Adopting children from institutional settings may require you to be especially supportive and patient. You may need to to teach your child how to give and receive affection, how to trust and how to communicate in new ways. Children from orphanages often have not mastered the concept of reciprocity.  They may not know how to ask for something or how to show they need you.

ICF assists families choose their path to adoption, navigate the dossier and other requirements, and transition from being pre-adoptive parents to a new adoptive family. Throughout the journey we guide and support, with in-person, phone and email communications.

Family Qualifications

The most important qualification for adoption is your commitment to parenting. US CIS and foreign governments may impose restrictions on adoptive parents, with respect to age ind personal history. These vary country to country and can vary state to state, as well. Contact us for more informations.

International Child Foundation encourages and expects parents to invest in ongoing education about child development, adoption issues, family dynamics and communication.

Our adoption education seminars help families prepare for issues they may not have considered. Adopting children from overseas is a life-changing experience for both parents and children. It broadens your horizons. It tests your communication skills. It expands your identity.

We are committed to helping children and families grow together to have happy, fulfilling futures. If families are unable to attend adoption seminars presented by ICF, we require that you participate in other pre-adoption education and support groups in your area or on-line. Just contact us -- we'll let you know how to get the information you need.

Post Adoption Requirements

Many families ask why there are post adoption reporting requirements. The reason is that your child's native country has concerns and needs verifiable assurances that the children placed with families so far from "home" are in loving hands.

Adoption social workers will encourage you to talk about any concerns you may have. They can help you find resources if your child appears to be experiencing any difficultites with development, language or health. Always, it is better to intervene sooner than later.

We will also help schedule your reports so they arrive on time. This is important to the future of all international orphans.

Refund Policy

ICF strives to provide families with excellent service and honest communication. Our fee structure is arranged so that you pay as little as possible at the time of application. The Home Study fee is paid at the time service is initiated. Agency fees for international adoption are paid over the course of your adoption process. Because our work is ongoing and you are paying for adoption services and not a child, when an ICF agency fee is submitted, it is nonrefundable. For example, when you submit $200 with your application, it is nonrefundable. Although we will work hard to obtain the refund of any international fees paid to a foreign coordinator/attorney/authority if the need arises, we cannot make any assurances or promises for the return of international fees or for foreign expenses (whether you submit a check payable to the foreign representative or you submit a check payable to ICF and ICF pays the foreign representative with your monies through an ICF pass-through account), if you withdraw from the adoption process for any reason or if the adoption fails for any reason. The policy of each foreign coordinator/attorney/authority is no refunds under any circumstances because you are paying for ongoing services, not the completion of an adoption.

Adopting Parents Bill of Rights

• Adopting Parents should have the right:

• To seek consultation from the agency of their choice

• To contract with an agency based on mutually agreeable terms

• To be treated confidentially, with access to their names and records limited to those involved in their case or others designated by the adopting parents

• To be fully informed in regard to the legal, social and medical information of their child that has been made available to their agency

• To have the ability to take the child referral and all documentation available to a physician of their choice and be given a reasonable amount of time before making a decision on the referral

• To be the only ones able to accept or deny a referral for a child that they feel is appropriate for themselves

• To be full informed, in simple terms, as to what the roles and responsibilities are in regard to the agency and themselves

• To be knowledgeable in regard to the costs and fees associated with international adoption

• To have resources and support offered to them during the post placement period

• To be assured that the staff of their agency will interact in a professional, ethical, courteous manner and will put the clients interests over the personal interests of the staff

• To have the right to file a formal grievance

Grievance Procedure

Adopting Parents have the right to file a grievance with ICF if they disagree with or are unhappy with the service provided by any ICF team member, or if Adopting Parents feel that a decision was not made in accordance with the written policies of ICF. The grievance should be submitted to the Executive Director and the letter must include the specific matter as to which there is a grievance, the reason the person felt the decision to be incorrect and a proposition for a solution to the matter. Grievances must be filed within thirty days of the disputed matter. The Executive Director will review the complaint and develop a plan for resolution of the complaint and communicate the same to the Adopting Parents within seventy-two hours of the Executive Director’s receipt of the complaint. If the Adopting Parents are not satisfied with the response of the Executive Director, the parents can request an appeal to the Chair of the Board of Directors. Such an appeal must be made in writing and submitted to ICF to the attention of the Chair of the Board of Directors within twenty day of the Adopting Parents receipt of the Executive Director’s decision.

We are committed to finding homes for orphans. Please let us know if you are facing difficulties so that we may try to help.

International Child Foundation Adoption & Home Study Services

Our programs include Guatemala adoption, Haiti adoption, China adoption, Vietnam adoption and more. (see complete countries list above). Adoptive parents and families across the US celebrate their international adoptions regularly with picnics, cultural events and heritage camps.