Thursday's Child Adoption Agency - Summary Of International Programs

<body bgcolor="#99FFFF"> <p align="center"><img src="GraphicLogo.gif" width="420" height="120"></p> <p align="center"><font size="3" color="#3333FF"><b><font size="5">-This is a No-Frames Edition-</font></b><br> To get the most from this site, It is suggested to use a browser which can utilize frames.</font></p> <p align="center"><font size="5" color="#0000FF"><b><i>SUMMARY OF INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS</i></b></font></p> <p align="center"><img src="BULGARIANFLAG.gif" width="48" height="32" hspace="5"><img src="ChinaFlag.gif" width="48" height="32" hspace="5"><img src="GuatemalaFlag.gif" width="51" height="32" hspace="5"><img src="VietNamFlag.gif" width="48" height="32" hspace="5"><img src="RussiaFederation.gif" width="48" height="32" hspace="5"><img src="kazakhflag.gif" width="48" height="32"></p> <p> </p> <p>Once a prospective applicant contacts us and lets us know areas of interest, we will supply more detailed country-specific information, as well as a complete fee schedule for our various components of service and the costs in the foreign country. We can guesstimate the travel costs for you, based on our clients experiences, but we cannot be responsible for the actual cost of travel. Fares change constantly. There are separate fees schedules for in and out of state applicants. Arrangements in each country are different, but there will be staff and/or guides available with each program to help adoptive parents navigate the appointments and requirements in the foreign country. People are not expected to do everything on their own and we understand that most people have anxiety about being in a place with which they are unfamiliar.</p> <p></p> <p> If you are an out of state resident you will need a local homestudy and sometimes post-placement services, depending on that agencys requirements and those of your state. We can accept post-placement reports from either the agency or the out of state clients, but we do not interfere with your local agencys policies and procedures. If you are a Connecticut resident, we will provide your total services from start to finish. However, in limited cases we can accept transfers from other agencies with an already completed homestudy. This needs to be evaluated on a case by case basis.</p> <p>We are now seeking applicants for: Bulgaria, China, Guatemala, Russia and Vietnam and soon, a new option in the Dominican Republic. We also work with a limited number of qualified applicants for adoptions from India and have been approved by the Central Indian Government as a foreign sponsoring agency since the early 1980s. When programs are open in India we can work to complete adoptions for American applicants from such available programs, or can also network with other U.S. programs for this purpose. (depending on your choice and availability) We can sponsor cases of Hindu applicants here in Connecticut or, out of state Hindu applicants. For Connecticut Hindu residents or where one parent is a Hindu, we will provide the homestudy, post-placement services and sponsorship documents for India, as well as post-placement reports to India. For out of staters, we can make recommendations for a local homestudy agency and will provide all necessary sponsorship documents and reports to India after the adoption. You must meet all requirements first in your state of residence.</p> <p> Please continue to check our site for new or expanded options. The Dominican Republic program is soon expected to be open again for intake. (We have placed many children from there in the past and are excited to have the opportunity to do so again.)</p> <p><font size="4" color="#0000FF"><img src="BULGARIANFLAG.gif" width="48" height="32"> BULGARIA</font>:<br> Details: One or both parents may travel, may use escort, if available, or may visit child prior to completion of case and then use escort. Out of Connecticut families should arrange to visit child first if wanting to use escort later. Stay in Bulgaria is average of a week or so. Children must be a year or over to qualify for international adoption. Couples with no children are preferred, unless proposed child has special needs or is older. Families with grown kids not living at home are eligible for a young child. It is sometimes possible to get siblings where one is younger than a year, but final processing would have to wait until the younger child turns a year of age. There are usually more boys than there are girls. There are toddlers, sibling groups and older children. Children are healthy by Eastern European standards. There are many kids with minor problems such as orthopedic, strabismus (crossed eyes which is an easily correctable problem.) and other correctable medical problems. The level of care varies, but is pretty good for the most part. Orphanages are headed by physicians. There is normally a decent caretaker to child ratio, though not a lot of amenities or toys. Sometimes fees at Bulgarian end can be reduced for waiting or harder to place children.</p> <p>Single women are accepted, and men on a case by case basis. Most families receive referrals fairly soon after approval and dossier readiness but cases can take 5-10 months to complete so that child can come home. Older and special needs kids cases are usually processed with greater speed. Videos on children are normally provided for an extra fee. Our agencys coordinators are very experienced, very concerned with the welfare of children, fluent in the language and thoroughly conversant with the culture of Bulgaria.