Korean Adoption (for Florida and SC families only)

May, 2008 - The Alliance for Children can now place children from Korea with Florida families only (with the exception that we can also place special needs children from Korea with South Carolina families). Read on for more information!

Children Available for Adoption
* Healthy infants 6 to 12 months of age at time of referral are available for adoption.
* Children are cared for in foster homes.
* Children are tested for Hepatitis B and HIV before leaving Korea.
* At this time the Alliance For Children can place special needs children from Korea with South Carolina families and all available children from Korea with Florida families only.

Eligibility Requirements
* Couples must be married at least 3 years with no more than 2 divorces for each spouse.
* No more than 4 other children can be living in the home.
* Adoptive parents must be at least 25 years of age and no older than 42 at the time of the application.
* Special waivers may be granted from the Korean government if both applicants are of Korean heritage.

Process before Travel
* Apply to INS for advanced approval to be eligible to adopt.
* Satisfy the laws of the state where the applicant resides.
* Complete a Home Study by a licensed agency or social worker.

Time Frame for Adoption
* It takes approximately 3 months to obtain INS approval, complete a Home Study and prepare a dossier.
* Referral time is 6 to 10 months from completed application submission.
* Children are typically 6 to 12 months old at time of referral and arrive home 3 to 6 months thereafter.
* Most children from Korea are escorted to the U.S., but families do have the option of traveling to Korea to pick up their child. Most trips average 5 to 7 days.

Korean Adoption Program Overview
Children placed for adoption through the Korea program are directly relinquished by their birth mothers. Unmarried birth fathers in Korea do not have legal standing in terms of parental rights.

The Korea program is an excellent choice for those families looking to adopt a single infant. Children receive excellent medical care and wonderful nurturing in a foster family setting while in Korea. Parents will receive a picture and detailed medical reports on their referred child as well as some background information about the child's birth family. Parents will additionally receive medical updates while waiting for their child to come home. There is always a need for families open to adopting infants with special medical issues. All families applying must be open to a child of either gender.

Cultural Highlights
South Korea, known officially as the Republic of Korea, is located on the Korean peninsula in Northeast Asia. To the north of the Korean peninsula lie China and Russia and to the southeast lies Japan. The entire Korean peninsula is about the size of the United Kingdom and is renowned for its striking natural beauty. Much of the counrty is mountainous, with a coastline dotted with more than 3000 islands. The climate is temperate with four distinct seasons. South Korea is a democracy and is comprised of nine provinces with Seoul as its capital city.