International Adoption Statistics
What is the Best Country to Adopt From?
People often assume the rules are more or less the same with all international adoption and that you can adopt any age child from any country.
However, that is not the case.
The rules between 2 countries can be as different as night and day. We used verified info from the US Department of State to put together some data that can help you understand more about:
- How many kids were adopted from the country you’re researching?
- What are their ages?
- What are country specific rules and policies that could prevent me from adopting from there?
Bulgaria
In the past 3 years, 415 Bulgarian children have been adopted to US citizens according to the Department of State’s website. About 30% of these children are between 1 and 4. Another 45% are for ages 5 to 12. See more stats below.
Total Adoptions for 2019
- Ages 1-2 10.45%
- Ages 3-4 20.90%
- Ages 5 – 12 51.49%
- Ages 13 – 17 17.16%
Total Adoptions for 2018
- Ages 1-2 15.67%
- Ages 3-4 23.13%
- Ages 5 – 12 32.09%
- Ages 13 – 17 29.10%
Total Adoptions for 2017
- Ages 1-2 4.76%
- Ages 3-4 17.69%
- Ages 5 – 12 48.98%
- Ages 13 – 17 27.89%
Our agency works with Bulgaria and has for the past twenty years! See some of our recent success stories here. If you’d like to learn about the process, we recommend the following links:
Special Financing for 37 Months
Other good sources for researching Bulgarian adoption can be found at Rainbowkids’ Bulgaria page. Couple of our friend agencies who also work with Bulgaria include Nightlight and Hopscotch. A list of agencies who work in Bulgaria can be found on Save Adoptons’ site here. Good info is also available on US Embassy in Sofia here.
Ukraine
In the past 5 years, 1365 Ukrainian children have been adopted to US citizens according to the Department of State’s website. Most of these 1365 children are older than 5 because Ukrainian law starts international adoptions at ages 5 and up. The majority of children adopted from Ukraine are older than 12. About 50% of all adoptions from Ukraine for the past 3 years have been for children between 13 and 17. See more stats below.
Total Adoptions for 2019
- Ages 1-2 4.36%
- Ages 3-4 3.02%
- Ages 5 – 12 36.58%
- Ages 13 – 17 50.34%
Total Adoptions for 2018
- Ages 1-2 6.85%
- Ages 3-4 4.84%
- Ages 5 – 12 37.50%
- Ages 13 – 17 46.37%
Total Adoptions for 2017
- Ages 1-2 4.65%
- Ages 3-4 4.65%
- Ages 5 – 12 31.16%
- Ages 13 – 17 50.23%
Things to Know About Ukraine:
Is Ukraine a Hague Country?
No. Read the benefits of adopting from a Hague Country as described by the US Department of State.
Who Can Adopt from Ukraine?
Parents have to be atleast 15 years older than the child. Only married couples can adopt. Singles can’t adopt unless they are related to the child. Ukraine won’t allow people who have been declared completely or partially disabled, mentally or physically to adopt.
Who Can Be Adopted?
Ukrainian law says that children for international adoption have to be atleast 5 years of age. Children must first be made available for domestic adoption and listed locally for atleast 14 months.
Caution for Fostering
US Dept of State is cautioning that hosting families should be aware that though many of the children selected for hosting programs may be eligible for international adoption, many are not eligible, and that children who enter the US with a non-immigrant visa cannot generally qualify as an orphan per US immigration law and Ukraine prohibits adoption of Ukranian children outside of Ukraine. Failure to return a hosted child to Ukraine may place all hosting programs at risk.
Length of Stay in Ukraine
Department of State site says that parents may have to wait an additional 6 to 12 weeks for completion of required adoption consents, a court hearing, issuance of child’s certificate and passport and visa processing. It is unclear if these 6 to 12 weeks have to be spent in Ukraine, but it sure sounds like that is the case because a court hearing is something that is a part of the process and adoptive parents have to be present for court hearings generally. Since we don’t work in Ukraine we recommend that if you are considering Ukraine, you reach out to an accredited agency who works there, such as Nightlight or Open Door. More info about Ukraine can be found at Rainbowkids.com’s Ukraine Page and also at US Embassy in Ukraine. Another Source for more professionals working in Ukraine can be found at Save Adoptions List of Professionals.
