International Adoption
in California

In order to adopt a child or children from another country, families need to complete a home study with an agency licensed to work internationally. [link to agencies licensed to work in international adoption]  The adoption agency will help the family apply to United States Citizenship and Immigration Services for a visa for a child, and also prepare an application package (dossier) for the sending country. Waiting children are typically in institutions and are usually matched with families by the local government.  Older children, children with special needs, and sibling sets are often available.  Some countries are still placing young children, although recent laws and more domestic adoptions have created a shift away from infant children being available for adoption internationally.  Wait times, requirements, and costs vary significantly country to country and international adoptions are controlled by adherence to the Hague Adoption Convention.