Rivet, co-founder of MSU Adoption Alliance and operations supervisor of MSU Bakers, said she chose to adopt internationally because she had more of an opportunity as a single mother.

MSU Adoption Alliance is made up of a group of MSU faculty and staff who are adoptive parents, including those with international, transracial and domestic adoptions, Rivet said.

Transracial and international adoptions have become more socially acceptable over the years, which may account for their increased visibility, said Nancy E. Willemin, supervisor of birth parent counseling, infant and international adoption programs for Bethany Christian Services.

“Many parents think a child is a blessing, no matter what color that child is,” she said.

Willemin gave a talk discussing such adoptions Thursday at the Nisbet Building.

Different racial or cultural backgrounds weren’t a big deal for Rivet, she said.

“Once you’re a mother and you love them, you don’t see anything but love,” she said.

Exposing Aydin — whose name Rivet said she spelled the traditional Kazakh way — to his heritage through interactions with international students at MSU and the Kazakh community in the state has been important.

Kazakhstan, like many countries, has a “blind” adoption system, where prospective parents travel to the country to choose which child they want to adopt.

But not all countries have the same requirements and processes. Parents adopting children from South Korea don’t necessarily need to travel to get the child since many can be escorted to the U.S.

Costs for the adoptions vary by country, but international adoptions tend to cost parents more than domestic adoptions, Rivet said.

International adoptions usually cost about $30,000 and domestic adoptions cost $20,000, she said. Parents typically get a $10,000 tax credit for either adoption, she said.

Racial identity is an important aspect to every individual, said Shannon Cunningham, the other co-founder of MSU Adoption Alliance and Engineering Library supervisor.

“It’s a challenge for parents that are from the United States, when they adopt from various countries and are a different race than their children,” she said.

Parents may need a guide or resource to help them, she said.

The School of Social Work’s Post Adoption Support Services Web site is one resource for both domestic and international adopting parents with questions about child welfare and identity and where to seek support.

“It’s important to recognize the countries (the children) come from; it’s something that will be with you for the rest of your life,” Cunningham said.