thousands of applications to be reviewed. There are many agencies and non-profit organizations who work with prospective adoptive parents to find a child. Each agency or organization has their own rules and regulations and each country has their own requirements for adoptive parents. Completing the requirements such as a home study takes up to six months normally. After this study is completed, there is lots of red tape to go through regarding legalities and citizenship. Foreign adoption requires the adoptive parents to spend time in the country of their adoptive child’s origin. Yes, adoption is a lengthily process and people who choose to adopt must learn to be patient and learn to wait.
The waiting time for adoption varies and to find out more about it, prospective adoptive parents should consult an adoption agency or a non-profit adoption organization. The Internet is also a great source of information about adoption, both domestic and foreign. The waiting game may not be fun but the prize is definitely worth the wait.