Latvia
In the past 3 years, 188 Latvian children have been adopted to US citizens according to the Department of State’s website. Over 97% of children adopted from Latvia are over 5. About 50% are between 13 and 17, and about 47% are between 5 and 12. See more stats below.
Total Adoptions for 2019
- Ages 1-2 0%
- Ages 3-4 0%
- Ages 5 – 12 42.11%
- Ages 13 – 17 52.63%
Total Adoptions for 2018
- Ages 1-2 1.27%
- Ages 3-4 0%
- Ages 5 – 12 53.16%
- Ages 13 – 17 44.30%
Total Adoptions for 2017
- Ages 1-2 0%
- Ages 3-4 2.82%
- Ages 5 – 12 50.7%
- Ages 13 – 17 42.25%
Things to Know About Latvia:
Who Can Adopt from Latvia?
Parents have to be atleast 18 years older than the child. Married and singles can adopt.
Length of Stay in Latvia
Latvia may require a pretty lengthy stay on a case by case basis, it seems. Latvian courts, in order to determine that the adoption is in the child’s best interest, have the right to require the parents take care of their adopted child and share a household in Latvia for a set amount of time, not to exceed 6 months. Once the court rules in favor of the adoption, trips for adoption approval by court and immigrant visa range from 2 weeks to 2 months – according to the Department of State. Since we don’t work in Latvia we recommend that if you are considering Latvia, you reach out to an accredited agency who works there, such as Nightlight or CCAI. More info about Latvia can be found at Rainbowkids.com’s Latvia Page and also at US Embassy in Latvia. Another Source for more professionals working in Ukraine can be found at Save Adoptions List of Professionals.
China
China is currently closed due to Covid. Here is the official warning about China currently being closed issued by the Department of State on November 17, 2020.
When China is open, it is one of the countries that has the most adoptions in any given year! In the past 3 years, 4,199 children were adopted from there by US citizens according to the Department of State site. Most of these children are toddlers under the age of 4. See more stats below.
Total Adoptions for 2019
- Ages 1-2 27.47%
- Ages 3-4 36.26%
- Ages 5 – 12 31.87%
- Ages 13 – 17 4.40%
Total Adoptions for 2018
- Ages 1-2 31.46%
- Ages 3-4 34.64%
- Ages 5 – 12 28.95%
- Ages 13 – 17 4.95%
Total Adoptions for 2017
- Ages 1-2 16.8%
- Ages 3-4 41%
- Ages 5 – 12 34.75%
- Ages 13 – 17 7.45%
Things to Know About Chinese Adoption:
Who Can Adopt from China?
The minimum age for PAPs to adopt from China is 30. China will allow married PAPs over 50 years of age to adopt a child. The age difference between the child and the younger spouse should, however, be no more than 50 years. .
Single female PAPs may be no more than 45 years older than the child. China requires married parents to have a net worth of at least $80,000. The net worth of a single prospective adoptive parent must be $100,000.
Physical and Mental Health Requirements for Adoptive Parents
In addition to most “common” requirements for adoptive parents, China does not allow adoptive parents to have any sort of “mental disability” such as mental disorders, including depression, or anxiety.
China also does not allow adoptive parents who have a Body Max Index (BMI) of 40 or more.
The Chinese Central Authority will consider the occupation and lifestyle of prospective adoptive parents to determine whether the PAPs will be available and able to take care of the child that they seek to refer.
The Chinese Central Authority is also tough on any past criminal history or any past drug use. For a complete list of things China does not allow, please visit the Dept. of State site.
Who Can Be Adopted?
China places children with disabilities and older children from its special focus (SF) and non-special focus (non-SF) children according to their degree of special needs and health conditions. Recent experience indicates it can take approximately 9 years for PAPs to receive a referral of a healthy infant from China’s central authority.
What If I Say “No” to a Referral?
China will only accept requests for a second referral if it considers the reason for rejecting the first referral to be justified..
If the reason for the rejection is considered justifiable, such as a medical need that the prospective adoptive parents feel they cannot meet, then China may refer a second child to the prospective adoptive parents within a month’s time.
If China regards the rejection as unreasonable, the prospective adoptive parents will have difficulty obtaining a second referral and CCCWA (Chinese Government) may suggest that the prospective adoptive parents withdraw their application for adoption in China.
How Long Do I Have to Stay in China?
