Vietnam
Spence-Chapin has a long history of placing children from Vietnam for adoption, beginning in 1997. Then in July, 2002, the Vietnamese government issued a decree halting adoptions to countries that did not have a formal written agreement with Vietnam. In June 2005, the United States and Vietnam signed such an agreement, re-opening adoptions from Vietnam to the United States. In 2007, Spence-Chapin entered into a collaborative agreement with Adoptions Together to assist families living in the NY/NJ area to adopt children from Vietnam. Through this collaboration, Spence-Chapin and Adoptions Together work closely with families to fully complete all aspects of the adoption process from Vietnam. Spence-Chapin will specifically be taking on the role of providing home study and post placement services, as well as support and education though all phases of a family's process. Adoptions Together is the placing agency who identifies the children available for adoption and aids in the finalization process in the foreign country. We are seeking to place infant boys and girls as well as older children who are in need of permanent loving families. We are currently working in the Hoa Binh and Thanh Hoa Provinces with two orphanages that are supported through humanitarian funds from both agencies. Although the children are in an orphanage, the level of care is relatively good. Despite this, children adopted from Vietnam can be expected to have some of the typical developmental delays often associated with orphanage care.
Program Requirements and Specifics:
- At least one prospective parent must be a U.S. citizen to be able to sponsor a child to enter the country.
- Single men and women as well as married couples may adopt. There should be no more than a 45 year age difference between the age of the child and the youngest adoptive parent.
- Parents should be in reasonably good health without life-threatening illnesses, such as cancer, within the past two years.
- The current wait for a referral is estimated at 1 year, with travel occuring 3-6 months after acceptance of referral.
- Spence-Chapin requires that both parents travel to Vietnam.
From Referral to Homecoming
Most children are relinquished at birth, and each child is given a physical examination when they are one to two months old. Each child is also tested for HIV and Hepatitis B. Children will be 2-3 months and older at referral and 5-8 months and older at travel. Included in referrals from Vietnam is the child's medical history and lab tests, as well as photographs.
Cost Guidelines
Spence-Chapin has a sliding fee for the services provided by the agency, based on the applicant's adjusted gross income. When adopting internationally, the sending country assesses fees separate from Spence-Chapin's service fee. The fee to Vietnam's is currently approximately $12,000. Additionally, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services as well as some state offices require fees, including those for fingerprinting. When you travel to Vietnam, you will incur costs for airfare, hotel, food, and incidental expenses. For suggestions on making adoption more affordable, please see our information on Affording Adoption.
Heritage Celebration
Every spring, Spence-Chapin hosts a party for children adopted from China and Vietnam. Here families can come together to celebrate with traditional food, crafts, and entertainment as well as share their experiences with each other. Children get an opportunity to explore their common heritage and see other families that look like theirs. For information about this year's celebration, please contact Heather at 212-360-0274 or hluboff@spence-chapin.org.
For more information about the Vietnam Program, please contact Becky Braun at 212-360-0213 or rbraun@spence-chapin.org. Your are also invited to attend a free information session. We look forward to seeing you there!