Adopting Two Unrelated Kids at the Same Time

Adopting two unrelated children or babies at the same time is a controversial topic with adoption professionals. Should you consider adopting two children when going abroad to adopt? What about if you are fortunate enough to have two expectant moms choose you for a domestic infant adoption? What are the pros and cons to adopting two children at the same time? Host Dawn Davenport interviewed Ginger Healy, an adoption social worker with Children’s House International Adoptions, and Marissa Leuallen, a licensed masters social worker with Holt International Children’s Services with a post graduate certificate in therapy with adoptive and foster families.

Hit the Highlights
  • What countries allow prospective adoptive parents to adopt more than one unrelated child at the same time?
  • As I mentioned at the beginning, it is also possible, although not common to do this with US domestic infant adoption. Pretty uncommon with foster care adoption, unless the children are like siblings and have a sibling-like connection.
  • This issue of adopting more than one at the same time overlaps with another controversial issue: creating artificial twin or virtual twins.
  • What are some of the advantages of adopting two at once (concurrent adoption)?
  • Is there a cost savings when adopting two children at once internationally?
  • When adopting older kids that have mastered the language of their birth country, how does having another child adopted at the same time affect language development?
  • Some parents who have done this report that they see less sibling rivalry since no child was displaced from their place in the family? What do you see?
  • What are some of the disadvantages to to adopting 2 at once?
  • Is it more difficult to form independent relationships with the children when you adopt more than one at a time?
  • Does the balance of advantages and disadvantages shift when the children had a close relationship prior to the adoption?
  • Are adoptions more likely to fall apart when parents adopt more than one at the same time?
  • If people are going to adopt more than one at a time, what are some tips for doing it in the best interest of the child?
  • What are the complications that may arise when the children being adopted have special needs?
  • Tips for success.
  • Virtual twinning.

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Image Credit: Caro