With International Adoption as much about the wider world as it is about our little families ... or not so little, in some cases ... the idea of our travel as a benefit to others fits well.

With all the talk now of our carbon footprint and how air travel increases the negative impact an individual leaves, the thought of taking off for distant points now seems to require a bit more contemplation.

Traveling to bring our kids home is non-negotialbe for... more

Whether you're considering international adoption, in the process, or have already adopted, global issues of adoption may be ... should be ... of even greater interest and concern than for the regular man-on-the-street without direct connections. Our children do not appear out of a vacuum, but become available for adoption through circumstances that vary widely, but often have similar themes. Poverty, war, disease, starvation, upheaval, death ... all make their dark mark and destroy lives and hopes and dreams and options. How organizations funded... more

With the World Bank big in the news now, I could be writing today about corruption, but since I just did that I'll be focusing instead on the more up-beat and... more

So, there is air travel in your future. Maybe you're off to China or Guatemala or Ethiopia to meet the newest addition to your family and bring the darling home. Or, perhaps the whole gang is heading off on a holiday.

You dig out the carry-on bags from the last time you traveled and start collecting all you know you'll... more

A whole lot of travel, both for adoption and for the fun of it, is coming up for people in this blog neighborhood. Mary will be on her way to Ethiopia someday soonish, and Holly is in Zambia now and will be flying home with babies.

We're off to Cambodia soon, not adopting again, but traveling... more

One of last night's dinner guests had a whale of a tale (or was it a wail?) to tell about the adventure of flying home to Seychelles from Australia last week with her fourteen-month-old son ... a tale of misery as she was forced to face hour after hour of cramped, confined mothering of a very grumpy boy after having almost every single treat she'd packed to keep her son happy confiscated before... more

Adoption journeys begin at a crossroads. The junction offers options that must be considered before the first steps can be taken: domestic private infant adoption, adoption domestically from foster care, or adoption of a child from another country.

Each path can lead to a happy family, but to get to that place you have to pick one, then get moving.

Let's look at some of the things you need to think about ...

If... more

Aside from those few people who firmly decide as children that they will eventually build their family through adoption, most come to the first steps in the adoption journey by way of a meandering path that may take them through infertility, second families, concerns over over-population, or any of as many reasons as there are adoptive families.

Occasionally, a potential adoptive parent comes to the process feeling a deep connection for one part of the world, and is immediately attracted to the idea of adopting internationally as a way to... more

Anyone planning to travel outside of the US will need to obtain a passport before traveling. If this is your first passport, you must apply in person at your local passport office and provide 6 things:

1. Application for Passport, Form DS-11

Form is available at the passport office. Do not sign form until the passport agent instructs you to do so.

2. Proof of U.S. Citizenship (one of these)

Previous U.S. Passport Certified birth certificate Consular Report of Birth Abroad Naturalization Certificate Certificate of Citizenship

3. Proof of Identity (one of these)

Previous U.S.... more

A dossier is a packet of documents needed to complete an international adoption. A typical dossier will contain 10-15 documents such as:

home study (do this ASAP) immigration pre-approval adoptive parents’ birth certificates adoptive parents’ marriage certificate letters verifying employment adoptive parents’ bank statements INS approval form (the I-171-H) reference letters

All these documents must then be individually authenticated, based upon the foreign country's requirements. Normally, each document will need several government stamps: a stamp by your local notary public, a certification by your... more