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Adoption is a challenge and a joy for families.
Often, families have been waiting years to adopt children and have had to go through rigorous interviews and stacks of paperwork. International adoptions are becoming more popular as eastern European countries open their borders. Adoption brings challenges similar to those of having a newborn such as learning how to care for the child, figuring out what each parent will do, and creating a place in the home for the child. Despite these similarities, adoption also has some intrinsic differences. New parents are confronted with figuring out how to develop a bond with an adopted child, how to share information about the child's origin, and how to help this child relate to other family members who might not approve of or understand the adoption.