Parents should allow least 3 weeks in China to finalize their child’s adoption and immigration procedures. The child’s Chinese passport, exit permits, and U.S. immigrant visa process will take another 7-10 days after the adoption is finalized.
More info
Since our agency does not work with China, a good source to learn more about adopting from China can be the China’s Adoption Authority and the Chinese Embassy in DC. at Some agencies who are well known for working in China are Great Wall of China and CCAI. For more agencies working in China, you can search Save Adoptions List of Professionals. You can also read more at Rainbowkids’ China Page.
Colombia
In the past 3 years, 654 Colombian children have been adopted to US citizens according to the Department of State’s website. Over 75% of these children adopted from Colombia are over 5. For the past 3 years, about 43% of adopted children are between the ages of 5 and 12. About 33% are between the ages of 13 and 17. See more stats below.
Total Adoptions for 2019
- Ages 1-2 9.43%
- Ages 3-4 9.84%
- Ages 5 – 12 43.03%
- Ages 13 – 17 34.84%
Total Adoptions for 2018
- Ages 1-2 13.10%
- Ages 3-4 8.30%
- Ages 5 – 12 43.23%
- Ages 13 – 17 33.19%
Total Adoptions for 2017
- Ages 1-2 9.39%
- Ages 3-4 11.60%
- Ages 5 – 12 43.09%
- Ages 13 – 17 33.70%
Things to Know About Colombian Adoption:
Who Can Adopt from Colombia?
Parents must be atleast 25 years old and at least 15 years older than the child.
Parents who are taking (or have recently taken) prescription medication for mental illnesses, including attention deficit disorder or any type of depression or any psychological or emotional issue, must ensure that the medical exam includes a diagnosis of the issue and a discussion of the treatment. Prospective adoptive parents who have been arrested for any drug or alcohol related offense (to include possession and driving under the influence) should ensure that the medical exam clearly discusses whether there is any evidence of drug or alcohol abuse or addiction.
Who Can Be Adopted?
For Non-Colombian citizens, children available for adoption are 7 and up.
On July 15, 2013, the Colombian Central Authority, ICBF, no longer accepts new intercountry adoption applications from non-Colombian citizens living abroad interested in adopting a child under 6 years and 11 months unless ICBF considers the child to have special characteristics or needs.
More Resources
Since our agency does not work with Colombia, a good source to learn more about adopting from Colombia can be the Colombia’s Adoption Authority and the Colombian Embassy in DC. at Some agencies who are well known for working in Colombia are All God’s Children and Nightlight. For more agencies working in Colombia, you can search Save Adoptions List of Professionals. You can also read more at Rainbowkids’ Colombia Page.
India
Based on the info from the Department of State Site, it would appear that at this time India is not allowing travel because of Covid. The report says that:
“Embassy New Delhi has advised our office that visas issued by the Indian Embassy or any Indian Consulate to foreign nationals, including U.S. prospective adoptive parents, prior to India’s implementation of COVID-19 restrictions on March 13, 2020, are no longer valid. Please advise all of your clients affected by this cancellation of Indian visas that they must apply for a new visa once India lifts its travel restrictions. At this time, these COVID-19 travel restrictions remain in place.“
Warning: What is HAMA and How Does It Impact US Parents?
Our agency does not work with India and we don’t know the impact precisely, but the US Dept. of State warns on its website that the Indian Adoption Procedures under the Hindu Adoption and Maintenance Act (HAMA) have made it so that the US Department of State has asked US adoption agencies “should not provide referrals to US adoptive parents until further notice” and until their review is complete. This was posted on the US Dept. of State site on May 8, 2019. Likely Covid has delayed an update on this situation. We recommend that if you’re interest in adopting from India, that you contact the Department directly at adoption@state.gov
Total Adoptions for 2019
- Ages 1-2 56.43%
- Ages 3-4 21.99%
- Ages 5 – 12 19.92%
- Ages 13 – 17 0%
Total Adoptions for 2018
- Ages 1-2 51.32%
- Ages 3-4 22.85%
- Ages 5 – 12 23.84%
- Ages 13 – 17 0%
Total Adoptions for 2017
- Ages 1-2 33.48%
- Ages 3-4 38.46%
- Ages 5 – 12 27.15%
- Ages 13 – 17 0%
Things to Know About Indian Adoption:
Who Can Adopt from India?
