International Adoption Program Korea

Parental Qualifications for Adoption in Korea

This program is available to couples that have been married at least three years, with no more than 4 children prior to the adoption. At least one parent must be a U.S. citizen. Both parents must be high school graduates. Both parents must be in excellent physical, mental and emotional health. At the time of application to the Korea Program, both prospective adoptive parents must be 43 years of age or under and we must have their completed homestudy with I-171H approval 4 months before their 44^th birthday. Parents must be between 25 and 45 years of age at the time their child comes home from Korea. Husbands can be no more than 10 years older than their wives. Wives can be no more than 6 years older than their husbands.

Korea Adoption Program and Procedure

Korea’s Social Welfare Society (SWS) is an exceptionally well-respected agency that has placed over 2,500 children with adoptive families in the United States. SWS is the oldest international adoption agency in Korea, established in 1954 to find adoptive families for children orphaned by the Korean War. SWS is dedicated to finding loving adoptive families for children both in Korea and internationally.

Once your home study and dossier documents are complete, the dossier will be sent to Spence-Chapin. Spence-Chapin will send the dossier to SWS. The current wait for the referral of a child is up to 10 months on average from the date the dossier is sent to SWS. The referral information will include a comprehensive medical report and photos of the child.

The current time period after referral until the child can be brought to the U.S. is 3 to 5 months. The wait for referral and for travel may be longer depending on the status of Korea’s international adoption policies. When you travel to Korea, you will have an opportunity to meet the foster family and learn about your baby’s Korean heritage. You will need to be in Seoul for 5 consecutive working days.

The adoption is finalized in the USA about one year after placement. Spence-Chapin holds legal custody of the child from the day the child arrives in the USA to the day you go to court to finalize your child’s legal adoption. Three post placement reports and photographs are sent to SWS. Our agency will provide guidance in finalizing the adoption in the US.