Families Thru International Adoption Now Licensed For Adoptions in Vietnam

Evansville, IN — Families Thru International Adoption (FTIA) today received their much-anticipated license to officially begin adoption work in Vietnam. FTIA is one of only a handful of U.S. agencies nationwide awarded a license to complete adoptions from the Southeast Asian country.

Vietnam had halted international adoption since January, 2003, due to severe discrepancies in how adoptions were handled in the country’s different provinces. Since that time, the country has established a federal international adoption department which is part of the Ministry of Justice to handle oversight of international adoptions and procedures.

“When adoption is available, children do get a chance for a better life, and there is significant interest in Americans wanting to adopt from Vietnam,” says Keith Wallace, adoption attorney and Executive Director of FTIA.

Wallace says there are a number of reasons Asia and North America have similar appreciation of each other’s societies. “There is the awareness factor and Vietnam is a place people know about,” Wallace says. “Also, people are very familiar with Asian adoption because China is a major country for international adoption.”

The U.S. State Department signed the adoption agreement on June 21, 2005. Since then, agencies could submit applications to the International Adoption Department within the Ministry of Justice on September 1, 2005. The first licenses are being issued in 2006.

FTIA has found homes in the United States for more than 2,500 children from China, Guatemala, Russia, Brazil, India and Vietnam. Recently, Dr. Vu Duc Long, Director of the International Adoption Department and Vietnam’s chief adoption official, attended FTIA’s Tenth Anniversary celebration at their Evansville world headquarters.

International adoptions through FTIA range from $15,000 to $30,000 depending on the country - every country has a different procedure and amount of work involved. But, the good news is that there is a $10,000 federal adoption tax credit, making the net cost between $5,000 and $20,000. Additionally, many employers provide adoption assistance benefits.

Word of mouth has helped spread the news about FTIA to interested families in Evansville, Indiana and beyond. Because Wallace and his staff conduct regular informational seminars in Indianapolis, Louisville, Cincinnati, Columbus, and parts of New York and New Jersey, they routinely answer questions from prospective parents and introduce them to families who have recently adopted.

For more information about international adoption or the Vietnam program, call 812-479-9900 / 888-797-9900 or log onto: www.ftia.org.

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