For many adoption agencies, it's the overseas issue that perplexes them. Most agencies are unsure of what to do when a family contacts them from overseas or is transferred overseas while in the process of adopting. Adoption agencies need to be aware that families living on military installations can adopt children from the United States through the ICPC because U.S. military bases are considered U.S. soil. Many people don't realize that it's really as easy as any other adoption between states. The Interstate Compact is completed between the state where the child resides and an agency in the state of legal residency for the prospective parents.
Agencies can also train military personnel to complete homestudies for families.
They have proved to be very thorough. They can also supervise the family from the time the child arrives until the adoption is finalized. There are some agencies that have bureaus abroad to help Americans who are waiting for an adoption to be finalized when their transfer comes through. The Pearl S. Buck Foundation in Perkasie, Pennsylvania, has worked with military families in Asia for years. It has bureaus in countries with large U.S. military populations, such as Japan, Korea, and Guam.