<br> We accept out of state residents for the Bulgarian Program.</p> <p><font size="4" color="#0000FF"><img src="ChinaFlag.gif" width="48" height="32"> CHINA: </font><br> Details: As of early 1999, the good news is that China has liberalized the rules. Now couples and singles at least 30 years may apply and those who are younger are eligible if they have proof of infertility.<br> Single women qualify and single men are queried about on a case by case basis. They prefer that an applicant be no older than 46 years of age to be considered for an infant, but if a couple, as long as one is under 46, the other may be in the early 50s to be considered for an infant under a year. Others will qualify for an older or special needs child, if they choose this type of adoption. This is a very efficient program and thus far none of our parents have waited longer than a maximum of 7 ½ months to child assignment, but we cannot guarantee or predict this. Even those with a child or children already in the home should not expect to wait much longer than our childless applicants. Average wait for new families is currently 7-9 months. We have a wonderful China Program Manager who was born and raised in China and educated in China and the U.S. She is a very caring, competent, responsible and organized person and an asset to our agency and to our families. She is in frequent contact with officials in China and travels there as needed. Although we allow our families to specify choices of regions from those with which we are working at the time, the final decision belongs to the authorities in Beijing.</p> <p>Our China Program is unique in that you do not have to travel with a group if your case is ready and others are not, but we can hook you up with a small group if their cases are ready, or if this is what you prefer. One parent may travel if preferred. The average stay in China is 10-14 days maximum. After referral it usually take an average of one to two months till you may travel. You are met by experienced guides and led through the process (and sightseeing if you wish) very competently. The fee for the guides services also includes in-China travel costs and your hotel, but not your food and personal expenses. China is still a very reasonably priced program. You usually spend a night in Hong Kong first.<br> We accept out of state residents for the China Program.</p> <p><font size="4" color="#0000FF"><img src="GuatemalaFlag.gif" width="51" height="32"> GUATEMALA: </font></p> <p>Details: We have several different attorney resources in Guatemala. <br> Singles are gladly accepted for Guatemala, but it is practically impossible to get approval when two single men are living together, unless there is proof that they are relatives. Men living alone are most often approved for boys, but can get a baby. Age is 25-55, but exceptions or unusual situations will require an advance query of our Guatemalan resources to ensure that we do not unfairly get peoples hopes up. Families can have other children. For a first placement, sex should not be specified. It is always faster to receive a boy referral and placement, but there certainly are girls, as well. There are mainly baby boys and girls under a year, but we have an occasional toddler or older child from this program. The children are normally in very good health. The average wait for a referral is weeks to a few months and the processing time varies after that on every case. Each case is individual and the norm is 4-8 months after referral and submission of legalized Power of Attorney, but a few cases can be quicker and a some can be a little more prolonged. Case processing follows definite procedures in Guatemala, but there are many unpredictable factors which determine how quickly or slowly each case will be processed. The average trip to Guatemala is only 2-3 days maximum. Only one trip is technically needed, but more and more, we are encouraging families who wish to do so and can afford it, to visit the children for a couple of days about halfway through the adoption process. This is also a nice time to do a little sightseeing, if you like.</p> <p>This is one of the countries which allows two unrelated children to be adopted at the same time, if clients so desire. (As long as the issues entailed are fully covered and approved in the homestudy and family has so indicated on their advance processing application and pays all applicable I.N.S. fees.)</p> <p>As of the end of 1998, the U.S. Government began requiring DNA testing on all mothers and children. We applaud this effort to eliminate possible fraudulent situations and would not be surprised if such a process were implemented in other areas. The cost for this is usually covered by the adopting family and inherent extra costs involved in meeting this requirement have caused many attorneys in Guatemala to raise fees somewhat since last year, but the process is working.</p> <p>Translations for this program from English to Spanish are included in the fees. Translations of foreign documents will cost families extra, or they may elect to get these translated themselves. Travel costs fluctuate and since there is often little notice when it is time to travel, parents may wish to make advance reservations as they near the end of the processing in Guatemala. They may incur a small penalty for changing tickets, but this can help them lock in the best airfare. If escorts are available and preferred by clients, they will pay escort a fee, plus airfare and expenses. Clients who wish to do so are encouraged to visit baby or child about halfway through case and out of staters are especially encouraged to do this, so they do not to have to validate or re-finalize adoption in home state.