First Steps

We are seeking 5 families who are willing to be flexible and patient as we learn the process together! Before submitting your official application, please contact us to discuss if this is the right program for your family!

Caseworker & New Client Packet

If this program is deemed a good fit, as soon as MAA receives your application documents and fee, we will assign you to one of our wonderfully competent Caseworkers. Your Caseworker will be your primary contact throughout your adoption to answer questions, provide additional information, and support you through each step of the process. At this time, we will also email you the MAA New Client Packet which includes all of the step-by-step instructions for the first stages of the adoption process, including the home study, the pre-adoptive training, the US immigration application, and the dossier.

The New Client Packet will also contain the MAA Adoption Contract and other documents that need to be signed and returned to MAA as soon as possible.

Home Study
It is important to begin your home study as soon as possible because it can take several months to complete, and you cannot begin the process to pursue a particular child unless you have a current, valid home study. Once you identify your home study agency, MAA will send them required documents that must be completed and returned to MAA as part of the home study process.

• Using MAA as your home study provider (residents of Delaware, Illinois, New Jersey and Pennsylvania)
• Using another agency as your home study provider (residents of other states)

Pursuing a Waiting Child

The adoptive family should do the following research and preparation before submitting an Adoption Application to MAA to adopt a specific waiting child:

• Have a current, valid home study.
• Research the child’s special needs condition(s), including appropriate support groups for parenting a child with those special needs. Please refer to these medical resources as needed:
  • Love Without Boundaries Special Needs Guide
  • Rainbow Kids Medical Guide
  • MAA Special Needs List
• Obtain detailed information from doctors, specialists, friends or families who have children with the same conditions.
• Identify medical specialists who can treat or consult about the condition of the child. If needed, please refer to this list of well-known International Adoption Medical Clinics.
• Be prepared to show proof of parental training, experience, education and/or understanding regarding the specific medical condition.

Preparing your Dossier to be Matched with a Child (Unmatched)

• Research special needs conditions listed on MAA’s Special Needs Questionnaire, including appropriate support groups for parenting a child with the special needs you selected. Please refer to these medical resources as needed:
  • Love Without Boundaries Special Needs Guide
  • Rainbow Kids Medical Guide
  • MAA Special Needs List
• Line up the doctors and/or medical specialists who agree to provide their opinions and feedback about the child very quickly after receiving the referral file. There are doctors who specialize in evaluating the medical referrals for international children available for adoption. This can be challenging without advance planning! If needed, please refer to this list of well-known international adoption medical clinics.
• After discussion with an MAA caseworker, complete the online application and send in a signed copy along with the non-refundable application fee.

Receive MAA’s New Client Packet to help you get started. We will hold your hand through every step of the process!

Thailand Adoption Dossier Requirements

The Dossier to submit to Thailand must include the following documents:

• Application of Child Adoption
• Letter of Intent
• Home Study Report with Agency License
• Birth Certificate of both parents (Certified Original documents)
• Marriage Certificate (Certified Original documents)
• Divorce or Death Decrees (if applicable)
• Alien Resident “Green Card” (if applicable)
• Medical Letter for each parent
• Letter from medical professional IF on any prescribed medication, chronic medical condition, etc.
• Letter documenting infertility or other reason pregnancy is not advisable (if applicable)
• Psychological Evaluation Report for each parent
• Certificate of Net Worth
• Front page of the last two 1040 income tax returns
• 2 letters from bank, credit union, or other financial institution
• Employment, Self-Employment, and/or Homemaker Letters for each parent
• Police clearance statement for each parent
• USCIS I800A Approval
• Two letters of recommendation
• Copy of passport for each parent
• Agreement to register your child with the Thai Consulate
• Promise to finalize the adoption in the US
• Verification of adoption education
• MAA Endorsement of Psychological Evaluation
• MAA Endorsement of Home Study (if MAA is not home study provider)
• MAA Affidavit of Hague Accreditation Certificate and Agency License

All of the documents above must be notarized or in the case of vital records, certified copies.

The dossier must also include the following items, which do not need to be notarized:

• 5 Identical passport photos of each parent
• 9 recent pictures- 3 of your immediate family, 3 of the outside of the home, 3 of the inside of the home
• Post-Adoption Agreement
• Inter-agency agreement

As an option to you, Madison Adoption Associates can provide Dossier preparation, which includes Authentication services, for your dossier. See Thailand Fee Schedule for associated costs. For local clients, we would be happy to act as your notary, free of charge.

Thailand Adoption Travel

Adoptive parents are permitted to travel after the Hague process is complete and they have received Article 5 and a confirmed appointment with the Child Adoption Board (CAB).

Both parents must travel to Thailand to meet your child. Children adopted from Thailand will enter the U.S. on an IH-4 VISA. Adoptions are finalized in the United States, and the adoption is completed in your local family court system. The stay in country ranges from 10 to 14 days, depending on the duration of the administrative process. Families adopting from the Thai Red Cross Children’s Home (TRC) will spend their entire trip in Bangkok. Families find the trip to be a culturally rich, wonderful experience.