How do U.S. families learn about children who are available for international adoption?
First, officials in the other country usually match the child’s specific characteristics and needs with a family that has requested and been approved for those characteristics and needs. Then, the other county (e.g., China, Guatemala and Brazil) will send a photo or a video with medical information for the American family to review and approve before traveling to the other country. Since 2000, Russia law has forbidden any adoptive family from receiving information about a child until after the family has made an initial visit to Russia.