</p> <p>Foster care is included in the Guatemalan fee. </p> <p>We accept out of staters for the Guatemalan program.</p> <p><img src="VietNamFlag.gif" width="48" height="32"> <font size="4" color="#0000FF">VIETNAM:</font> <br> Details: Thursdays Child works with an excellent American -founded, international child welfare agency with which we have worked in two countries since the early 1980s. This program provides a tremendous amount of consultation, assistance in goods and services and monetary help to orphanages and clinics all over Vietnam. Our cooperating program is presently working on some very wonderful and exciting projects. More information about this will be available soon. Watch our web site. There is no agency working in Vietnam with as much experience in adoptions from there. They have excellent relations with Vietnamese officials and frequently escort Vietnamese authorities on tours of the U.S., in order to meet with agencies and adoptive families. Thursdays Child has previously had the pleasure of participating in greeting such an official delegation. As of August of 1999, the Vietnamese authorities have made a change in how documents are prepared. Our cooperating program there was formerly able to obtain legal stamps and translations for clients, but this is no longer the case for any agency working in Vietnam. There will be a dossier preparation and legalization cost similar to that of other countries. The cost for preparing the dossier and authenticating the documents at the Vietnamese Embassy in Washington, D.C. will vary, depending on the individual case. We will provide more detailed information and instructions on this. In their typical concerned and caring fashion, our colleagues from our cooperating program have reduced the overseas fee somewhat to try to offset the recent additional costs for dossier preparation. The documents will not have to be certified first at the U.S. Department of State. Some parents may choose to use one of the recommended document services to help with this part of the paperwork, but if not, our agency will guide them as to what to do and when.</p> <p>We have two terrific videos available for our clients One is on the general process and the other is a travelogue of North Vietnam. The proceeds beyond the cost of reproducing and sending the videos will be donated to our cooperating program in Vietnam. The videos were made by an award-winning videographer, Robert Gunderson, whose family members have adopted a child through our agency and our cooperating program in Vietnam. </p> <p> This is a very flexible program regarding eligibility. -Minimum of 20 years between parent and child. Parents preferred are over 25 years old and up to age 55 or so even for a baby, and may have up to five children in the home already, by birth or adoption. Singles are gladly accepted, though they prefer to assign children over 2 years old to single men. There is no minimum marriage time. Childless couples should be open to a child of either gender. One or both parents may travel with power of attorney from spouse and letter of explanation to Justice Department. In 1999 the average stay in Vietnam has been a total of 2 weeks for the majority of cases, though you should set aside more time to be on the safe side. Presently parents obtain their I600 approval here after child assignment and acceptance and approval is sent back to the new US Embassy in Ho Chi Minh City. Parents now get childs visa in HCMC. Parents whose children are from North Vietnam must go to HCMC to complete the visa application. Parents already in HCMC will remain there to obtain the childs visa. It is no longer necessary to travel to Thailand to pick up the visa! </p> <p> When in Vietnam you are transported and escorted everywhere you need to go by American and/or Vietnamese staff representatives. This is a rapid program for most families. Most will receive a referral within a relatively short time after dossier arrives there. (weeks to a few months on average) Boys are always fast. Girls sometimes take a bit longer, as there are generally more boys. The children are mostly babies but there are children from infancy to age 14. If the child is considered a waiting child or has a special need with which you are comfortable, the fees at the Vietnamese end can often be reduced. Most families have their referral within one month, to a couple of months. Most cases are ready for travel in 2-4 months after the paperwork is approved by the Hartford, CT office of I.N.S. Cases in some regions may end up taking a little longer, but it is not the norm. Occasionally a referral will fall through as with any country, and it can take extra time for a new and appropriate referral to be found and processed.</p> <p>Some Vietnam programs consider the decree a final one. On legal advice concerning CT requirements, we complete all of the adoptions for this program here in CT.</p> <p>Although there are always more infant boys available in Vietnam, as of the end of 1999, there is now a larger than normal number of waiting baby boys. Most of these baby boys are perfectly healthy,but are being considered special needs in the sense that most families whose dossiers are ready and waiting are asking for girls. We can discuss a special incentive for Thursdays Child applicants who will accept a baby boy from our Vietnam Program. This modest incentive is expected to continue for several months into the New Year.