What to say when you find out someone is adopted?
Emma Jordan
Published May 17, 2026
What is an appropriate follow-up question after someone tells you that he/she is adopted? You need not ask a question at all. Just say, “Oh, that’s interesting”. If you feel you must ask a question, you could ask if he/she was adopted as an infant or older, or if he/she has ever traced the birth parents.
Can you legally adopt someone from another country?
To adopt a child from another country and bring that child to live in the United States, you must first be found eligible to adopt under U.S. federal and state law and the law of the country from which you intend to adopt.
Can you adopt someone you know?
Can you give your baby up for adoption to someone you know?” The answer is yes. Whether they plan on “giving a baby up” for adoption to a friend, family member, or someone they’ve met through their own networking efforts, these arrangements are known as independent, or identified, adoptions.
What is the process of international adoption?
Before you can adopt overseas in California, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services must give their approval. If you’re hoping to adopt from a country that’s a member of the Hague Convention, you’ll fill out Form I-800A. If your country is a non-Hague country, you’ll file Form I-600A.
What is the cheapest country to adopt from?
Ukraine is one of the few countries where you can pursue a low cost international adoption without having to go through an agency, saving you thousands of dollars. Expect the process to take about a year or maybe less, depending on when you get your application in.
Can my friend gave me custody of her baby?
Child custody is a serious matter that only parents and the courts can decide. Parents can’t allocate custody to a third party without court involvement. However, parents can delegate legal authority to a family member or friend, with the intent that the person will have physical custody and care of the child.
Why international adoption is bad?
The problems that surround international adoption are complex and deeply intertwined with a variety of factors. Race, gender, religion, culture, sexuality, and global inequality together form the sticky, problematic web of international adoption.
What countries do not allow international adoption?
Countries that the U.S. government has forbidden adoption from include Vietnam, Nepal, and Guatemala. There are still many countries that adoption agencies in the United States are able to work with to help families in their adoption journey.
Is it hard to adopt a baby internationally?
When it comes to international adoption, an open or semi-open relationship is nearly impossible, as the family often knows little to nothing about the birth parents.
In the United States, you must be a U.S. citizen 25 years of age or older to adopt from another country. If you are married, at least one spouse must be a U.S. citizen. The U.S. Department of State and the USCIS are the two government agencies responsible for overseeing intercountry adoptions.
How long does it take to adopt internationally?
The short answer is that the timeline for an international adoption can vary greatly depending on the country a family chooses to adopt from and the characteristics of the child that the family is hoping to adopt. But, most adoption journeys take between two and a half and three and a half years.
Do you think international adoption is for everyone?
International adoption is not for everyone—while the process is similar to domestic adoption in many “black and white” paper trail kinds of ways—the mere fact that this path involves a true physical journey for both the adoptive parents and the adoptee is a “deal breaker” for some.
What was the number of international adoptions in 2005?
According to The Conversation, in 2005, nearly 46,000 children were adopted worldwide, roughly half of these children found homes in the United States. International adoptions have since gone to 12,000 in total just in 2015—that’s a 72 percent drop.
What do you need to know about intercountry adoption?
Before we begin, it’s important to know the facts. According to the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Consular Affairs, “Intercountry adoption is the process by which you adopt a child from a country other than your own through permanent legal means and then bring that child to your country of residence to live with you permanently.”
How old do you have to be to be adopted in the US?
Children through age 15 are eligible to come to the United States and join a family through adoption, and children ages 16 and 17 are eligible if their siblings have been adopted by United States families.