How to Adopt from Two Countries at the Same Time

We did something that is a bit unusual, but with increasing delays in different countries is becoming more common. We adopted from two countries at the same time. When we were in process for Guatemala and then found a child we wanted to adopt from Liberia, we questioned if we could even do it and if so, how to do it. As I began to ask around about it, I found that very few people even knew if it could be done. Then, I started to find families who had adopted from two countries at the same time or who were in process to do it. Obviously, it could be done and it was being done! I’m so glad we figured it out because otherwise we never would have been able to adopt Laney.

Now that I know how to do it, I wanted to share this information with you so that those of you who are considering adopting from two countries will know the steps to take.

1.Check to be sure that both countries you are interested in will allow two adoptions at one time. Usually if a country is open to the adoption of two children who are not related then they will not care about your adopting from another country at the same time.

2.Talk to your agencies. Some agencies do not allow you to work with another agency while you’re under contract with them so you need to check to make sure you’ll be honoring your first commitment. It’s possible that this type of agency will let you adopt from two of their own programs, though, so you may want to ask about this.

3.Talk to your homestudy provider. You will need a homestudy that says you can adopt from both countries. Make sure your homestudy provider is willing to approve you for this type of adoption. If your homestudy provider turns you down but you still feel strongly about going forward then you may have to search for another homestudy provider who is more flexible.

4.Once you have talked to the needed people and have decided to go forward, the first step is to get your homestudy completed. It will need have the normal approvals plus the approval for both countries. For example, the homestudy might say “Approved for one or two children, ages 0-8, from Liberia or Vietnam.”

5.After the homestudy is complete, submit for your immigration approval. You will need to submit two separate I-600A forms (complete with fees) with one form filled out for the first country and one filled out for the second country. Include a note explaining that you are requesting approval to adopt from both countries at the same time. Once approved, you will receive two I-71H forms – one for each country.

6.Remember to keep in mind the timing of everything. When Laney’s adoption was processing smoothly and Josiah’s began to take a long time, we had to consider the very real possibility that they would be ready to come home at the same time. Our “backup plan” was that my husband would travel for one child and I for the other if it turned out they were both ready during the same time frame. This did not end up happening to us since delays occurred in Laney’s adoption, but it is still something that adoptive parents should consider.