[up]
From
which countries do you process adoptions?
Dillon International
works with countries where the adoption process is ethical and legal. Currently,
Dillon places children from the following countries:
China
Korea Haiti
India
Vietnam (program currently on hold)
Guatemala (program currently on hold)
[up]
What do you do for the children who are still waiting to be adopted or
who won't be adopted?
Dillon International is very
committed to improving the lives of children who are still
awaiting adoption or who may never be adopted. Through our
humanitarian aid program,
orphanCare
International, we annually raise funds
to provide for life-saving surgeries, on-going medical and
therapeutic care of children with special needs, education
services, and daily living needs of children in South Korea,
India, China, Haiti, Guatemala and Vietnam.
[up]
What
special requirements or conditions do each of these countries have?
China –Heterosexual couples
married 2 years or longer, between the ages 29.5 – 49 at the time of
application. Second-time marriages
must be a minimum of 4.5 years to begin the adoption process. A family may have no more than 4 children
under the age of 18, whom they are financially supporting. A family must have a minimum
combined annual income of $30,000 -- or $10,000 per family member including the
child to be adopted. A family's net total assets should be a minimum of
$80,000. See "Calculation
of Net Worth" document.
Guatemala
– Due to the impact that the Hague Treaty could have on
adoptions from Guatemala, Dillon placed this program on hold.
Haiti – Heterosexual married
couples, who are childless and between the ages of 35-50, are eligible to adopt
a child. Single women, who are childless and living alone,
and are between the ages of 35-50, are also eligible to adopt.
Applicants over 45 years old must be willing to accept a
toddler. Couples must have known each other for a minimum
of 10 years and married to each other for at least 5 of those
years. One previous divorce is accepted. Preference given to Christian
and Jewish families.
India –Heterosexual
married couples
or single women living alone, who are between the ages of 28 - 42 years at the
time of application, are eligible to adopt. Couples’ combined ages
cannot add up to more than 83 and neither spouse may be over 43 years old.
Single women should be between the ages of 30-33
at the time of application. Couples should have been married a minimum of
3.5 years to apply. No more than 3 children already in the
family's home to be eligible to adopt. Previous divorce is accepted. Special program for
non-resident Indian (NRI) families.
Dillon is currently not accepting applications to adopt from India until new
CARA adoption guidelines are issued.
South Korea
– Heterosexual couples married 3 years or longer, between ages 25-44 at the time of child
placement, with no more than 10
years age difference between husband and wife. Couples may have no more
than one previous marriage and second-time marriages should be at least 3 years in
length. No more than 4 children
may already be living in the home. Prefer families to reside in Oklahoma,
Texas, Missouri, Arkansas, or Kansas for easy access to agency's pre- and post-adoption
services. First-time parents or couples with no children living in their
home must be open to a child of either gender. Families may
state a gender preference for the child they would like to adopt; however,
Dillon can make no guarantee that a family will receive their preference since
we receive more referrals of boys than girls with this program. Children with moderate to severe special needs are available for adoption
to families living in all parts of U.S. Special consideration given to
Korean-American families.
Vietnam – Due to the pending expiration of
the MOU between Vietnam and the U.S., Dillon placed this
program on hold
until a new MOU is signed.
Dillon
International can also process the adoptions of qualified United States
residents living overseas who are interested in adopting from China or Haiti at
this time. Guatemala and Vietnam are
currently on hold; India is currently not
accepting applications.
[up]
What is the typical age of children placed by Dillon
International?
The majority of
children placed are between 6 – 24 months old, however, Dillon
International also places older children and occasionally,
sibling groups are available for adoption.
[up]
What is the general health of children available for adoption?
The health status
of the children placed by Dillon International varies widely by
country. Medical treatment is available for the children
awaiting adoption, but the level of treatment can vary by
country. Dillon will provide families with as much health and
/or medical information that is available on a specific child to
assist them in making an informed adoption decision, however,
families should also keep in mind that children may arrive in
the U.S. with undiagnosed medical problems. In addition,
Dillon’s Waiting Child Program serves to find families for
children with moderate to significant special needs.
[up]
Do the parents have to travel to the
country?
Parents
must travel to China, Haiti, India (not accepting new applications), Guatemala
(on hold), and Vietnam (on hold) to receive their
child and finalize their child's adoption. Parents may travel or have
their child escorted to the U.S. from South Korea.
[up]
What sort of timeline should we
expect?
Timelines vary per country and on how quickly an individual family completes
their paperwork and home study process. Please visit the individual
country program's web page for the current timeline of that program.
[up]
Could you give us a range of total
expected fees?
The fees charged for your
child's adoption can include the following services: processing your
documents and managing your case from beginning-to-end, home study and
post-placement reports, communication with U.S. and foreign government officials
regarding your adoption process, mailing and express delivery fees, document
translation and in-country legal fees, plus care for your child and/or other
children in foster/orphanage setting and any medical/therapeutic care while
awaiting adoption.
Click below for a brief overview
of the adoption fees for each country:
For a complete
breakdown of adoption fees and expenses, please see Dillon's
Explanation of Fees and Services included in our
Adoption Application - Part I.
Dillon
International also operates on a fee-for-service basis,
so specific fees are due
as services are rendered in the adoption process.
[up]
Both of us work outside of the home. Will one of us be expected to
have to quit our job to care for the child that we adopt?
No. Many of our adoptive
families are two-income families, where both spouses work
outside of the home. Dillon International does require
that families initially take a 6 weeks' leave-of-absence after
their child arrives home. This initial adjustment period
is important for bonding and attachment between you and your
child in building trust and security. Some families will
opt to have one spouse spend the first 3 weeks home with their
child and then have the other spouse spend the second 3 weeks at
home with their child. Your home study provider will also
discuss with you how you plan to provide daycare for your child
should you return to work after the initial 6 week period is
over.
[up]
What if we don't own our home? Will we still be able to adopt?
Yes. It is not a requirement that a family
must own their own home to be considered for the adoption of a
child. Many of our families rent an apartment or home.
Dillon International's emphasis is on a family's ability to
provide a stable, safe, and loving environment for parenting a
child.
[up]
Are financial aid or payment plans
available?
Dillon International has
an adoption fund that was created by Dillon adoptive families who wanted to
help other families who are adopting through Dillon International.
Building Families Fund/Lisa's Fund
– grants average $2,000 per family. The fund is available to families who can
show a financial need that would prevent them from adopting and/or to help with
the adoption fees of children with special needs who might not be adopted
otherwise.
For
other financial aid suggestions–including information about the recent Hope for Children Act, which allows for a $10,000 tax credit
to families who adopt–please visit our web page
"Financing An Adoption."
[up]
How do I get in touch with Dillon?
You may
call our main office in Tulsa, Oklahoma at (918) 749-4600 and you will be
connected with a staff member who is trained in processing adoptions from the
country in which you are interested. You may also
email our office
with your question or concern. You can learn more about Dillon International and its
adoption programs by checking out our website at
www.dillonadopt.com.
[up]
Why should we choose international
adoption through Dillon?
Dillon
International
