What you need to Know About International Adoption in Georgia

Over the last decade, U.S. families adopting children from foreign nations have grown at an average of 20,000 children per year according to the Bureau of Consular Affairs.

International Adoption or Intercountry Adoption is the process of adopting a child from a different country other than your own through permanent legal means, and bringing the child to your home country to live with you permanently. The Hague Convention of International Adoption is important to understand as it provides guidelines for international adoption to protect the children being adopted across country borders.

Adopting internationally when you live in Georgia

Families interested in adopting a child from a foreign nation will work through an accredited adoption agency or work privately with an attorney specialized in this area of adoption. Unlike adoption within the United States, the process of adopting internationally can be a lengthy period of time.

When the adoption is finalized in the other country, families will need to “re-adopt” the child once they return to the U.S. In Georgia, the family will be able to obtain a Georgia adoption decree and birth certificate from the Georgia Vital Records Office, under the Georgia Division of Public Health. If the adoption is not finalized in the child’s native country, the family will need to cooperate with the governing adoption agency and entities associated to satisfy the adoption criteria and requirements. Following the adoption, the child will be issued a birth certificate from the Georgia Vital Records.

The attorneys at Stearns-Montgomery & Proctor have extensive experience with all types of adoptions, and the processes that they entail. Please feel free to contact us today to help with all of your adoption needs.