If you're interested in adopting a waiting child from a specific country, please select that country using the drop-down list at right.

Want to know more about the adoption process? Like most important decisions, it involves a lot of work—much of it on paper. Once your child is in your arms, you’ll probably forget about all the forms you filled out. But until then, here’s a step-by-step guide.

Use the two-page Family Finders pre-application form to give us basic information about yourself and the child you want to adopt. There is a $50 application fee (this fee is waived if you currently have a WACAP application on file, or can be applied toward your WACAP application fee when you apply). After we process your pre-application, a waiting child case manager will send you pictures and descriptions of children with special needs, and help you with the waiting child adoption process.

No matter what kind of adoption you are considering, you’ll need to complete a homestudy. An adoption counselor from an agency licensed in your state will visit your home to discuss your lifestyle, immediate and extended family, finances and reasons for adopting. Homestudy guidelines vary from state to state, but the process usually takes four to six weeks.

The agency that conducts your homestudy doesn’t have to be the same one that helps you find a child. WACAP conducts homestudies in Washington, Oregon, New York, Connecticut and Alaska; in other states, we can give you the names of several licensed agencies who will provide WACAP your homestudy, and then we will work with you through the completion of your adoption.

The types of documents you will need to submit depend on what country you adopt from. (For country-specific information, choose a country from the drop-down list at right.)

USCIS clearance—To begin an international adoption, you’ll need to complete forms for U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). WACAP can send you these forms, or you can obtain them from the USCIS Web site. Check with your waiting child case manager to be sure you are submitting the proper forms.

After you’ve completed your paperwork and paid your fees, it’s a waiting game. The length of time is different for each adoption and each country, and can depend somewhat on the type of child you want (there’s usually a higher demand for girls, so you may have to wait longer).

Waiting child adoptions through Family Finders are unlike any other WACAP adoption, in that you can review profiles of many children in need of families. Waiting times are often shorter than for infant adoptions.