</p> <p>For this program we do not presently accept out of state applicants.</p> <p><font size="4" color="#0000FF"><img src="RussiaFederation.gif" width="48" height="32"> RUSSIA</font>:<br> Details: WORKING IN A LARGE NUMBER OF AREAS IN RUSSIA (We have access to many available, or soon to be available babies and children.) The overseas fees for this program are reduced for older children or those with special needs. Second non-related adoptions at the same time are possible with this program, but only with our agencys assessment and strong recommendation, on a case by case basis. We cannot promise that both unrelated childrens cases will be ready at the same time. </p> <p>The dossier only gets certified at the Sec of State level (Apostille after notarization) and all more costly authentications are done at the other end and included in the overseas fee. Naturally there are the usual costs of obtaining paperwork such as birth and marriage certificates, as with all foreign adoptions, INS filing, police checks, medicals, travel, lodging and personal expenses. These costs are never included in ones foreign program or agency fees. The agency is aware of some good travel agents, highly experienced with international adoptions. They will usually go the extra mile to get the best rates BUT Thursdays Child does not become involved in making these arrangements. Parents are usually advised to do some comparison shopping on travel arrangements. Certain of our foreign resources and coordinators do prefer that all applicants do business with the same travel agents, as they feel this is safer for you and more convenient for them. There is an extended several year post placement reporting period included in the Thursdays Child fee for Russia. Some reports are done by parents and some by the agency, but all are coordinated by, reviewed and sent by the agency as per advance agreement with the Russian Government.</p> <p> This is a very flexible program and accepts applicants up to about 50 yrs of age for babies. There is no upper age limit for children over 3 yrs of age. Even babies for older ages may sometimes be ok, with advance query, on a case by case basis, also depending on the region in Russia. Past marriages and other children in home are also accepted. Both parents of a couple should be prepared to travel. Singles are accepted. Average time in Russia is one to two weeks now. Whether or not a waiver for the 10 day waiting period will be be given depends exclusively on the court in the region and not on our agency or on your needs or wishes. In some regions the regional court has replaced the local court and those areas will be stricter and there will be about a two week stay, but others are still willing to cut short the stay for families. If we know in advance that someone has a need for one parent to travel, we may be able to find a region where that is still allowed, but we cannot guarantee this for anyone. If you are afraid to fly or have a good reason why only one parent must go, you might have to wait a little longer for your child referral from a more liberal region in Russia, but it can be managed.</p> <p>Children must be registered on a national database in Russia for about three months before becoming eligible for international adoption. For a child who has passed the required waiting period and a prospective family that is document ready, they may be able to travel in a matter of weeks. The amount of time it takes to complete a case depends on where a child is in the process of being freed for adoption, as well as the court schedules over there. Very few families wait more than six months, though the wait is normally longer for baby girls and young girls. We often have lists of available toddlers and older children. You may even receive a chance to select a child in the category you choose. You may be given more than one possibility, or allowed to place a hold on more than one child while the information is being medically assessed. You are referred to doctors who are skilled and experienced at doing these types of assessments in preparation for international adoption. (We make recommendations to you, but the doctors are not in any way affiliated with us.) </p> <p>About children from Russia: All children are tested for AIDS, Hepatitis and venereal disease. It is difficult to get understandable medical reports from Russia, as they tend to label all poor children and orphans at birth. These labels are often based on little or nothing and sometimes make no sense to medical people here. Sometimes the conditions do not even exist, but every young child will have some sort of a label. Conditions vary from orphanage to orphanage and most babies and young children do well, but most do demonstrate some lags, at least initially. Videos as well as photos and medical reports will be provided and we strongly urge you to have these evaluated as suggested. We generally do not feel that most local pediatricians have the experience to do this type of advance evaluation.</p> <p>We accept out of staters for the Russian program.