foreign adoption?

[fastpat]

Originally posted by nostatic
because I'm Chinese on the inside.

So you think Chinese humans are genetic Buddists?

I've met people who've adopted from Romania, Bulgaria, other former Soviet Block countries, and China. All report a mess of governmental "red tape", but all were ultimately successful.

Best of luck.

[nostatic]

Originally posted by Kurt V
I am not criticizing anyone for adopting a foreign child. Here is a picture of me and my little girl (I kinda like riding the bus):

Kurt, your use of public transportation, and worse yet, practicing what you preach is out of control. Please report to DC for reprogramming into proper finger-pointing and abdication of personal responsibility lessons

[nostatic]

Originally posted by fastpat
So you think Chinese humans are genetic Buddists?

I wouldn't expect you to understand

Thanks everyone for the stories. I'm not sure where I stand on this, and on its face it makes no sense whatsoever.

But perhaps that combined with the fact that the thought has even entered my mind makes it interesting. More will be revealed.

I've done some research and know that it takes about 8-18 months and costs about $20-$25K. Definitely easier to just bang and squirt one out, but for some reason that doesn't speak to me. Who know. Maybe I should just find a nice lesbian couple to...um....err....gotta run!

[fastpat]

Originally posted by nostatic
I wouldn't expect you to understand

I'm asking.

I've done some research and know that it takes about 8-18 months and costs about $20-$25K. Definitely easier to just bang and squirt one out, but for some reason that doesn't speak to me. Who know. Maybe I should just find a nice lesbian couple to...um....err....gotta run!

Yeah, since there's a shortage of Americans, can't expect you to increase the number. The net increase of the population within US borders is via immigration, not natural population increase.

Which method will you use? Are you going to increase the population via immigration or will you increase the population via natural methods?

It's so hard to decide.

[white87911]

Originally posted by white87911
My wife and I are currently in the process of adopting a little girl from from Guatemala. We started the process August of 2005 and hope to have her home in the next few months. She was born May 6th, 2006.

There are pro's and con's for domestic and foreign adoptions as welll as pros and cons to each different country for foreign adoption. WAY to much to cover in an email.

The process is long and complicated and tons of paperwork and sending documents to Secretary of States for verification and to Guatemalan Embassy, etc. etc. You will get to know your local Notary very welll!

I can offer some more specific advise if you want it on how to make the process smoother. Remember that there is only so much you can do to make things happen, its a waiting game, the key is to make happen the things you can.

Ours costs for this will be in the $22,000 range, not including travel, but we only have to go to Guatemala once and only for @ 4 days.

If you think that $22,000 is a lot of money or that I am "buying" a child, look at what the cost to have a child in the US would be and to pay for that child's well being for the first 9 months of its life and you will see that this is not that far out of line, it just that most people have insurance and therefore never see the actual cost of having a child.

Below is a picture of baby Gianna.

Erik

I just thought I would post the new picture I recieved of the baby that my wife and I are trying to adopt.

We are now in the final stages and are just waiting for the approval of the Guatemalan Goverment which could take 3 weeks of 3 months, nobody knows.

She turned 8 months old on the 6th.

[white87911]

Sorry picture did not load correctly.

Here she is!

[m21sniper]

Originally posted by nostatic
Anyone here adopt from a foreign country? The prospect of going through the pregnancy and baby thing again strikes fear into my heart, but for some reason, the thought of adopting an older (say 2-5 year old) Chinese girl seems appealing. Of course all dependent on how things play out (and I gotta figure out what insane part of me is coming to the fore on this one), but I was wondering if anyone here had adopted from a foreign country. An ex girl friend of mine from college just adopted from Kazhakstan, and it was interesting to say the least...

One of the guys on my board adopted a Chinese baby. I can put you in touch with him if you want to pick his brain. He's a really nice guy, and i'm sure he'd answer any questions you have.

Shoot me a PM if you want to talk to him.

[Jim Richards]

So Todd, did any Chinese babe ever adopt you?

[jluetjen]

A couple of other pieces of information...
1) According to our Chinese (PRC citizens) neighbors, China is now making it harder for American's to adopt. They said it's much harder if you're not married, or not in good health, etc etc.

2) The deal with Girls in China is just not just the fact that they're cute, and the One-Child policy, although that policy has a lot to do with it. It also has to do with a culture in which the first born son is responsible for looking after the parents in their old age. Daughters are ultimately married off and become part of another family, and responsible to that family, rather then her own. The tradition is that the groom needs to "buy" the wife with a dowery. This is the broad-brush description of cultural tradition, and not necessarily completely subscribed to by everyone, but it is generally more so in the country. This is why you hear about girl fetuses being aborted, or in some cases killed soon after birth. To ensure that the parents have a retirement plan.

Remember, China is not a "socialist" society in the fashion of the Europeans. There basically is no social security system. People live during their retirements (if they can retire) on their savings, and the support of their offspring. I heard on the BBC this morning about how Chinese construction workers are paid:

1) They are paid in full when the job is completed.
2) They live on the construction site in dorm trailers (chances are they have to pay for this arrangement, but it was not mentioned on the piece).
3) The construction runs 7x24, with the workers working their shifts 7 days a week.
4) There is no pension or retirement plan.

So that's the kind of environment which results in a lot of female chinese babies being abandoned (if they're lucky) into orphanages. Unless a family is well-off, if they're going to have only one child, they generally make sure it's a boy.

[jluetjen]

To follow-up on my first point above, CNN reported similar news today.