Haiti Adoption

 

Children of All Nations is currently recruiting adoptive families. Contact our CAN Matching Specialists today to learn more.

 

Click here to view the Haiti Waiting Child Photo Listing 

 

About Haiti Adoption

Haiti occupies the Western part of the island of Hispaniola, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. The island was inhabited by the Taíno Amerindians when it was discovered by Columbus in 1492 and settled by the Spanish. In the early 17th century, the French established a presence, and in 1697 Spain ceded the Western third of the island to France. This area later became known as Haiti.

The French colony became one of the wealthiest in the Caribbean. Unfortunately, this was done through the forced labor of African slaves and severe environmental degradation. In the late 1700s, the slave population of nearly a half million revolted, and after a long struggle became the first black republic to declare independence. Located just 750 miles off the coast of Florida, Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere with 80% of Haitians living under the poverty line. Haiti has long been plagued by political violence, but in May of 2006 they inaugurated a democratically-elected president and parliament. Adoptions in Haiti are approved by the Institut du Bien Etre Social et de Recherches (IBESR) in Port-au-Prince.

If you would like more information about our Haiti program, call an adoption consultant today at (512)323-9595 or send us an email.

Governance of Haitian Adoptions

Haiti 2Children of All Nations is excited to receive accreditation from IBESR, Haiti’s central authority in charge of Haiti’s inter country adoptions. Haiti recently implemented new adoption procedures and is now party to the Hague convention. We will continue to work hard to find loving homes for the Haitian children.

Children Available

Haitian children are mainly orphaned or abandoned due to widespread poverty. These children remain in orphanages, called crèches, until they are placed with a family for adoption. With so many orphaned children in Haiti, the crèche is forced to turn away children in need. We look forward to helping Haiti find as many homes as possible for these children in need.

When selecting a child, consider that you may adopt the following:

  • Children from 6  to 15 years at time of referral; must be open to a child 6+ years old
  • Sibling groups of any age
  • **There are several different consents needed from the kids at different ages depending on their circumstance

If you would like more information, please give us a call today at (512)323-9595 or send us an email.

Haiti’s Waiting Child Program

IMG_1969Special needs and older children, as well as sibling groups, are also desperately in need of loving homes. Children with special needs will have disabilities ranging from minor to severe. The children tend to be younger, and most children are between the ages of infancy and 12 years old. Common special needs seen in Haiti are malnutrition, HIV, anemia, and children that have been victims of neglect. A child’s file contains a child’s medical paperwork, background information and a photo.

Haiti Adoption Requirements

In addition to the USCIS eligibility requirements for prospective adoptive parent(s), Haiti has the following adoption eligibility requirements. If you feel you are not eligible to adopt from Haiti, or you are unsure, please contact us for a free case-by-case consultation regarding your Haiti adoption.

  • Citizenship: One adoptive parent must be a US citizen.
  • Age: Adoptive parents must be between 30 and 49 years of age. The parent must be 21 years older than the adoptive child.
  • Marriage Status: Married couples are eligible to adopt if they are age 30+ and have been married at least 5 years. Couples that have not been married for a full 5 years, but have been cohabitating for at least 5 years may qualify(certificate from relevant authorities must prove this and consent needed from both parents).
  • Single Parents: Only single women are currently able to adopt from Haiti. Singles must be between 35 and 49 years old.
  • Income: There is no minimum income required. However, you must meet the income requirements provided by USCIS for the child to immigrate.
  • Criminal History: Applicants with a criminal history of child abuse, violence or domestic violence are not eligible to adopt.

Haiti adoption eligibility requirements are subject to change per Haiti’s adoption laws. CAN updates these guidelines as necessary.

If you would like more information about our program, call us today at (512)323-9595 or email us.

Adoption Timeline

The time frame for referral of a child from Haiti is currently 4+ years  based on Haiti’s in-country processes and requested age of child. However,  adopting an older child or older siblings can  significantly reduce the waiting time. The timeframe for Haiti adoption is subject to change; please consult CAN for the most current processing times for your adoption from Haiti.

The Process

1. Application and Approval

To adopt a child, please complete our agency application. For your convenience, you may access the application online. We will promptly review your eligibility to adopt from Haiti once we receive your application. If approved, we will provide you with our agency contract that outlines our fees, services, and important information regarding the Haiti adoption process.

Upon receipt of your signed contract, CAN will partner with a Haitian orphanage to provide you placement services for children from Haiti. The joint efforts of CAN and the crèche provides our adoptive families and children superior services and expertise for an optimum experience.

2. The Paper Chase

Once your agency contract is in place, it is time to get started on your dossier. This will include a home study to assess your readiness for international adoption from Haiti and help prepare you for adoptive parenthood, filing with USCIS for international adoption approval, and gathering your necessary dossier documents. These dossier documents must go through the appropriate notarization and authentication processes. CAN offers a complete Dossier Preparation Service to ease your international adoption and give you peace of mind.

To ensure that prospective adoptive parents are prepared for their international adoption journey, our agency requires that parents complete 10 hours of adoption training as mandated by the Hague Convention. To satisfy these hours, we have developed an online parent training program that we are proud to include in CAN’s service plan. For an overview of the training program, please click here. Please contact us for more information regarding adoption from Haiti.

3. Identifying a Child

IBESR will issue a referral of a child for your family based on your approval for gender, age and health status. With your referral, you will receive a description of the child, including the child’s history, medical test results and photos. You will have two weeks to review your child’s information before you must either accept or decline the referral. If you choose to move forward with your referred child, you will travel to Haiti to meet and bond with the child, appear before a judge for the consent proceeding and sign paperwork at the US Embassy. This bonding trip is typically 15 days.

4. Completing the Adoption

CAN’s Haiti Representative will update us on the progress of the adoption as it moves through IBESR. Once IBESR grants the Authorization of Adoption, it is presented to the Court and an Acte d’Adoption (Adoption Act) is granted, finalizing the adoption. You can now travel to Haiti for the second trip to bring your child home.

5. Picking up Your Child

The trip to pick up your child can be as quick or as long as you like. CAN will assist you as you book your flights and accommodations.

6. Post Adoption Requirements

Haiti Post Adoption reports  are required at six (6) months after the adoptive child(ren) arrives home, plus: one (1) year, two (2) years, three (3) years, four (4) years, five (5) years, six (6) years, seven (7) years, and eight (8) years after the adoptive child(ren) arrives home, respectively.

 

Click here to view the Haiti Waiting Child Photo Listing 

Resources

Contact Us

Children of All Nations is here to answer your questions, and we love feedback! Fill out this form and we'll get you the answers you're looking for!