As we started to talk to people about our adoption, we have realized there are a lot of questions and misconceptions about international adoption and South Korea. We thought it would be a good idea to answer some of the most common questions we have been getting asked on here to help our friends and family.
Are you adopting from North or South Korea?
We are adopting from South Korea.
Are you going to get a girl?
More boys are released for international adoption in South Korea. Families in Korea prefer to adopt girls domestically, so that leaves a large number of boys looking for forever families. We are pretty good at raising little boys, and we have a lot of little boy stuff, so we are open to taking a child of either gender.
How long will it take?
I wrote a blog post on the timeline, so please check that out, but the process typically takes about 24 months from the first application to brining the child home.
How old will the baby be?
Children are not released to be adopted internationally until they are at least 6 months old. We could be matched with a child 6 months or older, and then after completing all the other steps would be bringing home a child that is between 18-24 months old.
Will the child have special needs?
There is always a possibility that any child could have a special need whether it is a biological or adopted child. We did complete a check list including the special needs that we felt like our family could care for, but that is something that we will keep private for the sake of our child.
How much will it cost?
Adoptions from South Korea typically cost between $30,000 – $50,000.
Why South Korea and not the United States?
This is a very personal decision for anyone adopting. I have always wanted to adopt from South Korea, and know there are children all over the world that need to be adopted into loving families. For our family, we know that God has a child for us from South Korea, so that is where we are adopting from.
What are South Korea’s Requirements for Adoptive Parents?
South Korea has their own unique requirements for adoptive parents. Parents must be married for at least 3 years, between the ages of 25-44, cannot have more than 4 children already in the home, the youngest child in the home must be 1 year older than the child being adopted, parents must be free of any serious physical/mental illness, have no criminal history, and have a BMI of less than 30%.
Bringing Home Baby Stoyk 