- In the case of a single parent adopting a child, the PAP must be no more than:
- 45 years of age if adopting a child age four or younger;
- 50 years of age if adopting a child above four years and younger than eight years; or
- 55 years of age if adopting a child age eight years and older.
- In the case of a couple adopting a child, the couple’s combined age must be no more than:
- 90 years if adopting a child age under four
- 100 years if adopting a child between four and eight,
- 110 years if adopting a child eight years and older.
A married couple must be in a stable marital relationship for at least two years.
More Resources
Since our agency does not work with India, a good source to learn more about adopting from China can be the India’s Adoption Authority and the US Embassy in India. at Some agencies who are well known for working in India is Nightlight. For more agencies working in India, you can search Save Adoptions List of Professionals. You can also read more at Rainbowkids’ India Page.
Haiti
In the past 3 years, 553 children from Haiti have been adopted to US citizens according to the Department of State’s website. About 60% of these children are between the ages of 5 and 12. Approximately another 17% are for children between 13 and 17. Therefore, nearly 77% of children adopted from Haiti are between 5 adn 17. See more stats below.
Total Adoptions for 2019
- Ages 1-2 0.77%
- Ages 3-4 20%
- Ages 5 – 12 62.31%
- Ages 13 – 17 16.15%
Total Adoptions for 2018
- Ages 1-2 3.57%
- Ages 3-4 23.86%
- Ages 5 – 12 57.14%
- Ages 13 – 17 12.24%
Total Adoptions for 2017
- Ages 1-2 0.88%
- Ages 3-4 18.5%
- Ages 5 – 12 59.03%
- Ages 13 – 17 16.30%
Things to Know About Haitian Adoption:
Who Can Adopt from Haiti?
If married, or a couple living together, one of the prospective adoptive parents must be at least 30 years old.
If single, a prospective adoptive parent must be at least 35 years old.
No prospective adoptive parents may be over age 50 when their dossier is submitted to Haiti’s Central Authority.
Parents do not have to be married to adopt from Haiti.
How Long Will it Take?
Intercountry adoptions in Haiti generally take more than 18 months, and can take as long as 3 years to complete.
Several known timeframes in the adoption process are:
- It can take 6 to eight 8 months for qualifying prospective adoptive parents to receive a proposed match from IBESR, although there is no specified or required timeframe in which IBESR must make a match;
- Prospective adoptive parents are allowed up to 15 days to decide whether to accept or refuse a proposed match;
- The familiarization period lasts 15 days (or more) and must be completed in Haiti;
- It normally takes another 6 to eight 8 months for IBESR to issue the authorization to adopt (autorisation d’adoption) after the familiarization period finishes, though there is no specified to required time frame in which such authorization has to be issued;
- There is a mandatory 30-day appeal period after an adoption is granted;
- Obtaining the required legalizations of the adoption decree can take several months;
- IBESR has 10 business days to review a request for a certificate of conformity (certificat de conformité) and potentially issue the certificate; and
- Obtaining an adopted child’s Haitian passport can take an additional 2 to 3 months.
Travel Warning for Travel to Haiti
the US Dept. of State currently, and since August, 2020, has a “DO NOT TRAVEL – LEVEL 4 Warning”.
The Level 4 “Do Not Travel” Warning says: “Do not travel to Haiti due to COVID-19, crime, civil unrest, and kidnapping.”
Read more here. Another warning issued earlier, on Jan 31, 2020 can be found here.
More Resources
Since our agency does not work with Haiti, a good source to learn more about adopting from Haiti can be the Haiti Embassy in DC. Some agencies who work in Haiti are Holt and Nightlight. For more agencies working in Haiti, you can search Save Adoptions List of Professionals. You can also read more at Rainbowkids’ Haiti Page.
Nigeria
In the past 3 years, 465 children from Nigeria have been adopted to US citizens according to the Department of State’s website. About 30% of these children are between the ages of 1 and 2. This means that many young children are available for adopton from Nigeria. Approximately another 30% are for children are between 5 and 12. See more stats below.
