Frequently
Asked Questions - International Adoption
Who
is Swartz Adoption Attorneys and Child Placing Agency Inc.?
Why
should I choose Swartz Adoption Agency over another agency for my international
adoption?
Do
I qualify to adopt?
How
long will the process take?
How
much does it cost?
What
kind of children are available?
Will
I receive medical information about the children I wish to adopt?
Will
I receive medical information about the birth parent of the children
I wish to adopt?
Can
the birth parents take their children back?
What
is a home study?
What
is a dossier?
Are
there any tax benefits to adopting?
Do
both spouses need to travel?
How
much time will be spent in the foreign country?
I
do not live in Michigan. Can I still use your agency?
Who is Swartz Adoption Attorneys and Child Placing Agency, Inc.?
Swartz Adoption Agency (for short) is a licensed, non-profit agency
located in Saginaw, Michigan that conducts domestic and international
adoptions. Swartz Adoption Agency was formed by Christopher Swartz,
a certified adoption attorney with the general practice law firm of
Swartz & Wilson. Mr. Swartz has successfully conducted hundreds of international
and domestic adoptions. Swartz Adoption Agency has social workers on
staff for counseling and conducting home studies.
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Why should I choose Swartz Adoption Agency over
another agency for my international adoption?
Swartz Adoption Agency is staffed with a certified adoption attorney
who ensures that your international adoption is carried out professionally,
timely and legally. We have a well-trained staff who understands the
adoption process and can assist you with any questions you may have.
Most importantly, you get to choose your children personally rather
than have them assigned to you after you have had a chance to view photographs
and medical records of the children. This is contrary to programs from
other countries - especially for Asian children - such as China, Korea,
and Vietnam where only a single child is offered to you.
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Do I qualify to adopt?
There are no specific restrictions at this time. Both couples and single
females are accepted. We will inform you if there are any other issues
in your background that may prevent you from being able to adopt from
a particular country.
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How long will the process take?
The process usually takes approximately six to nine months from the
time you apply with us until the adoption is finalized and you bring
your child home.
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How much does it cost?
The costs for an international adoption range from $21,655.00 to $30,000.00.
We provide you with a complete, detailed list of the fees and costs
associated with the adoption process. The agency program fees are due
at application. Other fees become due as they are incurred. For more
detailed information, contact us.
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What kind of children are available?
The children available for adoption are of European, Russian, and Asian
descent. The available range in age is from 4 months to 10 years. Both
male and female children are available.
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Will I receive medical information about the
children I wish to adopt?
We will provide you with all of the medical information available to
us about the children you wish to adopt.
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Will I receive medical information about the
birth parents of the children I wish to adopt?
In most cases, there is very little information available regarding
the birth parents. We do provide information regarding the reason the
parental rights were terminated.
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Can the birth parents take their children back?
No. Once the foreign court has terminated the parental rights, the children
are available for adoption irrevocably.
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What is a home study?
A home study is also known as a pre-adoptive placement assessment. The
purpose of the home study is to ensure that children are only placed
in homes appropriate for adoption.
Swartz Adoption Agency
conducts home studies in the state of Michigan. A home study through
our agency costs $1,700. If you live in another state, we can arrange
to have a home study completed through another agency.
Typically, a home study
takes about six-eight weeks to complete. It includes about four to five
interviews with one of our social workers. One interview will be a pre-planned
visit in your home. You will be asked many questions about yourself,
your family and your beliefs. There are no right answers so there is
not need to worry. Information about your physical health, criminal
history and references from people who know you well such as friends,
ministers, and co-workers also need to be obtained. We will assist you
in this regard. The home study is an educational process and you will
find it very helpful.
Your home study becomes
part of your dossier, which includes all of the documents needed to
process an international adoption.
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What is a dossier?
A dossier is a compilation of the documents needed to process an international
adoption and must be forwarded to the country where you plan to adopt
a child. We will assist you with every step of the dossier preparation.
Some of the items you will need for your dossier include birth certificates;
marriage license; divorce decrees, if applicable; a letter from a physician
confirming that you are in good health; financial statements; tax returns;
statements of assets and liabilities; and a letter from your employer(s)
confirming position, salary, and length of employment.
It is required that
these documents be signed, notarized and authenticated by the state
in which you reside. Again, we will assist in every way possible to
help you complete your dossier.
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Are there any tax benefits to adopting?
Yes. The IRS now allows a tax credit of $10,630 per adopted child, for
qualifying expenses paid to adopt a child for the 2005 tax year. Qualifying
expenses are reasonable and necessary adoption fees, court costs, attorney
fees, traveling expenses (including meals and lodging), and other expenses
directly related to the legal adoption of an eligible child.
The state in which
you reside may also provide tax breaks for adoption. The State of Michigan
offers a $1,200 credit for adoption. Check with your accountant or visit
your state's internal revenue website for more information.
Our adoption attorney
can explain in detail the tax laws concerning adoption and how it will
affect you. You can also visit the Department of Treasury and Internal
Revenue Service web site.
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Do both spouses need to travel?
For trips that are merely for choosing and viewing the available children,
only one spouse needs to travel. For trips that will include a court
date and the actual adoption of children, both parents must travel.
Only in very rare instances is it okay for just one spouse to travel.
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How much time will be spent in the foreign country?
Typically this will be from 8-14 days depending upon your situation
and the country from which you are adopting.
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I do not live in Michigan. Can I still use your
agency?
Yes. We can handle adoptions for families throughout the United States
and even for U.S. citizens living abroad.
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Be sure to visit
our Happy Families page to meet some
of our happy families.
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