If you are going to try to have a private adoption, it is important to have a lawyer help you who is knowledgeable about adoptions. I remember a couple, when I was in pediatric practice, who did all the right things including hiring an attorney, but the child they adopted was so destructive they returned him to the adopting agency. Fortunately, the lawyer had planned that this could happen, so it was all done legally.
If you are planning an overseas adoption a lawyer is also important. A divorced, older, professional women adopted a child from eastern Europe and had on-gong problems. The boy did not speak any English and the woman did not speak the language of his country. She tried very hard to give the child as much love as possible, but the long-term outlook did not look good.
Any child who is adopted should be carefully examined by a pediatrician and have a complete blood count, urinalysis, and tuberculin test. All the immunizations should also be up to date and as much family history obtained as possible.
There are some websites that can be helpful. One is the National Adoption Clearing House at: adoption/adopt/national-adoption-clearing-house and the other is www.aask.org for Adopt a Special Kid. The child who is adopted should know he or she is adopted, as soon as possible and if they are from another country learning about the culture of that country is important.
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