?s about independent Taiwan adoption

I have pm'd you. email me if you have any further questions. Sarah k[url=http://Taiwanindependentadoptioninfo.blogspot.com]Taiwan Independent adoption info~~plus more[/url][url=http://Taiwankiddo2.blogspot.com]Taiwankiddo2-Girlfriend adoption talk[/url]

Hi Sarah, I am also interested in learning more about independent adoptions through Taiwan. My husband and I are currently on a waitlist to ultimately adopt a NSN infant girl from Chung Yi, but we have no idea how long it will take. We have considered switching to the foster care program at TWCA, but the costs are prohibitively expensive. If you have any suggestions about who we might be able to contact to inquire about possible children, I would love to hear them. A little bit about us: we are not religious, so I don't know if that makes it impossible to adopt independently (it seems like most, if not all, private facilitators are Christian based). I am also 6 months pregnant--I know most agencies require that the bio baby be 6 months old before we can submit any paperwork to Taiwan, and we are just fine with that. Would having such a young child in our home hurt our chances? I welcome any info you are willing to share! Thanks! Amber L [url=http://www.cramberstaiwanbaby.blogspot.com]Cramber's Taiwan Baby[/url]

Hi Amber, We are not religious either and that was a huge factor for us when adopting from Taiwan. Many of the smaller facilities require you to have a religious association/be a Christian. Good luck!

For my knowledge that if you are not a Christian then you both will have to be Taiwanese citizens though. I have a hard time to find a way to adopt independently from Taiwan because of these two issues. One SW in Taiwan told me to either move back to live in Taiwan for 6 months or just pay agency fees for it. I am still looking and waiting..

Have you found out any information about independent adoption in Taiwan? My husband and I are looking at it as well and would love advice from someone who has gone through it. Please let me know what you found out. It will help so much.

Can you PM me, too. Thanks :flower:

Remember that Taiwan is a very small country, with few children relinquished for international adoption. It used to be that few foreigners adopted from Taiwan; as a result, it was relatively quick and easy to adopt an infant or young child, either independently or through an agency. Singles could adopt, because although couples were preferred, especially in the programs where birthmothers in maternity homes could review profiles of prospective parents, there were sometimes not enough couples to match with the children. The situation has now changed. As an example, many people who were trying to adopt from China switched over to Taiwan when the former country tightened its eligibility requirements and when the wait time threatened to go to three years or more. There are currently far more well-qualified people wanting to adopt a healthy infant or toddler than there are such children available for adoption. Many agencies have now closed their programs to prevent long wait lists from developing, and independent adoption will also take longer. And it is much more difficult for single people to adopt. Since Taiwan's adoption program is decentralized, a family wishing to adopt independently will have to contact the various child welfare organizations in Taiwan and see which programs are likely to place a child with them in a reasonable time frame, and for fees that they will consider acceptable. Most people who want to do independent adoption actually wind up hiring a facilitator in their country of choice to help them identify a child, as well as to lead them through the legal processes in-country. On its website, the U.S. State Department has the following warning about using facilitators for Taiwan: "Updated: June 2010 Please note: We strongly urge prospective adoptive parents to only work with licensed adoption facilitators in Taiwan. The use of unlicensed facilitators in Taiwan could result in an adoption being carried out in a manner that does not permit the child to qualify as an orphan for the purposes of immigration to the United States. A list of agencies that we believe are currently licensed in Taiwan is provided under the section “How Do I Adopt.” However, it is important for prospective adoptive parents to understand the legal capacity of individual adoption facilitators under Taiwan law and to inquire about this information at the time of adoption as the licensing of agencies in Taiwan is solely under the control of the of Taiwan authorities and is subject to change." Independent adoption can SOMETIMES save you a little money, but please remember the following: 1. Most independent adoptions are not truly independent. Yes, you may choose not to use a licensed American agency, but you often need to hire facilitators, lawyers, and others in the foreign country. Especially if you don't know the language and have not lived in the country, you will probably need a lot of help to identify a child and complete the adoption process, and there will be fees associated with any people or companies you hire. And they will not necessarily work more cheaply or do a better job than an American agency. You will also have limited recourse if they mess up; it may be very difficult to sue, report them to an accrediting body, or take action to get your money back or compel completion of work, as you might if you used an American agency. 2. In general, there is a much higher level of risk if you go independent, rather than using a respected American agency that understands BOTH the foreign adoption process and the U.S. immigration process. You are more likely to have failed adoptions independently, meaning that you must start over and pay additional fees. One of the worst possible outcomes in international adoption is that you identify a child and go through the adoption process, only to discover that the child is not eligible for an adoption visa to enter the U.S. Remember that the child must qualify as an "eligible orphan", according to the Immigration and Nationality Act, and that the process you used to identify and adopt him/her will have to be reviewed to ensure that it is legal and ethical. If the child you adopt does not qualify for an adoption visa, the ONLY way you will be able to bring him/her to the U.S. will be to live overseas with him/her for two years and then apply for a normal dependent visa for him/her. If you cannot live overseas with the child for two years, you will probably have to petition to have the adoption overturned and return the child to an orphanage. Be aware that, just because the child you adopt was found in an orphanage, it does not mean that he/she qualifies for an adoption visa. Many children in foreign orphanages do NOT meet the U.S. definition. And just because you use an in-country facilitator or lawyer, it does not guarantee that the facilitator will act legally and ethically, according to U.S. standards. Personally, I would use a licensed American agency that I checked out thoroughly, to do an international adoption from any country. However, if you really want to do an independent adoption, be aware that the level of corruption in Taiwan appears to be a little less than that in some countries. There are some very reputable social welfare organizations that are familiar with American rules and customs, too. If you do a LOT of research, and if Taiwanese orphanages are willing to work with an independent -- many will prefer to work with agencies since it generally means less work for them -- you could well have a good outcome. Just remember that there aren't a lot of healthy infants and toddlers available, and you won't have the "clout" of an agency, when it comes to getting priority for one of them. On the other hand, if you can make a personal connection, and are found to be an attractive candidate, you just might succeed. Sharon