Chicago International Adoption Attorneys

Many parents find that international adoption is the best fit for their families. International adoption may offer more options than domestic adoption, such as the chance to choose a child’s race or gender and the chance to adopt multiple siblings at once. In addition, parents who are concerned that a birth parent may someday challenge their legal status as an adopted child’s parents may find that international adoption lessens the risk of such a challenge.

Like other types of adoptions, Illinois law has specific requirements for families seeking to adopt children from other countries. Some of these requirements include:

• Documentation that the child may legally be adopted, and that the child’s adoption and travel to the United States meets the requirements of the International Compact on the Placement of Children;
• A medical examination and report from a qualified medical professional in the child’s country of origin, if such a professional is available;
• A home study by a social worker, whose responsibility is to check that the child’s home in Illinois is reasonably safe and healthy for children (with heat, sanitation, dangerous conditions fixed or kept out of a child’s reach, etc.);
• One or more court appearances to manage the details of the adoption.

Another option open to some families is to complete the adoption process in the child’s country of origin before returning to the United States. However, parents who choose to complete an international adoption by this method should strongly consider re-adopting the child once they return to the United States or having the foreign adoption formally recognized by a United States court. These methods ensure that the adoption meets the laws of the U.S. and the state of Illinois. It also allows the child to receive a U.S. birth certificate, which is required for many of the milestones in the child’s life, like entering school or taking drivers’ training classes.

Parents who are considering an international adoption should prepare for several possible events that can delay or complicate an international adoption. These include the time necessary to find an adoptable child; the need to navigate the adoption process in the child’s country of birth; and the possibility that a child who is adopted from another country may have medical issues that are not apparent when the child is first adopted or that were covered up by officials in the child’s country of origin. However, parents who prepare for these possibilities often find that the rewards of adoption far outweigh the risks.

An international adoption by Illinois parents is governed by at least three sets of laws: the laws of the United States regarding immigration; the laws of Illinois; and the laws or requirements set by the country from which the child will be adopted. It may also involve working with multiple government agencies, including the U.S. immigration services and the Illinois Department of Child and Family Services. Since the requirements for an international adoption are likely to be unfamiliar at best, families who are considering international adoption should consult an experienced Illinois adoption attorney. At Nottage and Ward, we focus on each of our clients individually and provide the experience and resources each family needs to successfully complete an international adoption. Call Nottage and Ward today to learn if our international adoption experience meets your needs.

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