For Houston families that are unable to have children themselves or who are looking to add to their own natural families, adopting a child in need of a family offers many blessings to both the adopted child and the adoptive parents and family. That is the case whether an infant or an older child is adopted or whether the adoption is conducted within the United States or involves a child from another country.
For many years, international adoptions become a viable and appreciated option for many an American family to fulfill their dreams of parenthood. However, more recently challenges have dramatically reduced the number of people able to successfully complete an international adoption. In 2004, there were nearly 23,000 such adoptions by people in the United States compared with only 8,668 in 2012. While many international adoptions are initiated, stories abound of children waiting in orphanages for months or even years without being able to be brought home by their new families.
New legislation in both the House and the Senate is finding support from various parties, liberal and conservative alike. The Children in Families First Act proposes that all international adoptions be processed by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services department as a way of helping to facilitate more such adoptions and eliminate some of the roadblocks and delays. For every adoptive parent that is left waiting to have a child, there are too many children left without homes.
People who are interested in adopting a child whether domestically or internationally may benefit from a consultation with a private attorney to more fully understand the process and how best to navigate any potential challenges.
Source: Huffington Post, “Foreign Adoptions Bill Unites Liberals, Conservatives Alike,” David Crary, December 25, 2013
