Bethany Christian Services facilitates international adoption services in many countries around the globe. We provide support for parents throughout the entire adoption process, starting with preliminary applications all the way through to post-adoption counseling.
Following are answers to a few commonly asked questions about the international adoption process:
How long is the wait?
The process varies from country to country. Your adoption specialist will discuss specific country processes and options with you.
Isn't there an easier way around all the paperwork?
Unfortunately not. However, our team of specialists will efficiently assist you each step of the way.
How much does it cost?
The fees vary greatly depending upon the country you wish to adopt from.
Why is it so expensive to adopt internationally?
International adoption requires charges for country fees, expenses related to travel (airfare, visas, accommodations), and other fees as determined by the country or program.
Is there financial assistance available?
With the support of generous donors, we are able to offer some financial assistance. We will also help keep you informed about adoption grants, tax credits, or employer assistance. A grant may also be available through Bethany’s Caring Connection which was created to help families adopting children with special needs.
Can I request a specific child?
There are different requirements for each country regarding when each child can be matched with a family. Our adoption specialists will work with you, learn your interests, and ensure that the child is available for adoption.
Why are some countries closed and some open?
Some countries prefer to provide care for their children within their country, either through foster care or domestic adoption. Other countries that were previously open may undergo political changes that demand that international adoptions be put on hold or processes changed.
What is the Hague?
The Hague Convention on International Adoption provides guidelines for international adoption to protect those children being adopted across country borders. Bethany is fully accredited through the Council on Accreditation (COA) and, as such, has no restrictions on its ability to provide adoption services in countries that are part of the Hague convention.
What happens to all of the orphans that are not adopted?
Bethany ministers to children around the world. Through adoption and foster care, we help children who do not have families, find families. We also work to combat poverty and other critical circumstances that leave children and families vulnerable and are often the cause for children becoming orphaned or abandoned. Through One Family sponsorship, family preservation partners join together to help provide food, medicine, housing, education, and skills training to strengthen a family and move them toward self-sustainability.
