Adopt From Korea

Now accepting applications!   Through our Korea program, we strive to identify adoptive families for children who are up to the age of two years at the time of referral. Boys and girls with all levels of medical and developmental needs are waiting. Children who are younger and have no known medical or developmental needs or have an identified need which is considered to be mild or correctable are generally placed with adoptive families via our traditional program. They may also be placed with Korean-American families via our Korean Heritage Program (view program information written in Korean language 한국어). Our Waiting Identified Children (WIC) program focuses on placing children with an identified need which may require more intensive follow-up treatment and care and may have life-long implications.

About Adopting From Korea 

| The Children  |  The Care  |  The Process  |  General Eligibility | Requirements  |  Fees & Expenses |

The Children (아이들-한국어)

Children typically placed through the traditional and heritage programs may:

• be as young as 6-10 months of age at the time of referral
• have beem prenatally exposed to alcohol
• have been born prematurely and/or at a low birth weight
• exhibit some degree of social and physical developmental delays
• have suffered from some degree of malnutrition
• have minor and/or correctable medical or developmental needs that may be routinely addressed in the U.S. with predictable approaches and successful outcomes

In addition to the above characteristics, children placed through the Waiting Identified Children program are up to two years of age and have been identified as having a significant or long-term medical or developmental condition. We are especially in need of families who are open to parenting a child with the following significant or long-term medical and developmental conditions:

• being born significantly premature
• being born significantly underweight
• brain abnormalities
• cerebral palsy
• developmental syndromes
• heart conditions
• limb difference
• visual impairments

The Care (보호-한국어)

Children placed through Children's Home are cared for in foster homes until the adoption paperwork is completed and the children are ready to travel. The foster care system is run by the respective Korean child welfare agencies and is usually one-on-one foster care. In some rare cases, there may be more than one child in a foster home. The foster parents are full-time foster care providers and receive training, support and medical input from the child welfare agency. In turn, these foster parents provide care, love and protection in a family environment.  There is usually a close-knit relationship between child and foster mother, and rarely are they ever apart.

The Process (입양과정-한국어)

If you are interested in adopting from Korea, you first need to complete the adoption study process and apply for approval of an I-600A application through USCIS. Currently, we estimate that families adopting through the Korea program will wait up to approximately 10-22 months from the time their adoption home study is approved by Children's Home until they receive referral information about a child. Children's Home staff will assist you with completing your acceptance dossier and applying for approval of an I-600 application through USCIS. We estimate that it may take up to 18 months after you have completed the acceptance dossier before your child will be ready to travel to the United States. Based on your family's circumstances, you will be able to choose to complete the in-country process in either one longer trip or two shorter trips. The Korean agency and Children's Home will hold legal guardianship of your child until you finalize your adoption under U.S. law in the United States. You will also need to request a Certificate of Citizenship from USCIS as proof of your child’s U.S. citizenship following the finalization of the adoption.

General Eligibility Requirements (일반 자격요건-한국어)

Eligibility requirements for the Korea program are relatively established, as with all aspects of international adoption, subject to change. At this time, the most basic requirements include that applicants should be married, 25 to 42 years of age (up to 47 years of age for the Korean Heritage Program), have no serious or chronic physical or mental health diagnosis, and minimal to no criminal history. Additionally, there are state residency requirements which apply to individuals pursuing an adoption through our traditional program. Many of the requirements are flexible for individuals who are able to pursue an adoption through our Waiting International Children program. For quick reference, we share a more detailed list of guidelines online but we encourage anyone interested in adopting from Korea to contact one of our adoption information specialists to discuss their circumstances. 

Korean Heritage Program (한국어)

‘일반 자격 요건’과 양부모가 되시려는 분 중의 최소한 한 명이라도 한국의 혈통을 갖고 계시는 분이라면, 미국에 거주하시는 어떤 가정이라도 Children's Home의 한국인 헤리티지 프로그램에 신청을 하실 수 있습니다. Children's Home의 한국인 헤리티지 프로그램에 대한 더 자세한 정보가 필요하시면 Deb Harder (English) – dharder@chsfs.org - 나 이제인 (한국어) – jlee@chsfs.org - 로 연락을 주시면 됩니다.

It is the hope of Children's Home and of our child-welfare partners in Korea, that if children cannot grow up in their birth homes, it would be ideal for them to join a family in which at least one parent shares the child’s ethnic heritage.  Korean families in Korea and in the United States are increasingly adopting Korean children in need of permanent, loving homes. 

Families throughout the United States are eligible for the Children's Home Korean Heritage Program if they meet the General Eligibility Requirements and if one or both of the prospective adoptive parents is/are of full Korean descent.  To find out more about the Korean Heritage Program at Children's Home, please e-mail Deb Harder (English) at dharder@chsfs.org or Jane Lee (Korean) at jlee@chsfs.org. 

Fees & Expenses** (비용-변동이 있을 수 있습니다)

The fees and expenses of adopting through Children's Home vary depending on a variety of factors including your place of residence and the country you choose to adopt from.  All families adopting internationally through the Children's Home Korea program pay:

• Children's Home Service Fees & Expenses (based on service area)
• Country Adoption Program Fee & Expense Schedules (available upon request).
  Please send an email to welcome@chsfs.org, with your name, email address and state of residence in the body of the email, to request information.
• Fees and expenses associated with adoption study and post-placement services.

**All fees and expenses are subject to change. View the Children's Home Client Refund Statement.

Family Stories: Korea

Children's Home is honored to advocate for children from around the world who are in need of permanent families. Throughout the years, we have been fortunate to work with families who are as dedicated as we are to the success of adoption as a means of building families.

Parents who have completed the adoption process often want to prepare and inspire other families who are embarking on an adoption journey. Our community blog is home to some of their stories:

• Generations Of Korean Adoption
• Adopting Carson
• Changing Cultural Beliefs About Adoption

For More Information

View our International Adoption Chart to compare all of the international adoption programs offered through Children's Home.

Attend a free, online informational meeting, request an information packet or create an account to access our Resource Center section which includes references.

Contact an adoption information specialist: welcome@chsfs.org | 651.646.7771 | 800.952.9302 |