Special Issues

This section covers some of the special issues that adopting families should be aware of.

Fingerprinting for criminal record clearance is required for all international child adoptions and in most domestic child adoptions.  This U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service site provides helpful information. 

Trans-racial or trans-cultural child adoption involves the placement of a child who is of one race or ethnic group with adoptive parents of another race or ethnic group.  Adoption experts have different opinions about this kind of adoption.

An adoption disruption or dissolution is an adopting family's worst nightmare.  Throughout the United States disruption rates range from about 10%-25%.  For information about disruptions and dissolutions visit this link.

Health and Disease provides infant and child care advice from experts.  Included is health related information from a variety of sources including the Mayo Clinic, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the National Institutes of Health.