Intercountry adoption
Buckinghamshire County Council provides services for those who wish to pursue international adoption via IAC, The Centre for Adoption. They are a specialist agency for international adoption and you can find further details on their website.
You can contact them directly to make an enquiry on 0208 447 4753. The Advice Line is open to members of the general public every weekday from 10am to 1pm with call backs made by Advisors up until 4pm.
Some families come to inter-country adoption very clear about which country they wish to adopt from. They may have family connections locally, or are originally from that country, or they might be adopting a child who is related to them. Others are less certain and seek guidance to help explore their options. When adopting a child from overseas, prospective parents need to be respectful of a child’s culture, particularly if it is not the same as their own. They must be willing to engage with their adoptive child’s background and to ensure that they grow up with a full sense of their cultural heritage.
When adopting from abroad, it is important to note that you must be eligible to adopt both within the UK as well as from the relevant country overseas. Sometimes that country’s eligibility criteria might be different or more stringent than the UK’s, so the first step for potential adopters is to check their eligibility by contacting the IAC Advice Line.
Generally, children adopted from overseas carry the legacy of their time spent in orphanages or institutions, where they often cannot be given consistent one-to-one care. Though many flourish when placed with their adoptive families, others may have health or emotional issues as a result.
IAC offers a comprehensive range of services for intercountry adoptive parents, both before and after adoption. Being approved to adopt a child from overseas entails a similar process to that which is undertaken when adopting a child from the UK. The one fundamental difference, however, is that anybody seeking to adopt a child from abroad must pay for the assessment process themselves. This is generally in the region of £5000-£7000. There are also additional charges that apply in intercountry adoption and it is therefore important that you fully consider the financial implications before beginning the process. The Information Pack for Intercountry Adoption details the charges.