Changes in the Korean Adoption Program - First, you breathe

The announcement of the Korean government's most extensive changes to its international adoption program in many years has caused, understandably so, much apprehension and anxiety among prospective and in-process adoptive parents.

First, let's all take a big cleansing breath. Good, now we can continue.

So far, here's what we appear to know:

** Korea is looking to promote domestic adoption, perhaps in part because it's looking at a serious population shortfall in the not so distant future. Therefore the bulk of its new initiatives are built to support keeping more of its children at home -- allowing singles to adopt, upping subsidies to adoptive parents, and campaigns to change the hearts/mind of Koreans about adoption as a positive way to grow families.

This is only for the good. However, in what I've read I've seen nothing about support for single women who want to raise their babies on their own. Perhaps this is the next phase.

** The biggest change right now is the delay in babies being made available for international adoption. To allow Korean families first opportunities to adopt, babies will not go into the international program until they are a minimum of 5 months old. This will mean that babies will definitely be older coming into the system. My guess is that the youngest babies will be a minimum of 8-9 months old before traveling to US and other international adoptive parents.

Now here's the flip on this. While the rate of domestic adoption for healthy infants has modestly increased, Korean families are not adopting children with special needs at the same rate. (I believe that US families adopt children with special needs more than from any other country. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong on that.)

So I'm wondering where this will leave these kids, infants or no, in the new scheme of things. I'm not sure if children with special needs will come under the same time delays. (My son was diagnosed with a mild club foot at birth. Not an issue for us, didn't even think twice about it. How many times, though, might he have been passed over not being "perfect" before being released for international placement?)

** Looks like adoption agencies, Korean and US, were thrown offguard by the speed of the initiative. SWS, from parent accounts, now has dossiers on hold until November. Eastern, Holt, and KSS continue to move the paperwork. Do stay in touch with your agency about all matters.

** Should you stick with the Korea program or perhaps move to another international adoption program? This is a personal call. But here's what I would do in various circumstances:

** If I had already started the process, I'd stay put.
** If I'm comfortable with the idea of adopting an older baby, young toddler, I'd stay put.
** If I can live with a little uncertainty about timelines, I'd stay put.

Ultimately, you need to look at what attracted you to the Korean program in the first place. If what we know now hasn't changed your original criteria, I'd stay put. Otherwise, you may want to consider other international programs.

And please, just keep breathing...