Adopting a child can be a decidedly circuitous process -- an experience that can be much more confusing (and frustrating) for parents who are attempting to adopt a child from a foreign country.

To help clarify the process -- and to provide a source of comfort for those who are trying to adopt internationally -- a group of women in Rochester, N.Y. have formed an international adoption support group.

A group of Rochester women began gathering once a month more than a year ago to talk about their experiences and offer emotional support to one another.

Who else, after all, would understand a process in which certified documents and dossiers can be so critical in adopting a foreign-born child? Or how a missed signature can suddenly throw the process out of whack for weeks, if not months? How those months and even years add up to an emotional rollercoaster ride few would understand except those who have been through it.

"It's just nice to have somebody else that understands the process, that you're not constantly explaining something to people. You just talk about your feelings without giving some type of explanation," said Elyse Mitchell, who, along with her husband, adopted a girl from Korea last summer. (Source: WCCO Rochester, June 27)

According to the WCCO article, the U.S. State Department estimates that more than 17,000 foreign children were adopted by U.S. parents in 2008, a reduction from more than 22,000 in 2004.

Labels: international, support

Posted By: Aspen/CRC