Domestic Adoptions.   If you are interested in a domestic adoption, SOFA will work with you to coordinate your homestudy and preparation of a dossier - the first steps in uniting you with a child. There are various types of domestic adoptions. An intrastate adoption involves the adoption of a child born or residing in the same state. An interstate adoption involves an adoption of a child born or residing in a state other than the one the adoptive parents reside.   For interstate adoptions, an extra level of documentation is required as the receiving and sending state is required to give their approval to the placement pursuant to the Interstate Compact of the Placement of Children. These additional requirements demand an additional set of paperwork prior to proceeding with the adoption process. Every adoption is different because of the human aspect involved in this life changing event – for both the biological parents and the adoptive parents. SOFA’s goal is to make the process as smooth as possible.   International Adoptions   Through a licensed arrangement with Adoption Associates, Inc., SOFA helps coordinate adoptions from the following countries:   China, Guatemala, Russia, Ethiopia, Kazakhstan, Ukraine and Nepal.   Selecting a country from which to adopt is a personal choice but you must make a decision regarding the country from which you wish to adopt prior to submitting your request to the U.S. Government for approval to bring an adopted child into the United States.   The preliminary steps for an international adoption are identical, regardless of the country from which the adoption is to occur. These steps include the completion of a home study, the submission of a application for a visa and “orphan petition” to the United States Government, and the preparation of a dossier of materials that will be submitted to the foreign government where the adoption is to occur.   After these steps, the process varies depending on the country involved. Is the process complicated? To some extent, “yes”, but no more so than the process involved in enrolling in college or obtaining a home loan. Bear in mind as you are gathering your background data and slogging through paperwork that thousands of other people adoption internationally every year in the United States and the headache will be well worth it when your child is home with you. SOFA will guide and assist you to make this part of the process, if not enjoyable, at least understandable and less intimidating. Also, please bear in mind that each country may require more stringent requirements to adopt a child from that country. Click on flags in map above to review each country to see what these eligibility requirements are.   Adoption Associates, Inc. has encouraged the use of networking agencies as you will see if you visit their website. AAI understands the desire for many couples to work with agencies and persons in their state and “located close to home.”   Applying with SOFA provides other advantages. Since SOFA requires no application fee, the fee will be waived from AAI.