People Living In Canada, Adopting from the U.S.

Hi there, I can't find anyone in our situation. We're trying to adopt a child in Michigan but live in Alberta... And it's a competing adoption. I'm hoping that a new thread could help gather some support, since apparently there's not many people going through this... We've even asked multiple agencies for advice and there's been none to give. So if you're Canadian and looking to adopt from the U.S., or have done so already, please feel free to comment, criticize and support!!

Both the U.S. and Canada are Hague compliant countries. As a result, you need to follow the Hague process for international adoptions. Sharon

Because of the Hague Convention, preference will generally be given to citizens of the country where the child resides, so that he/she may be kept in his/her birth country. A person outside the country will usually be considered if he/she is a close relative, has a long established relationship with the child, or is the only person making an attempt to adopt the child, but it's really up to the court to decide. If you are "competing" (your word) with a well-qualified U.S. family, and especially if that family is biologically related to the child, your chances of success are slim. I would recommend that you retain an attorney. If a guardian ad litem (an advocate, not necessarily an attorney, who represents the child's best interests) has been appointed, you may want to talk with him/her about your qualifications to adopt the child.Sharon

Y'all can't Adopt ' Foster Kids or Youth ' Internationally??

Juli, I'm not sure what you mean. Plenty of people adopt internationally, and the children they adopt have generally been abandoned or relinquished by their birthparents, or have been removed from homes for reasons such as abuse or neglect. Most of the children have been in orphanages or foster homes that have some oversight by the foreign governments, although some of these orphanages and homes are actually run by private organizations.However, good adoption practice requires that countries make an effort to place children domestically, before allowing them to be adopted internationally. Hague Convention #33, on intercountry adoption, which nearly 100 countries have ratified, is an important treaty designed to protect children, their birthparents, and their adoptive families. It articulates a number of basic adoption principles, including the importance of trying to seek domestic homes for children before making them available for international adoption, the need for good preparation for families waiting to adopt, and so on. The Hague Convention has requirements for both sending and receiving countries. Adoptions must generally be completed in the country of the CHILD's citizenship, although some countries are permitted to send children to the U.S. under decrees of guardianship, for finalization here. But the receiving country will also have some rules about who may adopt and how their fitness to adopt is determined. Canada, like most of the English speaking world, interprets the Hague rather strictly, and so does the U.S. In general, adoptions of healthy American newborns and young children by Canadians are fairly rare, because there are many, many Americans eager to adopt such children, and there is no real need for such children to be placed abroad. A claim by a U.S. relative or friend of a birthmother who has been determined to be qualified to adopt is especially likely to be honored, even if there is an equally qualified Canadian family eager to adopt the child.Remember that adoption is not about finding babies for families, no matter how much those families wish to adopt. It is about finding a family that can meet a child's needs. And generally, high value is placed on keeping a child in touch with his birth heritage, language, culture, and so on, so that the child will develop healthy self-esteem and an appreciation of his/her roots. Certainly, in highly developed countries, like the U.S. and Canada, a young child can easily stay in his/her birth country without harm coming to him/her, as long as he/she has a loving family and permanence. International adoption makes more sense when it's hard to find a qualified family willing and able to adopt in the child's country, because of extreme poverty, the aftermath of wars and natural disasters, serious diseases like AIDS, lack of medical care, lack of educational and job opportunities, repression of women, and so on.So while I feel sorry for the Canadian couple that want to adopt the U.S. baby, I do feel that they need to be realistic. If there is a U.S. family that is equally well qualified, it is highly unlikely that their petition to adopt the child will be granted.Sharon

Sharon; we're relatives of the child, and the other family has withdrawn their application. We've been working within the Hague requirements but Michigan itself has never done an international adoption before (which blows my mind, considering how many people cross into Windsor every day). Regardless, we're just waiting on a 'yes' or 'no'... but the waiting is stressful. Any positive news on this front?Amie