It's become more difficult to adopt a child from overseas. The number of international adoptions has dropped to its lowest level in almost a decade.

In 2004 23,000 children were adopted from other countries. Last year American families adopted 86,000 foreign-born children. The reasons for the decline are varied, but many families hoping to adopt are now going outside the international law regime that governs adoptions.

But the federal government says they need to be careful. Laurel Morales from the Fronteras Desk reports from Flagstaff, Arizona.