International Adoption

We are excited to announce our Cross Cultural Program for families who are interested in adopting newborn babies in the United States.  We, in the U.S. find ourselves facing increasingly hard economic times and this has impacted the ability of single birthmothers to parent their children.    Sadly, there are situations where the birthmother may need to make adoption plans for the baby she is carrying.

The Republic of Moldova is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, located between Romania to the West and Ukraine to the North, East and South. In its history, Moldova has been part of Romania as well as the Soviet Union, and has been an independent nation since 1991. Since it gained its independence the Republic of Moldova continues to strive toward economic stability. International Family Services is one of a handful of U.S. adoption agencies who have been approved by the government of Moldova. The Republic of Moldova is a Hague Convention country.

China is one of the world’s oldest continuous civilizations, consisting of provinces and cultures dating back many centuries. It has the world’s longest continuously used written language system, and is the source of what are referred to as the Four Great Inventions of Ancient China: paper, the compass, gunpowder, and printing. China is home to one fifth of the world’s population and tens of thousands of orphaned and abandoned children.

China also provides one of the most consistent, fast, and reliable international adoption programs available – the China Special Needs Adoption Program. These are children who desperately need to be nurtured in a stable, loving home. Yet parents who adopt these dear children so often report that they (the parents) and the siblings of the special child are the ones who receive the greatest blessing.

Bulgaria is a small fascinating country of ancient culture, scenic beauty and friendly people located in Southeastern Europe. In recent years Bulgaria was slow in placing orphan children for international adoption, but recently, with the move to Hague Convention status, Bulgaria now offers, what promises to be, a consistent and predictable option for adoptive parents.

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NRI Registrations Open February 3, 2014. OCI Registrations Open March 3, 2014.

The IFS India program is like two adoption  programs under one roof.

The 1st program focuses on Indian families living in the US who have received the designation from the Indian government as NRI (Non-Resident Indian – A citizen of India, holding an Indian passport, but residing abroad) or OCI (Overseas Citizen of India). In general the Indian government allows these families to adopt children who are either non-special needs children and/or special needs children.

The 2nd program accommodates families who do not meet the above definitions (NRI or OCI). These families may adopt children who are considered Special Needs Children. Special Needs Children can include children with the following needs: minor, fixable and/or manageable, physical and/or medical special needs, older “healthy” children (typically 6 and older), “healthy” siblings, or children with more significant needs.

IFS is happy to be able to offer beautiful Ukrainian children for adoption. Concerned about population decline, the Government of Ukraine now encourages domestic foster care and adoption and by law only allows single children aged 5 or more to be adopted internationally. All are first placed on a national registry for one year to give local couples a chance to adopt. Single children aged 5-8 who are referred to foreigners may have special needs. Many healthy children aged 9-15 languish in government orphanages, eager for loving parents and the chance to reach their potential. Healthy sibling sets are available, which may include children under 5. The Ukraine Program Fee has been greatly reduced to make sibling adoption more feasible. 

—   Please see the Ethiopia Update in our News section or download here —

Ethiopia is a beautiful country situated in Eastern Africa near the Red Sea with a population of 53 million. It is one of the oldest countries in the world and was the home of the Queen of Sheba. Seventeen years of civil war bankrupted the country and left thousands of orphaned children. The numbers continue to increase as the diseases of poverty cause premature deaths of parents.

We are excited to announce our Cross Cultural Program for families who are interested in adopting newborns in the United States.  We, in the U.S. find ourselves facing increasingly hard economic times and this has impacted the ability of single birthmothers to parent their children.    Sadly, there are situations where the birthmother may need to make adoption plans for the baby she is carrying.

IFS received word from the Council on Accreditation in early June 2009 that we had received our accreditation.

Under our accredited status, IFS can accept new applications as a primary, accredited provider from families who want to adopt from countries who are signers of the Hague Convention including IFS programs in India and China. (More information about the Hague Convention.) However, as of July 14, 2014, adoption service providers working with families in non-Convention countries will need to be accredited under the same accreditation standards that apply in Convention adoption cases. This means that IFS is also able to complete adoptions in non-convention countries. (More information about the Universal Accreditation Act.)

US Department of State – Intercountry Adoptions Information

US Citizenship & Immigration Services (click on the Forms tab for complete list of forms, fees and application filing addresses)