For many adoption agencies, it's the overseas issue that perplexes them. Most agencies are unsure of what to do when a family contacts them from overseas or is transferred overseas while in the process of adopting. Adoption agencies need to be aware that families living on military installations can adopt children from the United States through the ICPC because U.S. military bases are considered U.S. soil. Therefore, these are not international adoptions; they are interstate adoptions.

"There's a misconception about military families adopting while overseas," says MariAnne Clarke, Deputy Executive Director of the National Adoption Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. "Many people don't realize that it's really as easy as any other adoption between States." The Interstate Compact is completed between the State where the child resides and an agency in the State of legal residency for the prospective parents.

Agencies can also train military personnel to complete homestudies for families. "We've trained base social workers and clergy in the past," says Clarke. "They have proved to be very thorough. They can also supervise the family from the time the child arrives until the adoption is finalized."

Agencies that do not have such resources abroad can call on the services of International Social Service, American Branch (ISS/AB) in New York City. ISS/AB is an international network of professional social work agencies working in more than 13 countries, including Germany, France, and other countries where U.S. military personnel are often stationed. ISS/AB can help agencies monitor families who have been transferred before an adoption has been finalized. See the resource section at the end of this article for the address and telephone number of ISS/AB.

There are a number of agencies that are very willing to place children with U.S. families living abroad. The resource section also provides the names, addresses, and telephone numbers of these agencies.

Social workers who are concerned that a child with special needs may not receive necessary services if the adoptive family is sent to some remote part of the world need not worry. Smith explains that "the Navy has a policy that prevents personnel from being transferred to remote areas that cannot provide the support needed for children with special needs, including adopted children." Under the "Exceptional Family Member Program,"no member of the military can be transferred to a duty station where specialized medical care is not available for a family member who needs it.

Smith also points out that transfers do not occur as often as in past years. The end of the Cold War has brought about changes in the priorities of the Department of Defense, allowing families to stay in one place longer. "One of the peace dividends that has paid off for military families is that they will now be able to comply with adoption agency residency requirements that have prevented them from adopting in the past," Smith says.

Conclusion

There are over 100,000 children in the United States waiting to be adopted. More than 60 percent are African-American. Many have physical, mental, or emotional challenges or are brothers and sisters who want a home together. Agencies cannot afford to shun all military families, simply on the basis of their being in the military. Each family should be looked at individually. Many military families have demonstrated that they are excellent resources for waiting children.

In fact, military families have attributes that make them especially desirable as adopters— ethnic diversity, access to adoption benefits, and availability of medical resources. Although adoption agencies traditionally have been reluctant to work with military families because of their frequent moves, they are beginning to recognize that military families have advantages to offer children.

"We were skeptical when we first began to work with military families in Pennsylvania and New Jersey," says Kelli Harris, Program Coordinator of Welcome House. "But we have found that they have a good sense of community, and that the well-being of their families is a high priority. Military communities are racially and ethnically mixed, and there is a built-in support system."

"Additionally, military families do not seem to be scared off by the 'special needs' label that many of our kids have," continues Harris. "Most of the families I have worked with are interested in adopting older children or sibling groups. Most have parenting experience and realize that the resources available to military families will allow them to accommodate a child with a disability."

Smith echoes those thoughts. "Military families have as much viability as civilians when it comes to parenting adopted children. We just have to educate social workers about the positive aspects of families in the armed forces if we are to break the myths that follow us from base to base."

Postscript

What happened to Ernestine and Harold Davis? Once they were armed with the correct information, they contacted an agency in Pennsylvania--their State of legal residency--and completed their paperwork. Soon, they flew to Pennsylvania to visit with a sibling group with whom they were matched. Recently, 3-year-old twins Brittany and Brandon moved to Germany with their new family. According to Mrs. Davis, "Everything went smoothly once the agencies found out how it was done."

© Gloria Hochman and Anna Huston

Credits: Child Welfare Information Gateway (http://www.childwelfare.gov)