• Children who generally are in good health. The quality of health care and the availability of information vary widely depending on the particular country and/or institution. Families receive a medical report on their child that explains the child’s known health condition.
• Children with known medical conditions ranging from mild and/or correctable to more severe needs. Their reports may include information about additional testing done to provide more information about their medical needs.
• Children under 8 years old, depending on their birth country; sibling groups in some countries
• Children living in orphanages or foster-family settings
• Children for whom there is less than full knowledge about their birth parents and social and medical histories (the amount of knowledge available largely depends on the birth country)

The great majority of children adopted from abroad thrive once they are in nurturing families. Lacking the early benefit of loving parents, children often need their parents support to make progress in their development. This can include speech, and fine and gross motor skills. This is particularly true of children who have been in institutions. Even good institutions cannot provide the nurturing that young children need.

Newly adopted children may also show signs of mild depression or struggle to adjust; this is usually mild and short-lived, and parents are very well prepared through training to support their children through the big changes that come with intercountry adoption. Some children struggle more with adjustment than others and may need longer term support after placement. The child’s temperament, life experience, and age, along with the adoptive parents’ temperament, flexibility, adaptability, and sensitivity, all play a role in a child’s adjustment process. 

Our over 75 years of experience tells us that families who thrive are ones where the parents are open and accepting, and able to take pleasure in the miracle of watching a child grow and develop, without preconceived expectations. People adopting from overseas will, in many cases, become multicultural families. A family’s openness to other cultures and races and interest in honestly educating their child about culture and race are essential.

Barker tries to provide prospective parents with as much information as possible about the child they may adopt. The amount of information available varies widely depending on the country and the particular situation. After a child is referred, we help you understand the information provided and put you in touch with professionals who may be able to further assist you.

If there is an extended period between referral of a child and the time the family travels, the agency gets updated information on the child, which may include medical reports and pictures. Barker is committed to its families throughout the adoption process and for as long as families choose to participate in the wide variety of educational and support services it offers. 

Wait times vary from country to country. In some countries, the major part of the wait elapses before the child is identified. In others, it comes after the child is identified. We can tell you how long waits have been in the past, and sometimes that is predictive of what they will be in the future. The Barker staff do our very best to keep the process moving and communicate with and guide families along the way.

Yes, parents will have the opportunity to travel to their child’s country to take custody of their child! Traveling gives parents a unique opportunity to see their child’s birth environment and to begin to develop an appreciation for their child’s heritage and culture (if not already shared). Moreover, the story of your trip is the beginning of a lifelong conversation with your child about their adoption story. A minority of families who adopt internationally are world travelers, so it’s in no way a requirement for international adoption.

In all of our programs, there is excellent support and guidance for the trip. The length of the stay in the country varies depending on the legal procedure followed there. For Barker’s India and Korea programs, a stay is typically one to three weeks. In the Global Adoption Program the stay will vary country to country, and can span a few days to a few months.

Adoption, like any major life event, comes with some risks. In international adoption, these can include incomplete or inaccurate information about a child, sudden changes in government requirements or procedures, and shifts in timelines or costs. Flexibility is essential, as many factors are beyond the control of the adoptive family or the agency.

At Barker, we work to minimize risks by partnering with trusted sources and building strong, collaborative relationships with adoptive parents. This approach helps us navigate challenges together, should they arise. Understanding these complexities upfront can make the process less overwhelming.