Adoptive Families explains the history of adoption. It states:

The modern era of international adoption began after the Korean War, when Korean and Amerasian orphans were placed with families living in the United States. Since then, Americans have adopted many thousands of children from Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, and Latin America. In

Furthermore, the prospective adoptive parents should be cognizant that these health factors may attribute to problems that are unique to these children. According to Inova Fairfax Hospital for Children:

In addition to being sensitive to Russian ethnic and language differences, it's also important to be familiar with their religious customs and beliefs. Most Russians are member of the Russian Orthodox Church. Additional Christian denominations include Lutheranism and Roman Catholicism. Russia's Jewish population is more than 500,000. Easter is the most important event in the Orthodox calendar and is observed with midnight services. The Christmas season is celebrated between December 24 and January 6. The Russian children eagerly await presents brought by "Father Frost", not "Santa Claus". In areas bordering the former Soviet republics of central Asia Islam is practiced. Many Muslims in these areas are forming new alliances with Iran, Turkey, and other Middle Eastern states in which Islam is the dominant faith.

"The Ministry of Education has general oversight of foreign adoptions, and will intervene if necessary to ensure cases are processed according to Russian law. However, the authority to approve individual adoptions is vested in the local court of the area where the child lives. Each region has established an office to oversee adoptions within its jurisdiction" (www.travel.state.gov/adoption_russia.html). To begin adoption proceedings an adoption agency begins by asking the local Ministry of Education office, in the area where their client wishes to adopt, for information on children in that region available for adoption. Caucasian children from approximately 4 months to 15 years are eligible to come to the U.S. for adoption. These children must be registered with a National Data Bank in Moscow for 3 months and must be offered to the Russian citizens first. The children who are listed within the National Data Bank have been relinquished to state care through an orphanage, maternity hospital, children's hospital, baby home, children's home, or similar institution.

Each year more American families include a child adopted from another part of the world and children adopted from Russia Federation by American citizens are steadily increasing.

Families choose intercountry adoption for a variety of reasons. Perhaps the family does not meet agency guidelines for domestic adoption but qualifies for intercountry adoption. Sometimes families wish to adopt from the country of the family's ethnic origin, or they are acquainted with others who have successfully adopted overseas. Typically, the waiting time (and sometimes the total costs) for an intercountry adoption are more predictable than for the adoption of a child born in the U.S. (41)

Additionally, to appeal to the desire to either parent or contribute to the global community the adoption agency must develop additional marketing strategies. There are a variety of methods to reach this potential market. Adoption agencies must go where people work, worship, and play. Some marketing methods include advertising in adoption magazines, subways, buses, and billboards; presenting adoption seminars before local businesses, churches, civic and fraternal organizations, PTA meetings, professional organizations, women organizations, private and social clubs; set up information booths at community and ethnic celebrations and fertility clinics.

Potential adoptive families find their way to adoption agencies for many reasons and by a variety of routes. Although, there are many methods that can be instituted to reach this target market an educational strategy is a useful procedure. "Many agencies begin the process with group meetings of adoptive parents. These meetings are generally educative sessions in which parents learn about the kinds of children that are available, and the questions and issues that should be considered in making a decision to adopt" (Har

Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 3180
Approximate Pages = 13 (250 words per page double spaced)