Why consider international adoption?

There are many reasons why someone prefers to adopt from outside the US.  Perhaps they do not desire to adopt an infant, or they may be drawn to the country and culture abroad. But it's also clear that many children around the world who need a place to call home and family for a lifetime. Thankfully many people step forward to embrace those children and offer a family for life.

Globally there are reportedly millions of children without parents or a home, living in poverty, often in unstable conditions, orphanages, or surviving on the streets, but only a small portion of them are without parents and need the permanency offered by adoption.  According to United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), in 2020 there were 932 Hague adoption immigrant visas issued to the US for children who immigrated after the adoption abroad. In today's world of international adoption (also known as intercountry adoption), the majority of children in need of adoption are not infants, are generally older, part of a sibling group, or have some level of special need. 

Our agency provides Hague-compliant international home studies to residents of Colorado who have chosen an out-of-state adoption agency for their intercountry adoption. We do not provide adoption services outside of Colorado.  

We provide Hague-compliant international home studies for Colorado residents who have chosen an agency out of Colorado in order to adopt in one of the many countries around the world with active programs. Current popular intercountry programs include but are not limited to Colombia, Bulgaria, Thailand, Haiti, Hungary, Armenia, Romania, Ecuador, Poland, Philippines, Taiwan, India, Malawi, Burundi, Dominican Republic, China (currently closed), South Africa, South Korea (currently closed(, Ukraine (currently closed) and others. Although we no longer offer direct adoption programs abroad, we have 17 years of experience providing adoptions from around the world and have deep knowledge and experience of intercountry adoption which also supports the quality of our Hague-compliant home studies. 

As part of our home study services package, we also provide Hague-compliant pre-adoption education and training and can provide post-placement and post-adoption supervision as well as post-adoption services on a case-by-case basis. We will collaborate with the agency you choose for your international adoption to ensure the home study is appropriate for your country of adoption.

Why are so many children available?

Around the world, high poverty rates, unemployment, substance abuse leading to other abuse or maltreatment, lack of education (leading to poor financial means and stress), and other factors most frequently lead to children entering child welfare systems. If family reunification is not possible, some then become in need of permanency through adoption.  These reasons, combined with cultural stigmas still attached to unwed mothers, the lack of government-funded social service and support programs, family protection policies, and a lack of economic resources provided by the government all contribute to a situation where children enter care or need adoption. Cultural reasons why children are in need of families may vary by country.

It is in the child’s best interest that, whenever possible (especially for the safety and well-being of the child), a child remains with their birth family, followed by adoption within their own country. Poverty should not be the sole reason someone chooses to place a child for adoption, and in most cases, it is not, as evidenced by the fact that the vast majority of families who live in poverty do not place their children for adoption. Complex pressures from both inside and outside the family virtually always contribute to the decision.

Who can adopt?

Most foreign adoption programs have flexible guidelines as determined in the foreign country, but sometimes an adoption agency itself sets specific or restrictive criteria for adoptive parents. That is one reason for the discrepancy of requirements that a prospective adoptive parent may find as they research agency to agency.

Steps to Adopt:

Apply: Complete AHSC's convenient online application.

Start Your Homestudy with AHSC: If you live in Colorado we will provide a Hague-compliant home study, under the guidance of your Hague Accredited agency. During this process, you will explore with our social worker in-depth issues related to being a prospective adoptive family and preparing for the adoption and child ahead.  We can also help you identify a country to adopt from as well as resources for agencies working in those countries. 

Choose A Hague Accredited Agency: Not all agencies are equal.  Find the agency anywhere in the US that best matches your needs and wants, fees, knowledge and reputation, support, and in general their "vibe" that should align with yours. You certainly can choose any agency that you want, including one of our partner alliance agencies.  Although AHSC, originally A Love Beyond Borders, voluntarily ceased Hague approval and closed our intercountry programs as of December 17, 2023, if you live in Colorado we'd be delighted to provide your international home study regardless of the agency you choose for placement in the foreign country.

Choose a Country Program: Undecided about which inter-country program to choose? We can help you decide what program is right for your family based on a few questions. Complete our child preferences inquiry form and your responses will help us guide you to programs offered by partner agencies that may be the best fit. 

With the closure of ALBB's international programs, and our new focus on serving Coloradoans with home study and associated services, our international program director has taken her knowledge, connections and passion to partner agencies where she's continuing to assist families adopting in countries such as Bulgaria, Colombia and India. Contact kelly@bbinternationaladoption.com about her new role and partner agencies to see if the fit is right for your international adoption.

Stay Involved with ALBB: Adoption is a lifelong journey. We offer continued support and guidance for families as you move through the years. Especially for families struggling with the transition or if issues arise after adoption, please reach out to our post-placement team for support and guidance. We hope you will consider us your adoption partner during and after your adoption.

If you are ready to start the journey with your child fill out an application to begin your home study with Adoption Home Studies of Colorado.