Adopting US children to Germany - Hague rules?

Adoptions from the U.S. foster care system to other countries are fairly uncommon. Except in the case of relative adoptions, they usually involve the most difficult to place children -- specifically, children with very significant physical, mental, or emotional challenges, or teenagers. The needs of the children -- especially the emotional or behavioral needs -- may or may not be described fully on websites, to protect privacy. As an example, it may be written that a child should be the only child in the adoptive home, and that may be a clue to the fact that he/she may have a history of trying to harm others physically or sexually, or it may just mean that he/she has a great many challenges that could stress a family with other children. You should always try to get as much information about a child as possible before deciding to adopt him/her, as some of the conditions could be beyond your capabilities -- for example, a child who was exposed to alcohol prenatally and has signficant learning, impulse control, and other challenges. Looking at the website of the U.S. State Department at adoption.state.gov and at the website of the Hague Convention , I saw several government entities in Germany that are likely to be involved in both completing a Hague adoption and getting the overseas child immigrated to Germany. Try contacting the following to see what you have to do on your end: The German federal agency that is involved: Bundesamt fr Justiz Bundeszentralstelle fr Auslandsadoption Adenauerallee 99-103 53113 BONN Bundesrepublik Deutschland num켩ro de tlphone/telephone number: +49 (228) 99 410 5414 / 5415 num驩ro de tlcopie/telefax number: +49 (228) 99 410 5402 e-mail: auslandsadoption@bfj.bund.de website: [url=http://www.bundesjustizamt.de/cln_048/nn_258430/DE/Themen/Zivilrecht/BZAA/BZAA__node.html?__nnn=true]BfJ Auslandsadoption[/url] The government agencies for the various regions; you would contact the one where you live: Baden-W驼rttemberg Kommunalverband fr Jugend und Soziales Baden-Wrttemberg Dezernat Jugend Zentrale Adoptionsstelle Lindensp켼rstr. 39 70176 STUTTGART numros de tl驩phone/telephone numbers: +49 (711) 6375-0 numro de tl驩copie/telefax number: +49 (711) 6375-449 e-mail: zas@kvjs.de Bayern Zentrum Bayern Familie und Soziales Bayerisches Landesjugendamt Zentrale Adoptionsstelle Marsstr. 46 80335 Mnchen numro de t쩩lphone/telephone number: +49 (89) 1261-04 numro de t驩lcopie/telefax number: +49 (89) 1261-2280 e-mail: poststelle@zbfs-blja.bayern.de Berlin und Brandenburg Zentrale Adoptionsstelle der Lnder Berlin und Brandenburg im Landesjugendamt des Landes Brandenburg Hans-Wittwer-Strasse 6 16321 BERNAU num餩ro de tlphone/telephone number: +49 (3338) 701-828 num驩ro de tlcopie/telefax number: +49 (3338) 701-863 e-mail: gabriele.adamczewski@lja.brandenburg.de Gemeinsame Zentrale Adoptionsstelle der L驤nder Freie Hansestadt Bremen, Freie und Hansestadt Hamburg, Niedersachsen und Schleswig-Holstein (GZA) - bei der Behrde fr Soziales und Familie der Freien und Hansestadt Hamburg- GZA S漼dring 32 22303 HAMBURG numro de tl驩phone/telephone number: +49 (40) 428-63-5006 numro de tl驩copie/telefax number: +49 (40) 428-63-5188 e-mail & Internet: GZA@bsg.hamburg.de / link to website Nordrhein-Westfalen Landschaftsverband Rheinland Landesjugendamt Zentrale Adoptionsstelle Kennedy-Ufer 2 40663 Kln telephone number: +49 (221) 809 - 4042 telefax number: +49 (221) 809 - 6252 e-mail: anke.muetzenich@lvr.de Landschaftsverband Westfalen-Lippe LWL-Landesjugendamt Westfalen Zentrale Adoptionsstelle Warendorfer Str. 27 48145 MNSTER num朩ro de tlphone/telephone number: +49 (252) 591-6585 num驩ro de tlcopie/telefax number: +49 (252) 591-6898 e-mail: ruth.schuerbuescher@lwl.org Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Landesamt f驼r Gesundheit und Soziales Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Abteilung Jugend und Familie/Landesjugendamt Aussenstelle Neubrandenburg Neustrelitzer Str. 120, Block D 17033 NEUBRANDENBURG numro de tl驩phone/telephone number: +49 (395) 380-3320 numro de tl驩copie/telefax number: +49 (395) 380-3302 e-mail: poststelle.lja@lagus.mv-regierung.de Rheinland-Pfalz und Hessen Gemeinsame Zentrale Adoptionsstelle Rheinland-Pfalz und Hessen Landesamt fr Soziales, Jugend und Versorgung Rheinallee 97-101 55118 MAINZ Postfach 2964 55019 MAINZ numro de t쩩lphone/telephone number: +49 (6131) 967-0 numro de t驩lcopie/telefax number: +49 (6131) 967-320 e-mail: gza@lsjv.rlp.de Saarland Ministerium fr Bildung, Familie, Frauen und Kultur Landesjugendamt Zentrale Adoptionsstelle Hohenzollernstr. 60 66117 SAARBR鼜CKEN numro de tl驩phone/telephone number: +49 (0681) 501 2083 / +49 (0681) 501 2084 numro de tl驩copie/telefax number: +49 (0681) 501 3416 e-mail: r.hilpert@bildung.saarland.de / d.doerr@bildung.saarland.de Sachsen Schsisches Staatsministerium fr Soziales Landesjugendamt SG4: Familienbildung, Hilfen zur Erziehung, Zentrale Adoptionsstelle Parkstra伟e 28 09120 Chemnitz numro de tl驩phone/telephone number: +49 (371) +49 (371) 24081 184/185 numro de tl驩copie/telefax number: +49 (371) 4510 054 941/945 e-mail: Zentrale.Adoptionsstelle@slfs.sms.sachsen.de Sachsen-Anhalt Landesverwaltungsamt Landesjugendamt Zentrale Adoptionsstelle Ernst-Kamieth-Strasse 2 06112 HALLE numro de tl驩phone/telephone number: +49 (345) 514-0 numro de tl驩copie/telefax number: +49 (345) 514-1719 e-mail & Internet: zas@lvwa.sachsen-anhalt.de / link to website Thringen Thringer Ministerium f켼r Soziales, Familie und Gesundheit Referat 35 / Landesjugendamt - Zentrale Adoptionsstelle - Werner-Seelenbinder-Str. 6 99096 ERFURT numro de tl驩phone/telephone number: +49 (361) 3798 375 numro de tl驩copie/telefax number: +49 (361) 3798 830 e-mail: Brita.Fuchs@tmsfq.thueringen.de If you see some children in state foster care in the U.S., whom you feel you might be able to parent, contact the foster care agency in the state where they are located. Ask if they would consider placing the children with an overseas family; there's no point in going further if the state feels that it prefers not to do so. If they do accept citizens of foreign countries living abroad, then ask how they would want you to proceed. Chances are, if they have ever done such adoptions, they will know how to get you started. I hope this helps. Sharon