| ADOPTION QUESTIONS AND
ADOPTION ANSWERS |
| Question: What is Summit Adoption Home Studies process if I want to adopt internationally? |
Answer: 1. Contact Summit Adoption Home Studies for information and to make application for home study adoption services. Summit Adoption Home Studies can work as an exempt or supervised provider for Hague Convention Country adoptions and provide home studies for Non-Hague Convention Country adoptions. 3. Prepare the documents required by your chosen country and child referral service. 4. Wait for your referral. Receive your referral. Wait for your travel date. 5. Travel, stay in country based on country's requirements and obtain U.S. embassy visa for your child. 6. Come home with your child, contact your Summit Adoption Home Studies and begin post placement adoption process. |
| Question: Can Summit Adoption Home Studies help us with a designated or private adoption? |
Answer: Yes, Summit Adoption Home Studies can complete the adoptive parent home study. Birth and adoptive parents must independently work with an adoption attorney or agency to represent the birth parents, arrange for birth parent counseling or other services in accordance with the laws of Minnesota and the birth parents' state. Summit Adoption Home Studies can help you navigate the interstate compact arrangements if the child is born in another state. Summit Adoption Home Studies can refer you to adoption attorneys or other agencies to provide these services while we work with you to provide your adoptive home study. |
| Question:
Can Summit Adoption Home Studies help us with a home study for us to work with an embryo donation service? |
Answer:
Yes, Summit Adoption Home Studies can complete the prospective parent home study for a family working with an embryo donation service. You must independently work with an adoption attorney or agency to represent the legal aspects of the embryo donation and other services in accordance with the laws of Minnesota and the donor parents' state. Summit Adoption Home Studies can refer you to attorneys or other agencies to provide these services while we work with you to provide your home study. |
| Question: How do I find out more about children to adopt in other countries? |
Answer: There are many,many adoption services who represent children in many countries. The U.S. State Department Consular Affairs has developed a web site http:www.//adoption.state.gov that is a comprehensive guide to international adoption. Other web sites that are helpful are JCICS and Ethica. Summit Adoption Home Studies can help you discuss how to choose a child referral service. The world wide web can be helpful, word of mouth, or references from Summit Adoption Home Studies can lead you to these programs. You are free to select the source that meets your needs if you choose us to do your home study. For Hague Convention Country adoptions, Summit Adoption Home Studies provides the home study as an exempt or supervised provider with your Hague accredited U.S. adoption child referral agency that works in that country. We always recommend you check references and the adoption agency licensing or business status of the services you are considering. |
| Question: How many children are adopted internationally to the U.S.? |
Answer: In 2008, 17,438 children and 2009, 12,753 children. |
| Question: I am a U.S. citizen now but was born in another country and I would like to adopt from that country. Can you help me with the home study? |
Answer: Summit Adoption Home Studies can do your home study. You will need to know if your country is a Hague Convention Countries or a Non-Hague Convention Country as a Hague Convention Country will require you to have a Hague Accredited U.S. agency representing you for your child referral. You will also need to know the laws of your country and the USCIS definition of which children are eligible for orphan visas which can be a complicated determination. Summit Adoption can refer you to sources of information about this criteria and provide a home study for you when you feel your adoption plans have the potential to meet these criteria. |
| Question: What about international issues with medical health, travel? |
Answer: Travel:Most international countries require that adoptive parents travel and stay from 1 to 8 weeks. Adoption costs for travel are the responsibility of parents to pay directly. Medical: To help you review the medical information you do have on your referred child and to screen adopted children before and after their arrival, contact University of Minnesota, International Adoption Clinic 420 Delaware Street NE, Box 211 Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455 Tel: 612-626-2928/www.peds.umn.edu/iac |
| Question: What about the tax credit for adoption - what is this? |
Answer:
For 2009, the maximum adoption credit has increased to $12,150. Also, the maximum exclusion from income for benefits under your employer's adoption assistance program has increased to $12,150. These amounts are phased out if your modified AGI is between $182,180 and $222,180. You cannot claim the credit or exclusion if your modified AGI is $222,180 or more. See IRS for complete details of 2010 adoption tax credit (Publication 968 Tax Benefits for Adoption). |
| Question: I would like to learn more about the U.S. waiting children available - how do I begin this process? |
Answer: Currently about 100,000 of the 450,000 children in foster care in the U.S. need adoptive homes. The best way to start is to contact one of the Minnesota counties or public/private partnership agencies for Minnesota waiting children. Links to this information can be found at MARN (Minnesota Adoption Resource Network) http://www.mnadopt.org. Other states may have children as well but it can be a very long process. We can discuss the challenges involved if you are considering this route and still wish to have us complete your home study. Answer: Children available are listed in photo listings on the web for many U.S. states. Subsidies may be available for many children as well as reimbursement to a qualifying family for non recurring adoption expenses which can include agency adoption fees, agency supervision of the placement and other qualifying expenses. |
| Question: Can I get references? |
Answer: Many references can be provided regarding home study and international child referral services. Many families have adopted with us more than once. Summit Adoption Home Studies is licensed in Minnesota under Rule 4 as a child placing adoption agency and you can verify the licensing status of all Minnesota adoption agencies through the Minnesota Department of Human Services at 651-296-7635. |
| Question: What should I expect from Summit Adoption Home Studies to support me through the process? |
Answer: Parenting: The most important reason you have started on the path to adoption. We give support and referrals for simple and complicated concerns about becoming a parent. Each family has different levels of needs for support and parenting education. This is handled based on your individual situation. Paperwork for U.S. and State. This must be done so we provide easy to follow, personal guidance to getting this done as quickly as possible from initial consultation to completion of your child's adoption into your family. Paperwork for your child: This is handled by the child referral service you use. We will support you to help you understand what is needed to complete this paperwork - whether it is an interstate compact for U.S. adoption or an international adoption or if you need a referral to an adoption agency. Perspective: Adoption bureaucracy, whether local or international, can be the most challenging, time consuming and often frustrating part of the path to parenting. We'll work to provide perspective to help you keep your adoption in sight despite the inevitable challenges that will occur along the path. Professionalism: Summit Adoption can fully support the adoption cycle of needs and has developed access to a wide variety of adoption resources for families. Passages: Becoming and being a parent through adoption or birth is a journey full of joys and challenges. Contact can be arranged with other adoptive parents through our agency and there are many on-line support groups for waiting and new adoptive parents. |
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