What are the additional challenges to adopting an international child?

What are the additional challenges to adopting an international child?

Jennifer Perry (Executive Director, Children's Action Network) gives expert video advice on: Why do people choose to adopt children from another country?; Who can help me with an international adoption? and more...

Some of the challenges to adopting an international child are the ongoing changes in international requirements. The countries themselves can set a number of requirements for adoptive parents and some of them can be very arbitrary. The requirements change all the time and it's difficult for people to determine what those are, and we cannot really have an impact on what they are. Obviously, an international adoption is going to require travel, which is going to require an output of funds. One of the other concerns in international adoption is the inability to obtain a substantial medical history on the child. It's often simply not in existence or not available, and that can pose problems down the line. Sometimes, there is a tremendous amount of paperwork involved with an international adoption. Some parents find that challenge a potential deterrent.