Total Adoptions for 2019
- Ages 1-2 35.34%
- Ages 3-4 16.38%
- Ages 5 – 12 34.48%
- Ages 13 – 17 11.21%
Total Adoptions for 2018
- Ages 1-2 32.37%
- Ages 3-4 20.23%
- Ages 5 – 12 28.32%
- Ages 13 – 17 15.03%
Total Adoptions for 2017
- Ages 1-2 18.18%
- Ages 3-4 27.27%
- Ages 5 – 12 27.84%
- Ages 13 – 17 22.16%
Things to Know About Nigerian Adoption:
Is Nigeria a Hague Country?
No. Read the benefits of adopting from a Hague Country as described by the US Department of State.
How Long Do I Have to Stay in Nigeria?
There is no specific minimum residence requirement to be eligible to adopt in Nigeria. However, adoptive parents maybe required to stay in Nigeria for a minimum of a few months to two years to bond with the child before petitioning a court to adopt. Each state determines the length of time for the required bonding period.
Can Singles Adopt?
Both single individuals and married couples may adopt. Note that a single person will not be allowed to adopt a child of the opposite sex.
Different States in Nigeria Have Different Process?
Because Nigeria is not Hague, there could be differences in the process of adopting from Nigeria by its own states. In states in Nigeria that recognize adoption and have enacted a statute under which adoptive parents can acquire parental rights, a final adoption must take place prior to the child immigrating to the United States. In States that do not recognize adoption legally, prospective adoption parents will need to acquire a legal guardianship for purposes of immigration and adoption or an interim adoption order and then finalize the adoption in the United States.
Role of the Court in Nigeria?
Once the child and adoptive parents are matched by the social welfare office, the adoption process begins in most Nigerian states with the application for an adoption order in accordance with state requirements. The application must be submitted to the registrar of the competent court. The court will terminate the child’s care order and place the child in the legal custody of the prospective adoptive parents for a bonding period (which as described earlier can be “few months to few years). The court then assigns an officer of the court to represent the child in the adoption proceedings. The guardian ad litem is the social welfare officer in charge of the area where the juvenile resides. The guardian ad litem investigates the circumstances related to the proposed adoption and files a report to the magistrate court. The guardian ad litem represents the child’s interests. During the bonding period, the child must remain in the physical care and legal custody of the applicant parents in Nigeria. An applicant cannot have the child reside with another family member in lieu of living with the applicant, even if a Power of Attorney is in effect.
After the adoption order has been issued, adoptive parents should obtain a new birth certificate for the child listing them as the child’s parents. In some states, after the adoption has been granted, the adoptive parents must obtain the court’s permission to remove the child from Nigerian jurisdiction, either temporarily or permanently. In addition, the social welfare officer might be required to submit a letter to the Nigerian immigration office, stating that the adoptive parents are now the legal parents of the child. This letter permits the adopting parents to apply for a passport to take the child out of Nigeria.
Note: Proxy adoptions are not valid in Nigeria. One or both parents must be physically present for a court to rule on an adoption case. Courts may also waive or amend provisions on a case by case basis if it is deemed in the best interest of the child.
Do I Need to Hire a Nigerian Attorney?
US Dept. of State says that prospective adoptive parents may wish to seek assistance from a Nigerian attorney to facilitate the adoption process. The U.S. Consulate maintains a list of attorneys that have identified themselves as willing to provide legal services to U.S. citizens but cannot make any endorsements based on an assessment of the quality or the type of services the attorney provides.
More Resources
Since our agency does not work with Nigeria, a good source to learn more about adopting from Haiti can be the US Embassy in Nigeria. One agency who work in Nigeria is Nightlight. For more agencies working in Nigeria, you can search Save Adoptions List of Professionals.
Poland
Total Adoptions for 2019
- Ages 1-2 0%
- Ages 3-4 16.67%
- Ages 5 – 12 83.33%
- Ages 13 – 17 0%
Total Adoptions for 2018
- Ages 1-2 0%
- Ages 3-4 8.82%
- Ages 5 – 12 79.41%
- Ages 13 – 17 0%
Total Adoptions for 2017
- Ages 1-2 6.15%
- Ages 3-4 15.38%
- Ages 5 – 12 73.85%
- Ages 13- 17 4.62%
Things to Know About Polish Adoption:
Who Can Adopt?
Under Polish law, there are no legal restrictions on the age of prospective adoptive parents. In practice, however, prospective adoptive parents may be no more than 40 years older than the child they wish to adopt.
Since 2018, Polish authorities are more likely to match a child with prospective adoptive parents of Polish heritage.
