More about adopting in Mexico

One thing that we are finding out about Mexico is that the very youngest children have a great chance of being adopted domestically (meaning adopted by other Mexicans). Simply put, it is common for Mexicans to adopt babies. The children start losing their opportunities to be matched with families when they are older or part of sibling groups. So, adopting in Mexico is a great fit for us, since we are open to adopting siblings and are open to children older than toddler age.

It can take a long time for children to be cleared for international adoptions because Mexico tries very hard to find homes for them within their country. We think that is commendable. Interestingly, even though P was born and raised in Mexico and is still considered a Mexican Citizen in Mexico, that does not put us at any advantage for being matched with the youngest children, since he resides in the US, not Mexico.

We will be adopting through the DIF in Mexico, which is the governmental agency in charge of child welfare. The administrative and judicial expenses of adopting through the DIF in Mexico are paid for by the Mexican Government. This safeguards against corruption. That doesn't mean that the adoption won't cost anything. There are many expenses, including our American agency fees, travel expenses, cost of living while we are in Mexico, and lots and lots of other things.