US adoption while living in Japan

Just a thought . . . You might cross post this on the Military Adoption forum. Just thinking I have seen posts about families who are living overseas due to deployments adopting while living abroad. Of course I can't remember any specifics but it might be another place to read and post. Good luck!

Thanks for the idea, Debbi!

Praying this time everything falls into place for you! You so deserve it!

The question I'd ask is "How temporarily?" Adoptions often take a long time -- like one to two years or even longer. If you have a homestudy in one jurisdiction, and then move elsewhere before the adoption is final, you will need a new homestudy, not just a minor update, that addresses both the new residence and how the move affects your finances, your commute, educational opportunities for your child, child care options for your child, and so on. Having a new homestudy because of a move will add significantly to the cost of your adoption. As a result, if you expect to move in the next year, but do not expect to move after that for a few years, then I would recommend waiting until you move. Social workers also like to see stability of residence. Some homestudy agencies and some placement agencies won't work with families who move around a lot, and who may actually move from one country to another during the process. You may have to shop around to find homestudy and placement agencies that will work wih you. If you will be in Japan for less than a year, and then return to the U.S., I'd wait till you get back to the U.S to begin the adoption process. Agencies want to work with clients throughout the course of their adoption and beyond. They want to be sure that the child goes into a home that continues to be as suitable as it appeared to be when the process started. They want to be sure that the child adjusts well to his/her new family, and that the family adjusts well to the new child. In addition, they know that children need permanence, and while the military and some civilian organizations do a good job at providing support to families that move around a lot, there is a good deal of stress, and the child often feels it the most. Also, if you planning an adoption with some degree of openness, be aware that many birthmothers do not want to place with a family living overseas or traveling around a lot, because they will then be unable to have much contact with their birthchild and his/her new parents. Again, you may be lucky, but some agencies feel that the pregnant women they serve want open adoptions and want some degree of ongoing contact, so they automatically turn down families living overseas. While it's not "impossible" to adopt an American child while living overseas, it's not going to be easy. Do remember, as well, that you are going to need to provide a lot of documents for your homestudy and for other aspects of your placement, and it may be hard to obtain some of them while living abroad. So if you will be returning to the U.S. soon, it may be easier to wait. The other thing you should consider, if you find that agencies are turning you down for adopting an American child while living overseas, is an international adoption. It is possible for an American living in Japan to adopt from Japan, and as long as you work with an agency that understands the need for the child to meet USCIS "eligible orphan" criteria in order to be allowed to enter the U.S. on an adoption visa, you will be able to move to the U.S. with him/her when your time overseas is finished. It is also possible to adopt from other countries, as an American living abroad, though it's more complicated. Sharon

The question I'd ask is "How temporarily?" Adoptions often take a long time -- like one to two years or even longer. If you have a homestudy in one jurisdiction, and then move elsewhere before the adoption is final, you will need a new homestudy, not just a minor update, that addresses both the new residence and how the move affects your finances, your commute, educational opportunities for your child, child care options for your child, and so on. Having a new homestudy because of a move will add significantly to the cost of your adoption. As a result, if you expect to move in the next year, but do not expect to move after that for a few years, then I would recommend waiting until you move. Social workers also like to see stability of residence. Some homestudy agencies and some placement agencies won't work with families who move around a lot, and who may actually move from one country to another during the process. You may have to shop around to find homestudy and placement agencies that will work wih you. If you will be in Japan for less than a year, and then return to the U.S., I'd wait till you get back to the U.S to begin the adoption process. Agencies want to work with clients throughout the course of their adoption and beyond. They want to be sure that the child goes into a home that continues to be as suitable as it appeared to be when the process started. They want to be sure that the child adjusts well to his/her new family, and that the family adjusts well to the new child. In addition, they know that children need permanence, and while the military and some civilian organizations do a good job at providing support to families that move around a lot, there is a good deal of stress, and the child often feels it the most. Also, if you planning an adoption with some degree of openness, be aware that many birthmothers do not want to place with a family living overseas or traveling around a lot, because they will then be unable to have much contact with their birthchild and his/her new parents. Again, you may be lucky, but some agencies feel that the pregnant women they serve want open adoptions and want some degree of ongoing contact, so they automatically turn down families living overseas. While it's not "impossible" to adopt an American child while living overseas, it's not going to be easy. Do remember, as well, that you are going to need to provide a lot of documents for your homestudy and for other aspects of your placement, and it may be hard to obtain some of them while living abroad. So if you will be returning to the U.S. soon, it may be easier to wait. The other thing you should consider, if you find that agencies are turning you down for adopting an American child while living overseas, is an international adoption. It is possible for an American living in Japan to adopt from Japan, and as long as you work with an agency that understands the need for the child to meet USCIS "eligible orphan" criteria in order to be allowed to enter the U.S. on an adoption visa, when you return home, you will be able to move to the U.S. with him/her when your time overseas is finished. It is also possible to adopt from other countries, as an American living abroad, though it's more complicated. Sharon

Thanks, all. Well, the idea is that we would live in Japan for 3 years, starting next summer. However, this is not a done deal yet. We're on hold right now, and I'm trying to see how long this hold may need to be. With our luck of things taking forever, it may be more prudent to just wait it out until we come back, assuming we even go. Thanks for weighing in!