Why Has Poland Been Delayed since 2018?
Since 2001 until 2017, per God’s grace, we placed many children from Poland. We don’t have a good explanation for the recent slow down and dealys. Our Department of State explains the delays in the following way:
“Typically, intercountry adoptions in Poland take approximately 6 to 18 months to complete. However, both the Catholic Adoption Center and the Ministry of Family, Labor and Social Policy may ask the local authorities for updates concerning the child’s health, progress in school, social life, family visitations, etc. during their document review process, which may considerably prolong the entire process. Once the Central Authority grants permission to continue the adoption process, it may take 1 to 4 months to obtain a court date. The wait time depends on the court, its workload of cases, and the season of the year. The bonding period mandated by the judge at the first adoption hearing may last from 2 to 6 weeks. The judge usually grants the adoption on the second hearing and it is followed by a 21-day appeal period, which might be shortened to 14 days at the judge’s discretion.”
More Resources
Other good sources for researching Polish adoption can be found at Rainbowkids’ Poland page. Other agencies who also work with Poland include Open Door and New Beginnings. A list of agencies who work in Poland can be found on Save Adoptons’ site here. Good info is also available on Polish Embassy in Washington here.
Latest News In International Adoption
US Department of State has dedicated a section on its website to provide the latest updates to the international adoption community. As adoption professionals who get a fair amount of traffic to our site, we like to share this info to keep potential adoptive parents updated with the latest. To get these updates directly from the US Dept. of State site, you can do so here.
Cambodia Announcement - Feb 16, 2021
US Department of State informs on its website here that on February 5, the Cambodian Embassy notified the Department of State that Cambodia intends to recommence intercountry adoptions. There are no further details at this time as to how or when the resumption of intercountry adoptions will go into effect. At this time, intercountry adoptions from Cambodia to the United States are still not possible. The United States suspended processing adoptions from Cambodia in 2001, due to fraud and irregularities in the adoption process in Cambodia. The United States reconfirmed the suspension in 2013.
The US Dept of State says it welcomes all efforts by Cambodia to strengthen its child welfare system and to improve the integrity of its domestic and intercountry adoption processes. The Department says it looks forward to receiving additional information from the Cambodian government on their internal intercountry adoption process in order to be able to determine whether Cambodia has a fully functional Hague Convention process in place that would allow the United States to process Convention adoptions with Cambodia.
For more info on previous notices about Cambodia, please click here.
Update on Immigrant Visas for Sierra Leone - February 10, 2021
US Department of State informs on its website here that on February 10, 2021 that:
The U.S. Embassy Freetown has discontinued issuing all immigrant visas for Sierra Leonean citizens and nationals applying in Freetown, with limited exceptions, as of September 11, 2020. This action was taken pursuant to section 243(d) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA).
Applicants who are applying for an immigrant visa for their adopted child should work directly with Embassy Freetown’s consular section to request the waiver. To qualify for an exception to the order, the consular officer must determine that the applicant’s entry would not pose a threat to the national security or public safety of the United States and that the applicant’s entry would be in the national interest of the United States. Further, the Assistant Secretary for Consular Affairs must determine that not issuing a visa at this time would cause the applicant exceptional hardship.
More information can be found at the U.S. Embassy Freetown website: Immigrant Visas | U.S. Embassy in Sierra Leone.
he Cambodian Embassy notified the Department of State that Cambodia intends to recommence intercountry adoptions. There are no further details at this time as to how or when the resumption of intercountry adoptions will go into effect. At this time, intercountry adoptions from Cambodia to the United States are still not possible. The United States suspended processing adoptions from Cambodia in 2001, due to fraud and irregularities in the adoption process in Cambodia. The United States reconfirmed the suspension in 2013.
The US Dept of State says it welcomes all efforts by Cambodia to strengthen its child welfare system and to improve the integrity of its domestic and intercountry adoption processes. The Department says it looks forward to receiving additional information from the Cambodian government on their internal intercountry adoption process in order to be able to determine whether Cambodia has a fully functional Hague Convention process in place that would allow the United States to process Convention adoptions with Cambodia.
For more info on previous notices about Cambodia, please click here.
