Burundi Adoption
About Burundi Adoption 
The East African country of Burundi started as a German colony, and later became a Belgian colony after World War I. Though it is a small country, it has one of the highest population densities in Sub-Saharan Africa, and one of the highest birthrates in the world. Its total population is about 10.5 million total people, who mostly live in the rural areas. The population of the capital city of Bujumbura is only about 331,000 people.
Burundians mainly make their living through agriculture, which is why most of the population lives in rural areas. Coffee makes up 93% of Burundi’s exports, while other agricultural products include cotton, tea, maize, sorghm, sweet potatoes, bananas, manioc (tapioca), beef, milk, and hides. Burundi’s climate is very fertile, making it fairly easy to grow food products and maintain cattle.
Burundi is still one of the top 5 poorest countries in the world, with 80% of its population living below the poverty line. Although on the decline, HIV continues to be a problem in Burundi as well. According to unaids.org and UNICEF there were an estimated 89,000-120,000 children orphaned in 2012 due to AIDS.
Children of All Nations is proud to be one of the few U.S. agencies working hand-in-hand with Burundi’s adoption authority to help improve the lives of Burundi’s children. Burundi adoption authority handles the adoption process in conjunction with Burundian courts. Burundi is party to the Hague Convention on protection of children. CAN’s reliable in-country team members will accompany you during your travel to Burundi, and help ensure your Burundi adoption process goes as smoothly and quickly as possible.
If you would like more information about our Burundi adoption program, our specialized Burundi adoption consultants are standing by to help! Call us today at (512)323-9595 or email us at info@childrenofallnations.com.
Children Available in Burundi
Children available for adoption from Burundi range from toddlers to older children. Burundian children are of African descent. Most children will have brown eyes, black or dark brown skin, and black or brown hair. Children are available for adoption due to extreme poverty, abandonment, or death of one or both parents in most cases.
When adopting from Burundi, consider you will be adopting the following:
- Healthy boys and girls (Ages 2 and up)
- Children who may be malnourished and smaller in stature
- One or possibly two or more siblings at one time
- Burundi allows adoption of related or unrelated children
Families considering adopting a child will have access to the child’s background and medical information before travel. In most cases, additional information is available upon request.
Burundi Adoption Requirements
In addition to the USCIS eligibility requirements for prospective adoptive parents,Burundi has the following requirements. If you feel you are not eligible to adopt from Burundi, or you are unsure, we may be able to work with you. Please contact us for a free case-by-case consultation.
- Citizenship: One parent must be a U.S. citizen
- Age: Adoptive parents must be at least 30 years of age, and at least 15 years older than the adoptive child. In special circumstances, one parent may fall within this range if the other does not, pending approval by the foreign government.
- Marriage Status: Single women or couples who have been married at least 5 years can adopt from Burundi.
- Income: There is no minimum income required. However, you need to meet the income requirements provided by USCIS for the child to immigrate.
- Medical: There are no specific restrictions, but if you have a medical condition, please contact our adoption consultant to determine your eligibility.
- Children in Home: No specific restrictions have been identified.
Burundi adoption eligibility requirements are subject to change per the country’s adoption laws. CAN updates these guidelines as necessary.
Burundi Adoption Timeline
The time frame to complete international adoption from Burundi is currently estimated at about 2 and a half to 3 years with a referral wait time of about 1 to 2 years. Depending on the time families take to complete their dossier paperwork, their preferences for age and special needs, and country processes. This time frame is subject to change; please consult CAN for the most current processing times for our Burundi adoption program.
The Burundi Adoption Process
1. Application and Approval
To adopt a child(ren) from Burundi, please complete our Burundi adoption application here – Apply to Adopt. For your convenience, you may access the application on our website. We will review your eligibility to adopt from Burundi based on the guidelines the country’s adoption eligibility requirements once we have received your application. If approved, we will provide you with our agency contract that outlines our fees, services and important information regarding the international adoption process. Upon receipt of your signed contract, CAN will start to provide you placement services for a child(ren) from Burundi.
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 Burundi and help prepare you for adoptive parenthood, filing with USCIS for international adoption approval, and gathering your dossier documents. These dossier documents must go through the appropriate notarization and authentication processes. Your dossier will be reviewed and assembled at our headquarters in Austin, TX before being sent to the Burundian adoption authorities for approval. 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 your Adoption Consultant at CAN for more information about international adoption from Burundi.
3. Identifying a Child(ren)
Your dossier will be sent to the adoption authority of Burundi, first being legalized and translated by our in-country staff. After your dossier is approved by the government, you will be entered into a national wait list for a referral. You can generally expect a referral 12 to 24+ months after your dossier has been turned in to the Central Authority (this time frame is subject to change by the Central Authority), depending on the age of the child you wish to adopt, whether they have special needs or are a sibling group, etc. Once you accept your referral, the case will go to court.
4. Picking up Your Child(ren)
Once your court decree has been received, you may travel to Burundi and finish your adoption in-country. Both parents must travel for this trip, though one parent may leave after about 1-2 weeks, while the other parent will continue on to Kenya to obtain your child’s U.S. visa.
5. Post Adoption Requirements
The Ministry of Solidarity requests 2 post adoption reports completed by a social worker at 6 and 12 months following the completion of the adoption.
CAN offers our families a Elite Dossier Service to ease their adoption paper chase and to give assurance that their dossiers are correctly assembled for submission. CAN also provides Online Hague Parent Education Courses to help adoptive parents meet the minimum credit hours required by the Hague Convention. These services, along with the other amenities available to CAN families, are designed to make your international adoption process as effortless and enjoyable as possible. These fees are not included in any item listed above.
The international adoption process requires proper document preparation, filing and approval with the USCIS. Adoptive families are responsible for paying the set fees associated with each step. International adoption also involves traveling to the foreign country from which you are adopting. Travel costs include airfare, accommodations, meals and ground transportation, in addition to the requirements for your child(ren)’s entry into the US (visa and its required medical exam, as well as airfare). All fees are set by and are paid to third parties and may vary from case to case. These fees are not listed above.
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