Asian Adoption

Adopting from Asia is a preference for many nontraditional adopters. In 2010, the Bureau of Consular Affairs reported that 3,401 children were adopted from China. Asian adoptions have led the world in U.S. international adoption numbers for the last decade and remains popular because of its lenient adoption regulations and lower adoption fees.

Many nontraditional adopters choose international adoption over domestic because of the lenient age, gender and marital laws. Adopters may also be drawn to Asian adoption because they are perceived to be healthier babies as there is hardly a chance that the birth mother abused drugs or alcohol.

When adopting from China, prospective parents will not have a choice in the child assigned to them and may only receive a photo and medical history of the child placed with them before they're asked to accept or deny the placement. Couples are also expected to pay a donation to the orphanage in which the child was held, although this is generally true for most countries.

Korean adoption regulations are stricter than China's. The agencies only adopt out to married couples and if adopters want to be placed with a child, the homestudy must be performed by a Korean agency. Korea is a highly popular country for adoption because of its low fees and how well the children are cared for, as they live in foster homes while waiting to be placed.