Latvia Changes on Post Adoption Requirements - January 11, 2021
US Department of State informs on its website here that on January 11, 2021 that the Latvian Cabinet approved changes in the Adoption Regulations No.667 of October 30, 2018. The new post-adoption reporting provisions outlined below will apply only to those families who apply to adopt with the Ministry of Welfare (MOW) on and after January 1, 2021.
- Post-adoption monitoring continues until the child is 18;
- Post-adoption reports shall be submitted to both the Ministry of Welfare (MOW) and to the child’s orphan court;
- Post-adoption reports should be prepared as required by Annex 4 of these regulations (form for post-adoption reporting) and should include at least one photo of the child;
- Post-adoption reports are required twice each year for two years after adoption; starting from the third year after adoption only one annual post-adoption report is required;
- Adoption service providers should ensure that the child’s orphan court is able to contact the child via telephone or a video call until the child is 18;
- Adoption service providers should inform the MOW in three (3) business days when: the child is taken out of their adoptive family; the social services, judiciary, or law enforcement agencies are notified about the child; and when there is other essential information to establish that the child’s future stay with their international adoptive parents is affected.
Adoption Service Providers who currently have a valid authorization from the MOW need to submit a certification stating that they are able to comply with the amended post-adoption reporting requirements by January 31, 2021.
The amended regulations require that the MOW contact all families who adopted before December 31, 2020 (and the child is still below the age of 18) and ask the following:
- Has the child been removed from the adoptive family?
- Has the child appeared before social services, court or law enforcement authorities?
- Is there any other relevant information that may further affect the child’s stay in the adoptive family?
If you have any questions about the new post adoption reporting requirements, adoption service providers and adoptive families should work directly with the Latvian Central Authority.
India: FSPs Update - January 4, 2021
US Department of State informs on its website here that on January 4, 2021 that:
“Information about FSP agreements was previously disseminated and posted on our website on October 5, 2018. That guidance is repeated below with one clarification in bold italics.
In mid-May 2018, the Department of State and India’s Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA) discussed the obligations of U.S. accredited adoption service providers (referred to as ASPs in the United States and as AFAAs in India) under applicable U.S. and Indian Regulations. Topics included the registration of ASP representative(s) or agent(s) with CARA, ASP contact with orphanages, ASP foreign supervised provider agreements, and fees paid by adoptive families in India.
CARA’s guidelines require an ASP to obtain CARA’s approval if the ASP intends to use a representative/agent to work on its behalf in India. Failure to obtain CARA’s approval before using a representative/agent may lead CARA to terminate the ASP’s authorization to work in India. To comply with 22 CFR § 96.46(b), the ASP must have a foreign supervised provider agreement with its representative/agent unless they are an employee of the agency.
CARA informed the Department that ASPs should not have contact with orphanages in India before a referral of the child to the Prospective Adoptive Parents (PAPs) is reserved for acceptance by the ASP through CARINGS (CARA’s database for adoptions in India). However, once a referral is reserved, the ASP may have contact with the orphanage.
The Department and CARA are continuing discussions on supervised provider agreements between ASPs and orphanages in India. CARA expects ASPs to follow their recent circular on fees in addition to all applicable laws and to stay current on India’s Adoption Regulations. U.S. regulations for ASPs also provide that ASPs are to comply with the laws of the countries in which they operate, and failure to adhere to India’s laws could affect an ASP’s accreditation or approval under U.S. law.
CARA would like to remind ASPs that review and approval of home studies as well as post-adoption reports performed by exempted providers in the United States will be the responsibility of the ASP and that it will hold the ASP responsible for any failure on the part of the exempted provider to adequately assess the PAPs or provide all available information about the eligibility or suitability of the PAPs. If CARA determines that the ASP failed to adequately review and approve home studies or post-adoption reporting, it may withdraw the provider’s authorization to work in India.”
Colombia: FSPs Update - January 4, 2021
US Department of State informs on its website here that on January 4, 2021 that:
“Based on recent discussions with Embassy Bogota and the Instituto Colombiano de Bienestar Familia (ICBF), ASPs are not required to have foreign supervised provider agreements with the private orphanages designated by ICBF to facilitate intercountry adoptions in Colombia when they follow ICBF’s normal process for adoption. If an ASP has a case that falls outside of ICBFs standard process, the ASP will need to determine if a foreign supervised provider agreement is necessary with an orphanage, entity, or person based on the adoption services provided in that case.”
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