Do I need to make an appointment?
What do I do after I upload my information?
Can I have both a phone consult and a written consult?
Can I set up a conference call among the reviewer, myself and my spouse/partner?
I only have half my referral. Should I send it anyway?
Will you look at supplemental info and updates?
Do I need to get the child's information translated before sending it to you?
I'm traveling blind. What is the process in that situation?
I’m not computer savvy. How do I attach files?
How do I save files to my desktop?
What file formats are accepted?
How can I change my demographic info, username or password?
The system won’t let me move to the next step.
The system says I already have a login, but I never created one and I don’t know what it is.
I log in, but all I get is a blank screen.
I logged in once, but the system won’t let me in again.
It has been 3 business days, but I have not heard back from you regarding my referral.
I made a donation, but now I can’t get back to the online submission system to upload my materials.
I don't have the files electronically. How else can I get them to you?
What countries do you have the most experience with?
Which adoption agency should I use?
Which country has the healthiest adoptable children?
What age child should I adopt?
Do you offer clinic services, too?
Can I get a 10-day waiver letter?
Please use our online submission system! (Click "Pre-adoption Medical Review" at left) The online submission system guides you through five easy steps for uploading your referral materials electronically. There is a SAVE button at the bottom of each screen, and a NEXT button to advance you to the next step. At Step 5 (Complete and Send), you will be asked to check a box and then press Save one last time, at which time your information will appear “on our end”. We can’t see it until you check the box!
Please allow 1-3 business days for review of your materials. If you would prefer, you may make an additional gift of $100 and request a 24-hour turnaround (Monday - Thursday; see suggested donation schedule below). The 3 business days "count" starts the first business morning after you upload your materials.
What does it cost? Suggested donation:
$400 for first child or sibling group, $250 each additional child we review for you in the future
$500 if you wish to have a 24-hr turnaround (Monday - Thursday only--we need to receive the submission by Thursday at 3:00p in order to be able to provide the 24-hr turnaround) We ask for $500 for each 24-hr turnaround requested, even if you have worked with us previously.
$150 per 10-day waiver letter supplied to you
There will be an opportunity to donate when you upload your materials for review. Click here to read more about how your gift benefits orphans worldwide.
Note: the donation step is separate from the upload step. The donation window will open, and after you make your donation, you must return to our site to finish doing the upload of the referral information.
The staff who perform reviews are Dana Johnson, M.D., Ph.D.; Judith Eckerle Kang, M.D.; and Cynthia Howard, M.D. To read more about them, visit our staff page.
Do I need to make an appointment?
No formal appointment necessary! Just go to the online submission system and upload your information to us. (You DO, however, need to make an appointment for post-adoption clinic services after you bring your child home. The Pediatric Call Center is at 612-626-6777.)
What do I do after I upload my information?
Please wait. You will receive an auto-reply email letting you know that the submission has been received, so if you do NOT get the auto-reply email, please let us know, iac@umn.edu. The reviewer will call or email (whichever you indicated on your submission that you'd prefer) you within 1-3 business days.
Can I have both a phone consult and a written consult?
In order to be able to give every family's referra the attention it requires in a timely fashion, we ask that you consider which option would best suit your needs, phone or email, and choose only one option. Please remember that there is a post-a-question feature on the system that allows for you to ask follow-up questions.
If you do choose a phone consult, please make every attempt to have your spouse/partner on the line when you're talking to the reviewer, so that the conversation can be had one time amongst the three of you and so the reviewer does not have to repeat the same information to a spouse or partner on a later date.
Can I set up a conference call among the reviewer, myself and my spouse/partner?
We cannot schedule conference calls in advance. If you would like a phone consultation, please call the office with your spouse/partner already on the line.
I only have half my referral. Should I send it anyway?
It is helpful to the reviewer, if you have only half of the referral information but expect the other half to come to you soon, to wait and upload everything at the same time, rather than having us start looking at your materials and then receive more information the next day.
Will you look at supplemental info and updates?
Yes! We are happy to review supplemental info and updates as you receive them. Please upload these files the same way you did with the initial submission (log in, use the drop-down box to select the child’s name, then click Attachments); the reviewer receives an automatic email alert whenever you upload new materials. Please keep in mind the 1-3 business day turnaround time for each update you send. We do not ask for any additional donation; looking at supplemental info and updates is all included in your initial gift.
Monday - Friday, 8:00a to 4:30p CST, except University of Minnesota holidays.
You already reviewed this child’s information for another family. Do I still need to register with you?
Yes, please register, even if we have already reviewed the child’s info for another family. We archive information and records per family, not per child. In addition, we would like you to resend the information so that we can be sure to have ALL the most current information on this child (there may have been updates to her/his medical history since the last time we looked at the file) all in one place.
Do I need to get the child's information translated before sending it to you?
Yes. Please see Finding A Translator for additional guidance if your agency did not provide you with a resource list of translators. When you send your referral to us, however, we will want you to send both the original document and the translation.
I'm traveling blind. What is the process in that situation?
We are happy to work with you while you're abroad. Please see our For Travelers page for additional information. Basically, we're happy to work with you whether you are traveling blind or whether you will have already sent some information about the child before you leave to meet her/him.
I’m not computer savvy. How do I attach files?
If medical history and photos were emailed to you, you will first need to save the electronic files to your desktop in order to upload them; you cannot save the email message itself and upload that. You must separate the attachments.
To upload files, you will be prompted to browse for them on your computer. That is why it is best to place the files in a conspicuous spot on your desktop before you begin. In Step 3, press the Browse button, find and select the file where you saved it on your computer, choose Open (which will close your computer’s browse box and allow you to see the submission browse box again), enter comments and questions (if you have any), then press Save. To add additional files, click the small plus sign icon next to Attachments and repeat this process.
