International adoption has been given a lot of mileage considering that celebrities like Madonna and Angelina Jolie are adopting children internationally. However, this does not mean that national child adoption is not an option open to American couples. In fact, many couples choose to adopt nationally.

         However, when it comes to child adoption, it is best to compare both options before choosing the one that best suits your needs. There are many factors that couple should consider before making a decision. Some of these factors include the cost of adoption, waiting period, children available, medical history, social history and legalities involved with the adoption.

         Many people assume that adopting a child from a developing country is easier, quicker and less costly than adopting a child nationally. This may be more fiction than fact but both the processes have similarities.

         Many couples think that there are fewer children up for adoption in the country and that the chances of getting a healthy newborn baby are very low. The Nation Council for Adoption in the US estimates that are approximately 20,000 children that are put up for adoption each year and most of these children are healthy. In addition, if you go for national adoption, your chances of getting a newborn baby increase dramatically as most birth mothers decide to give up their children for adoption and choose adoptive parents during pregnancy. Getting a newborn baby through international adoption is not possible as you will get a child only when he or she is placed in an orphanage.

         When you choose to adopt a child from another country, do not forget the travel that will be involved. Different countries have different international adoption laws and you might have to make multiple visits depending on which country you are adopting the child from. This can work out to be more expensive than domestic adoption.

        When you adopt a child from the US, you will have access to the birth records, family history and other health related issues. With international adoption, these necessary records might not be available and this can cause a problem later on.

          The wait time for American adoption is approximately 1 to 18 months. Now compare this with the wait time for China, which is 10-12 months, and Russia has a wait time of 6 to 12 months. So, there no much difference in the wait time.

          Adopting a child in America costs between $8,000 and $40,000 while adopting a child internationally cost anywhere between $25,000 and $40,000. At times it can be more.          

           Armed with these facts, you now have information to choose between national adoption or international adoption. Ultimately the choice is yours.