What is the difference between a domestic and an international adoption?

The primary difference between domestic and international adoptions in Florida is the amount of time it takes to complete the process. Domestic adoptions are those in which adoptive parents and the birth parents are located in the United States. This type of adoption can take place over a period of several months or longer. During this period, prospective adoptive parents must typically complete certain requirements such as home studies, background checks, and education classes. Once finalization of the adoption is complete, the child officially becomes the adoptive parents’ legal child. On the other hand, international adoptions take much longer to complete. These types of adoptions involve an adoptive family located in the United States legally adopting a child from another country. These adoptions are much more complex and tend to take anywhere from one to three years to complete. Prospective adoptive parents must navigate both the laws of the foreign country and the United States, which can be a lengthy and challenging process. Once the adoption is finalized, the child will be granted permanent U.S. residency and eventually become a U.S. citizen. In Florida, both domestic and international adoptions are subject to the same laws and regulations. This means that regardless of the type of adoption, all prospective adoptive parents must complete all the necessary paperwork and requirements in order to complete the adoption.

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