Should We Adopt Or Foster?

[BKK90210]

We’re currently in USA and just came back from Thailand recently after 3 weeks spent time there. This is our 4th trip. After a long and thoughtful conversation with each other, we’re thinking about adopting 2 thai kids…and also looking into fostering as an option. We both love Thailand so much. So much so we’re planning to move to Thailand in 3-4 years.

Need some inputs: My question is – should we adopt? Or should we foster the kids?.....or should we wait until we have moved to Thailand to adopt or foster? They both will be living with us, not at the orphanage. Should they retain their thai lastnames or change to mine?....what are the benefits..in thai laws?

Just for additional notes: Money is not the problem for us moving there or adding 2 more kids to take care. We just want some kids to have the opportunity for the future and a good and decent chance for higher education, because we know with the higher education you can go far in life. Here in the US, at least the kids are entitles for a free education until high school, but this opportunity do not exist in Thailand for most of the poor kids. We also know that we can not solve all the poverty problems in Thailand. But by be able to help out at least 2 unfortunate kids…we know that at least we did something good for someone future.

Any thoughts?

[GuestHouse]

Aoption in Thailand is controlled by laws and regulations very similar to those in the west. Adoption of Thais by foreigners has come under more control in recent years (Not as a result of nationalism as was said in and earlier thread on this subject, but as a result of Thailand aligning its adoption laws with international conventions - in particular the Hague Convention).

The main impact on foreigners of these changes is that in order to adopt in Thailand you must first obtain 'permision/clearance' to adopt in your own country. This then needs to be ratified before an application to adopt is made in Thailand.

There are adoption agencies in Thailand but these are businesses and act to steer applicants, many demand significant payments, non are controlled by any specific adoption laws, so my advice would be procede with extreme caution when handing money over to any adoption agency.

I would advise that your first port of call in the State Department, which will give you the list of regulations you need to meet to bring an adopted child into the US. Then speak to your State Adoption/Welfare departments regarding obtaining permission to adopt - That will clear the Stateside issues, before you approach anyone in Thailand.

[leisurely]

I belive that you are only able to adopt once you have lived in the country for a year. The youngest child you would be offered is 6 months and you do not have a choice of boy or girl. Also, I don't think that fostering is an option.

Good luck.

[N&M]

Adopting a thai child compared to adopting a korean or another nationality is a lot lot harder.

I have the paperwork somewhere as we were going to do this here in Los.

Adopting and fostering are 2 completely different issues, adopting means the kids are yours, part of your family. Fostering they never are really, can be for a long time, but not the same.

So you are the only ones that can decide which is best for your situation.

But adoption here by foreigners is very hard and drawn out process if approved at all, especially to a farang/farang couple.

[skylar]

There's another post on adoption. http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?sh...=0entry607875

Good luck. Interesting that you mention the poverty aspect... as there's plenty of poverty in the US too and I'm wondering why nobody seems to notice.

[p_brownstone]

There's another post on adoption. http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?sh...=0entry607875

Good luck. Interesting that you mention the poverty aspect... as there's plenty of poverty in the US too and I'm wondering why nobody seems to notice.

Apparently adopting "locally" is not the trend these days.

Too many people are now able to visit exotic places, and most just bring back the usual souveniers which of course impress no-one, so it seems obvious that the best, new, "meaningful" momento - also useful to demonstrate ones commitment to "caring" - should be a real live "native".

Patrick

[Neeranam]

Apparently adopting "locally" is not the trend these days.

I go swimming regularly with my daughter in a hotel in Khon Kaen -on numerous occassions I've met Eastern European couples with a little baby they have just adopted.

[chippie]

"Hi Chuck- Mary, I see you're back, got a couple of extra kids there I see, Korean right!!

Oh! no Stan, Thai, we just love the place so much,we go every year. Oh you should see it, so beautifull, the people are so nice, funny little things really. We went 'up country' this year aswell, oh Stan you wouldn't believe it, they go to toilet in these funny little shacks with a sort of squat thingy. And they eat cockroaches and maggots, we just felt we had to do something so we bought a couple back with us. Its such a shame! we thought we could give them a better education in the good old US of A, well, for 2 or 3 years anyway then we will go and live there and open a little school for the poor things. We plan to learn the language but from what I hear its quite hard so maybe we can shout and wave our arms a bit- that should do it. Being the good christian family we are we can teach them the ways of the lord, and who knows maybe when they are old enough then can learn budizm or whatever.

That woman from tomb raider got one didn't she so we must be doing the christian thing. I read about her all the time in the free magazines, Oh well Stan can't stand here talking all day, the Lord work is never done "

[Krub]

I 'sponsor' or 'foster' a child in Isaan through this agency.

Instead of paying a certain amount that you don't know how it will be used, they will introduce you to a child in the community in which they work and you will communicate with the child through his/her school life. You are necouraged to go and visit and get aquainted with the work doen in the community with 'your' money. The money is not directly given to the child nor the family but rather is spent on community projetcs like a rice bank or others.

As I am not able to fully take responsibility for a child 'adoption' I found this way of getting involved very rewarding for both the child, the community and myself.

The last time I visite dthe village of the child, we had a gretqa day where all the kids at the local school and teh teachers participated to talk and meet the 'farang'

The link to their website

http://www.plan-international.org/

[BKK90210]

No, this is not just a thing we'd just dreamed up one day after the trip. We're serious about this!...already got the clearance from the US govn't and done all those homestudies thing.

Just for everyone knowledge...I can speak, read and write Thai very well...and not just my name. My dad is American and my mom is Thai...so it's very natural thing to me for wanting to adopt a thai kid. I was educated in Thailand until 15 yrs old. Currently me and my other half are running our own successful structural engineering firm. We'd been doing this for almost 20 yrs already. So It's very easy for us to get the US goverment approval...for the 1st stage anyway.

We're planning to retire in Thailand in 3-4 more years and thought it might be good idea to adopt or foster a few thai childs, hence giving them more opportunity for higher education....in Thailand. Because we valued the higher education at upmost prerequisite thing in life.

If it's so difficult to adopt the Thai child, we might end up setting up some scholarship instead...when we're there.

Hey...thanks all for the great inputs and insights...and the link

Edited January 22, 2006 by BKK90210

[cdnvic]

The link to their website

http://www.plan-international.org/

I can vouch for the legitimacy of this group

cv

[N&M]

Shame on you chippie shame shame shame.

Ok, now that you are mentioning that you are Thai, even just a little, but you were born here and grew up here. I would presume that a lot more would be available to you than as I mentioned the pure farang/farang couple.

[skylar]

We're planning to retire in Thailand in 3-4 more years and thought it might be good idea to adopt or foster a few thai childs, hence giving them more opportunity for higher education....in Thailand. Because we valued the higher education at upmost prerequisite thing in life.

I think it's meant to be the ability to love your children as well as want the best for them. Adoption or fostering is not solely about providing material means.