Vietnam ratifies the Hague Adoption Convention

We receive many inquiries from families on status of the Vietnam adoption and time frame for the re-opening. From the lastest news that we received, Vietnam sent its letter of ratification to Hague Administrative on November 1, 2011, and the Convention will enter into force for Vietnam on February 1, 2012. This is a good sign that the adoption from Vietnam is on the right track to soon become available for American families. However, it may take several months after that for American agencies to apply and receive the license from Vietnamese government. We hope to be able to send the first adoption case to Vietnam in late Summer or early Fall of 2012.

We at Faith are very excited to see the love of our families continues growing strong for Vietnamese children, and many have expressed their interest in an adoption from Vietnam when it is available. If you are one them, here are what we suggested you to do to get ready:

1. Documents for adoption dossier: Have a spare copy of the following documents for adoptive parents (if it is applicable): birth certificate , marriage certificate, divorce decree/certificate, valid U.S. passport, federal income tax return of the last 3 years (2009, 2010, 2011), adoption decrees for all adopted children in home. There will be more documents needed for your adoption dossier, but those are the commonly required ones.
2. Adoption Homestudy: When Vietnam reopens, all adoptions will be proceeded under the Hague process (I-800). So, you should start searching for a local homestudy agency who can assist you with the Hague pre-adoption homestudy report. I always suggest families to contact more than one agency to compare their services and cost efficiency. Each State has its own set of requirements for intercountry adoption, and your local homestudy agency should know them well. It is a good idea to start talking to homestudy agencies about your State's requirements, what you need to prepare, and how the homestudy process should be handled.
3. Preferences and Guardians: As part of your adoption dossier, you will be asked to provide declarations from at least 3 people as preferences and 2 people as guardians for your adopted children. To make it objective, you should ask someone that is not your relative to be your preferences. The guardians for your adopted child should be in similar condition with your family in term of background, financial resources, marital status, etc.
4. Research: Start searching around for information and advices on intercountry adoption in general, and Vietnam adoption in specific. Learn about the country profile of Vietnam, culture, society, history, traveling, and start building strong knowledge and connection with the country. Be born and grow up in Vietnam, I will be more than happy to share with you my experiences and knowledge of the country. So, please feel free to call my office for a quick chat.
5. Get updates: If you want to receive emails from Faith with updates on Vietnam adoption status, sign up today!

Yes, it is very excited that Vietnam adoption will be soon resume and many orphans in Vietnam will be able to find a permanent loving family. May you have questions about the program, please contact our office today.

Hai Doan
Vietnam Adoption Program Coordinator
hai@faithadopt.org | Phone: (253) 383.1928

Related Articles:
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Vietnam Ratified The Hague Adoption Convention
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Positive Changes in Vietnam Adoptions