AboutPeter C. Winkler, CSW Expertise I have experience with adoption subsidy, the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children and variety of other adoption related matters. I hope that I can be helpful to those who are considering adoption or would like to adopt a child.
Experience I am a social worker with an MSW and I have over thirty years of experience in family and children's services. I have worked as Director of adoption services and of the Interstate Compact in a large state agency. I have also provided direct services to children and families in a preventive services program. I currently prepare adoption studies for those who are adopting domestically or internationally.
Question It has always been a dream to adopt a baby girl from China. I am finding that the adoptive parents must be at least 30 years of age, which is older than many other countries. What is the reason for this? Are there any acceptions? My husband and I are both 26 years of age. Together for 10 years, married almost 5. I'd be a full time stay at home mom. We have owned our own home for almost 4 years. He has an excellent job. We can more than afford to take care of a child. We have wonderful relationships with our families. We have so much to offer (especially love and stability). There are people in there 30's who could not have so much to offer. Does age matter so much that we would be denied because we are younger?
Thank you so much for any help you can give to us.
Answer Lynne-You and your husband sound like perfect candidates as adoptive parents. Unfortunately China has their rules and I'm not aware that they budge on them. I do a lot of work with families who are adopting internationally and I don't believe that Guatemala or Russia (or the countire near Russia), have the same minimum age requirements as China. It generally is somewhat more expensive to adopt from those countries (about $5 to $10 thousand more) and you usually have to make at least two trips to Russia, but the process is a little quicker. (You can also request a little boy from these countries.) I recently worked on a placement of a child from Guatemala with a couple who are younger than you and your husband. I think you should seriously condsider agencies with good track records of adoption from those countries and go with them. Otherwise, you'll probably just have to wait until you meet the China age requirements, which I also think is a bummer.
Good Luck!