</p> <p><font size="4" color="#0000FF"> <img src="kazakhflag.gif" width="48" height="32"> KAZAKHSTAN:</font><br> Details: The process is very close to adopting from Russia. There can be younger babies available from here. There is also a database of available orphan children. Since children usually spend less time in orphanages they may not be as deprived as children in the Republic of Russia, who tend to spend a longer period under orphanage care. However, children who have experienced separation and loss and/or institutionalization will usually have developmental lags, at least initially. Children must be registered on this database for a period of three months before being eligible. The adoptions take place in court.</p> <p>Differences: Documents are legalized at the U.S. Secretary of State level, instead of being apostilled.<br> Families must spend two weeks getting to know the child before making the final court appearance.<br> There is no ten day waiting period for the decree to take effect.<br> Families should expect to be overseas for about three weeks. They will obtain the visa for the child in Moscow at the U.S. Embassy.</p> <p>Fees and travel expenses will be equivalent to the Russian Program.</p> <p><br> .</p> <p><br> <font size="4" color="#0000FF">OTHER COSTS</font>:<br> Current INS filing for all international adoptions: $405 plus $25 per person for fingerprints.<br> Other projected expenses for all foreign adoptions: obtaining required copies of official certificates,<br> Filing of I600A and I600, visas for child, ($325 cash- per child) final medical before visa (about $100 or less in most countries, or included in country fee) physicals for applicant family as part of homestudy, police and other local fingerprint checks, airfare, (plus 10% for return of foreign baby or 50% if child is over 2) personal expenses and lodging, babysitters for those at home, modest gifts usually expected by foreign hosts,(suggested though not mandated) souvenirs for you, family members and child you are adopting.</p> <p>Please consult the complete Thursdays Child fee schedule with which you will be provided. This shows all costs for our total foreign program services (at this end of the process) and for various service components. (such as if you are seeking us to help with an out of state adoption or need a homestudy for a foreign resource that is legal in Connecticut and which you have personally located.) The above information refers to our current international relaltionships. If these do not seem appropriate for you for one reason or another, we are able to cooperate with other US based agencies for their international or domestic programs, but only if you live in Connecticut. Our primary goal, however, is to meet the needs of our own international programs and to help place children they have available. However, we are happy to discuss with you any component of the services we are qualified to provide, or other ways in which we can help you complete your goal of adopting. . Our more detailed individual country information packets will list the overseas (foreign) program costs for you and/or we can provide a quick summary of the overseas program costs, as well as a guesstimate of other costs involved in the total process</p> <p> For out of staters our foreign program fee (for serving as a placement resource for you) is now $3400 plus a modest application and registration fee. The schedule of payments (when various fees are due) will also be provided in the specific country/program information for both in and out of state residents.</p> <p>Reminder: Out of staters are currently accepted for Bulgaria, China, Guatemala and Russia, as well as Hindus seeking a final decree adoption and needing an Indian-Government approved foreign sponsoring agency to underwrite their adoption. Out of staters will also be eligible for our Dominican Program.Watch for information on our Dominican Republic program soon.</p> <p align="center"><br> <br> <a href="index.htm" target="_top"><img src="HomeButton.gif" width="80" height="46" hspace="15" border="0" alt="Thursday's Child Main Page"></a><a href="Mission.htm" target="_top"><img src="MissionButton.gif" width="80" height="46" border="0" hspace="15" alt="Mission Statement"></a><a href="DirectorsMessage.htm" target="_top"><img src="DIRECTORBUTTON.gif" width="80" height="46" border="0" alt="A Personal Letter From The Executive Director" hspace="15"></a><a href="StoriesIndex.htm" target="_top"><img src="RealStoriesButton.gif" width="80" height="46" border="0" alt="Real Adoption Stories from Thursday's Child" hspace="15"></a><a href="CountryInfo.htm" target="_top"><img src="CountryInfoButton.gif" width="80" height="46" alt="Country Information" hspace="15" border="0"></a> <a href="Deciding.htm" target="_top"><img src="DecidingButton.gif" width="80" height="46" alt="Deciding on an Agency" hspace="15" border="0"></a> <a href="IdentifiedAdoptions.htm" target="_top"><img src="IdentifiedAdoptionsButton.gif" width="80" height="46" hspace="15" border="0" alt="Why Thursday's Child Cannot Help With Identified Adoptions"></a> <a href="https://ssl20.vds2000.com/tcadoption/infoform.htm" target="_top"><img src="RequestInfo.gif" width="80" height="46" hspace="15" border="0" alt="Request More Info Or Application"></a> <a href="links.htm" target="_top"><img src="LinksButton.gif" width="80" height="46" alt="Other Helpful Links" hspace="15" border="0"></a> <a href="Disclaimer.htm" target="_top"><img src="DisclaimerButton.gif" width="80" height="46" alt="Disclaimer" border="0" hspace="15"></a></p> <p align="center"><img src="Logo.gif" width="100" height="95"></p> <p align="center"><font color="#333300" size="4"><b>Thursday's Child, Inc<br> 227 Tunxis Avenue Bloomfield, CT 06002 <br> (860) 242 -5941 <br> Fax (860) 243-9898</b></font></p> </body>