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The International Adoption Process

A good place to begin investigating the adoption process is to request information from our agency. You may do so by filling out our request form or by contacting our office by phone or fax.

After receiving your inquiry, we will send you our brochure, Application for Adoption, and a packet of helpful information about Gift of Love and the program(s) you are interested in, including program timeframes, costs, and procedures for beginning your adoption journey.

After you have had a chance to review the information, one of our staff members will contact you to answer any questions you may have about Gift of Love, our programs and services.  However, please do not hesitate to contact us ANY TIME!

Please note that each program that we offer has different time frames. Please contact us to determine which program is best for you!

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Informational Meetings

If you are located within driving distance of the Gift of Love office in the Des Moines, Iowa area, we schedule monthly group informational meetings and welcome you to attend. These meetings offer a further opportunity for prospective parents to gather information about international adoption and meet personally with our staff.

Events and Meetings

If you are unable to attend a scheduled meeting, we do offer the opportunity to meet with you, individually in the office or by phone. These meetings may be scheduled at a time that is convenient for you.

Schedule a Meeting

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Application

There is NO FEE to apply to any of Gift of Love’s Programs.  You may apply with Gift of Love at any time. The application process requires you to submit the Application for Adoption to the agency to review and determine that you meet the qualifications of the program(s) you are interested in before proceeding further.  The application is free and may be faxed or mailed to the office. You will receive an application in your information packet, but may also access it by clicking on the link below.

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Registration

Following receipt of your Application for Adoption, we will contact you immediately to inform you regarding approval for the program(s) you have applied for.  At that time, the registration packet for the desired program will be sent out to you. The registration process requires you to complete and submit registration documents to the agency to get you started on your adoption journey.

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Post-Registration

Once you register to begin your adoption journey, you will receive a post-registration orientation, either in person or over the phone, covering the comprehensive, step-by-step binder provided to each client family. 

The orientation and binder cover initial CIS registration (including all forms required) and Home Study information (including a Home Study Worksheet for parents, required reference questionnaires), a Dossier Preparation Guide (including all dossier requirements, examples and/or masters that are required to be part of your completed dossier), information about medical issues and travel preparation for your program and country, as well and other helpful information and educational materials.

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Immigration

Every prospective adoptive parent in our international program must begin the adoption process by filing a form with the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (CIS). This form, the I-600A, is a petition to the United States government to bring a foreign-born orphan into the United States.

The process consists of several steps immediately following registration with Gift of Love.

Step 1 After you complete and submit the I-600A form to Gift of Love, we will work with you to prepare all additional materials and to file your petition with the CIS in your state or region.

Step 2 You will then meet with your caseworker to begin the home study process. Once the Home Study Report is complete and approved by Gift of Love, we will forward it to the CIS.

Step 3 The CIS will inform you of the time and date that you must report to their office, in your state, to have your fingerprints taken.

Approximately three-five months after registration with Gift of Love and completion of these three steps, you should receive the next form, I-171H Favorable Determination, from the CIS. This is your confirmation that you have been approved to bring an orphan into the U.S. and that the U.S. Embassy or Consulate in the foreign country has been informed that you will be traveling there in the next several months to complete the adoption and apply for a visa to bring your child(ren) home.

Receipt of the I-171H typically completes the collection process of documents for your dossier. Once all documents have been properly state and county certified, authenticated and translated, Gift of Love will forward your completed dossier to the appropriate governmental office in the foreign country for the purpose of registering you to begin the process of matching you with your child(ren). 

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Dossier

A dossier consists of many documents. Gift of Love completes some, some are specific required documents from the country and foreign governments, and some are provided by the individual families. Each country has specific requirements regarding what should be included as part of a family’s dossier. Your Program Director will work closely with you in obtaining all that is necessary to complete your dossier for the specific programs. The dossier contains required and important information necessary for the foreign government to register you as eligible to complete an adoption in their country.

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Home Study Report

The home study is one of the first steps you will take to begin the adoption process. It consists of several meetings between you and a caseworker. The caseworker will ask a number of questions and will engage the prospective adoptive parent(s) in conversation about adoption-related issues. The job of the caseworker is to record the information discussed at these meetings and compile a report for Gift of Love, the CIS and the foreign government.

Deanne Bauserman, Social Work Supervisor, will work closely with you to match you with a caseworker and start the home study process. If you live in Iowa, you will be matched with one of Gift of Love’s staff caseworkers, based on your geographic location. If you are out-of-state, Deanne will help you coordinate with a licensed home study agency in your area.

Additionally, Deanne makes sure that all necessary requirements in the home study report for an international adoption have been addressed. She also approves each home study report before it is forwarded to the CIS, and ultimately the foreign government.

Thank you for taking the time to visit us. We hope that you will find our information helpful in your search to learn more about the different aspects of the adoption journey and choosing the right adoption agency for you.

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