How do I save a file to my desktop?
For most email programs, you can right-click on the file and choose “Save As” when you have the email message open. When you are in the preview mode on your email, you can right-click the attachment icon and choose “Save Attachments” to save all of them at once. Either option will open a window that allows you to choose where you want the file saved. Choose “Desktop”, then press Open or Save (depending on your system).
What file formats are accepted?
Documents: .doc, .docx., .pdf, .xls
Photos: .jpg, .gif, .bmp
Video clips: .mpg,. wmv, .avi
How can I change my demographic info, username or password?
You may change your demographic information at any time by clicking on “My Account” at the very top of the screen (after logging on). This option is in the grey bar next to the Welcome message.
The system won’t let me move to the next step.
Make sure you press the Save button, then the Next button.
The system says I already have a login, but I never created one and I don’t know what it is.
If you used our services before our online submission system went live (2/9/07), your demographic information will already be in our system. Please email iac@umn.edu to have us set up a username and password for you so that you may log in to upload new materials. If you set up your own login and just forgot what it was, click Forgot Login?, and a reminder will be sent to your primary email address.
I log in, but all I get is a blank screen.
It does look like a mostly blank screen, but there is a drop-down menu there—it says “Please select from the following options” in the maroon-colored box. You will want to pull down that folder and choose “New Submission” to upload materials for the first time, or, if uploading a health update, choose the name of the child.
I entered all the required (asterisked) information at the login screen, but it won’t let me into the system.
You must enter your login information AND THEN press the Create button at the bottom right side of the login screen in order to log in for the first time. Return users can simply use their previously created login information on the left side of the screen.
I logged in once, but the system won’t let me in again.
At the login screen, you must enter your username and password (at left—the right side is for first-time users) AND press the Login button in order to enter the system. If you need a password reminder, there is a link Forget Login? under the username/password box on the login screen, OR you can email iac@umn.edu and ask to have us reset both username and password.
It has been 3 business days, but I have not heard back from you regarding my referral.
It is possible that we have not received your information. In order for us to receive your submission, you must go to Step 5, “Complete and Send” and check the box, AND ALSO press the Save button. Until you check the box and press the Save button, we will not be able to see your information. You will receive email confirmation when we have received your submission. If you have completed Step 5 and received an email confirmation but still have not heard back from us within 3 business days, please call email us at iac@umn.edu to confirm receipt.
I made a donation, but now I can’t get back to the online submission system to upload my materials.
Minnesota Medical Foundation (MMF) handles our donations for us, so you were routed (in a new browser window— your computer will now have two browser windows open at the same time) to their website to make the donation. ON A PC, you can return to the submission system by pressing Alt + Tab (which, in general, is a shortcut that returns you to the screen you were most recently working in) or click on the browser button in the task bar that corresponds with our website. The task bar is at the very bottom of your screen and has a button for each application, document and window that you have open at the same time . ON A MAC, you may need to minimize the MMF screen in order to see the submission screen again.
I don't have the files electronically. How else can I get them to you?
First, please create an account on the online submission system and go all the way through all five steps. There is a place to put a note to us that you will be sending the information separately. Next, use a SHIPPING COMPANY (not U.S. mail) and ship your materials to us:
International Adoption Medicine Program
717 Delaware St. SE, 3rd Floor
Minneapolis, MN 55414
612-624-1164 tel
(612-625-2920 fax)
What countries do you have the most experience with?
Most any referring country. Our clinic was established in 1986, the first clinic of its kind in the United States, and we have therefore reviewed medical records from all over the world. These countries include, but are not necessarily exclusive to: Brazil, Bulgaria, Chile, China, Columbia, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, India, Jamaica, Kazakhstan, Korea, Latvia, Lithuania, Mexico, Morocco, Nepal, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Romania, Russia, Ukraine and Vietnam.
Is this an adoption agency?
No, we do not provide home studies or provide referrals of waiting children. We are a resource for families, providing for the health needs of internationally adopted children through our clinic services, research and education.
Which adoption agency should I use?
While we are unable to recommend an agency, we can recommend a resource for you: the annual adoption guide published by Adoptive Families Magazine. Remember:
Which country has the healthiest adoptable children?
There is no simple answer to this question. We have evaluated referrals from countries all over the world,. and we’ve seen referrals for both healthy children and those with special needs. A child's growth and development depends on many factors, including the care they received before adoption. Care differs from child to child, not country to country. Can you find a child in any country that will thrive under your love and care? The answer is yes. Choosing a country will be based on a number of factors, including your personal preferences, family situation and availability of adoptable children.
What age child should I adopt?
The sooner a child leaves an orphanage, the better. With a very young child, however, there is some risk that the child may have issues not possible to diagnose at an early age. The decision relies somewhat on the level of risk you are willing to assume, but the statistics that our staff have collected show that, by a large margin, parents who have the medical information reviewed by a medical professional (any medical professional) have higher satisfaction rates with the adoption (including the health of the child) than parents who don't. So, as long as you find a reliable professional to review the information, and you logically assess their opinion, you will gain a better understanding of the health risks of that child and will be able to decide whether you have the resources to provide what that child needs.
Do you offer clinic services, too?
Yes! We would be happy to see your child in clinic. Please see our appointment page for more info.
Can I get a 10-day waiver letter?
If you would like us to provide a letter to attempt to have the child's country of origin waive the waiting period sometimes required prior to adoption, please email your request to iac@umn.edu (this service is open only to families who use our preadoption consultation service). Include your home address, full official name of the child as she/he is known to the orphanage, and official date of birth. We will provide two original copies of the letter, signed by a reviewer and notarized by a notary public who is commissioned by the State of Minnesota. Since this service requires additional staff time and resources, we ask that you make an additional donation in the amount of $150.00. Click here to make an additional gift.