International Adoption Process

Lutheran Social Services of Illinois (LSSI) works with prospective adoptive parents who are married or single, of any religious or ethnic background and who are Illinois residents. We have offices in many areas of the state and may have one near you.

Adopting a child internationally can seem overwhelming, but many families accomplish an international adoption successfully every year. While each country will have specific requirements for adoptive parents, there are basic steps necessary for most international adoptions. Here is an overview of our process:

• Meet with a member of our international adoption staff to discuss your interest in international adoption.
• Submit registration form and other preliminary documents to LSSI (these forms will be given to you at your first meeting).
• Begin the home study process with an LSSI adoption specialist. The home study involves several meetings with your adoption specialist to discuss adoption, parenting and your readiness to adopt. We also provide an educational workshop which meets the state and federal government training requirements for international adoption.
• Select the country from which you hope to adopt. Families choose countries based on a number of factors:
• personal connection to country: personal heritage, a relative who lives there, friend or family member who has adopted from there
• characteristics of children available for adoption like age, gender, health
• age and health requirements of adoptive parents (some countries specify the age of the couple based on the age of the child being adopted)
• travel requirements such as length and number of trips required by country
• Select an international agency that has a program in your chosen country. There are many international agencies with excellent reputations and knowledgeable staff, including those that are part of the Lutheran Adoption Network (LAN). Your adoption specialist can help you identify an agency that best suits your needs. If you have already selected an agency, please let your adoption specialist know at your first meeting.
• Apply to United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (CIS) for permission to bring a child, or children, from another country into the U.S.
• Complete dossier and send to foreign government. The dossier is a compilation of documents such as home study, birth certificates, marriage license, income and health verification, as well as other information prepared by the adoptive family according to international agency guidelines.
• Receive the referral of a child and have it reviewed by international adoption physician prior to acceptance. The referral will include the child’s age, gender, basic health information and possibly social history. With older children, more information may be available, including photos and social and medical histories.
• Travel to other country to bring your child home. Travel usually occurs several weeks to several months after referral is accepted.
• Begin post-placement services. The first visit by the adoption specialist occurs within 30 days after child’s arrival in the U.S. After the visit, the adoption specialist prepares a progress report on how the child is adjusting to his or her new home. These reports are crucial to maintaining a positive relationship with the foreign government and to the future of international adoptions. The total number of post-placement reports is determined by the foreign government.