New Family Info

Welcome, and congratulations on your desire to adopt or sponsor a child with Down syndrome (or other special needs) internationally!   This whole “family of families” here at Reece’s Rainbow is thrilled to have you.

1. Your income must meet or exceed minimum USCIS requirements to adopt internationally.
2. If you are married, at least one of you must be a legal US citizen. There is no minimum age limit for married couples (for USCIS eligibility).
3. Consider any criminal history you have, no matter how long ago it happened, and speak confidentially with your homestudy social worker about which countries may approve you and how to best document those events.
4. Consider any mental health issues that you have, including even minor depression, anxiety, post-partum depression, ADHD, bi-polar, suicidal thoughts, etc. Backgrounds such as these do not automatically disqualify you to adopt, but it is crucial that you share this information upfront to help us best guide you to a country program which is best for you. If you have a current diagnosis of any of these and are on medication for them, please share that confidentially upfront with your homestudy social worker.
5. Your family must carry private health insurance (Medicaid for your other children does not count, it must be a private carrier that will allow your newly adopted child to be added and eligible for services on the date the adoption is final) prior to applying with Reece’s Rainbow.
6. Families who are members in Samaritan Ministries or other healthcare-sharing groups must have written approval from SMI *for that child and their specific needs* prior to applying with Reece’s Rainbow.
7. You must be in a stable financial position to begin an international adoption. There are many grant and loan foundations out there which may be of help, but it will not be upfront. Other granting and loan foundations typically require a completed home study before you can even apply, and are usually used for final travel costs and agency fees. Upfront costs include: 1) your home study (approx $2000) and 2) initial agency fees (vary greatly) in order to begin the adoption process.
8. If you live in a rural area, far away from adequate educational and medical resources (children’s hospitals, therapists, other medical specialists), you may want to consider children who are relatively healthy, whose needs you can more reasonably and realistically meet without major travel burdens or other frequent, necessary medical interventions.
9. Military families are WELCOME!   We have had many military families fundraise with us, including those families stationed abroad. But please note that if one parent is currently deployed or a deployment is scheduled soon, it will not be possible to begin the adoption process and complete a homestudy until that parent has safely returned home.
10. Determine the best country options for your family; we have some general information here Program Comparison Chart.
11. Read about the International Adoption Process
12. Learn more about travel abroad, it is so exciting!!
13. Order and read the book The Connected Child, by Karyn Purvis
14. Learn about your options for financial assistance and other fundraising options (grants, loans, tax credits, etc)
15. Read about the other families who are currently adopting a child with Down syndrome with Reece’s Rainbow’s financial support.
16. Read about the children who are already home!
17. Join our Facebook group to join our “family of families,” lean on others going through the same process you are, and to stay abreast of news, needs, and announcements.
18. Read through the Family Sponsorship Program page carefully, and read through the application documents to apply for grant funds & fundraising through Reece’s Rainbow.