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Ethiopian AdoptionAdoption from Ethiopia--* Although this information is from Intl' Family Services it will serve as a guideline for other agencies who work in Ethiopia.
Ethiopia Program Description
International Family Services Ethiopia is a beautiful country situated in Eastern Africa near the Red Sea with a population of 53 million.~ It is one of the oldest countries in the world and was the home of the Queen of Sheba.~ The empire which started with Sheba's son, Menelik, continued until 1974 when the death of Haile Selassie marked the end of the 3000 year old dynasty.~ Following the death, there was a civil war in the country until 1991 when a transitional government was formed.~ The 17 years of civil war bankrupted the country and left thousands of orphaned children.~ The numbers continue to increase as the diseases of poverty cause premature deaths of parents (www.nationmaster.com), (www.doctorswithoutborders.org).
Available Children:~Thousands of children are living in institutions because their parents can no longer care for them. Many children are orphaned due to poverty, the residual effects of war, drought or famine, or their parents may have died of disease, including but not limited to AIDS related illnesses. Children are well cared for in orphanages or hospitals, but are in great need of a loving family environment. Our representative and staff~in Ethiopia monitor the health and care of the children. The children are beautiful!~ They tend to have a cheerful outlook despite their difficult lives.~ Most of the children are healthy by third world standards.~ Medical care is scarce so children with serious illnesses generally do not survive.~ All children are tested during the process for HIV, Hepatitis B, tuberculosis, and venereal disease.~ The children range in age from a few months to 10 years.~ The children are: * Male and female *As young as~two months old, at time of referral,~up through school age *Twins and sibling groups available ~Parent Eligibility: Heterosexual single women and couples (with our without children) may apply. Couples must be married for 2 years.~ There are no restrictions regarding religion. Previous divorce is permitted.~ There cannot be more than 43 years difference in age between the adoptive parent and child; however, there are exceptions for older children, special needs, and sibling adoptions.~ Process: While waiting for the home study completion and immigration approval, we will provide instruction as to how to compile the dossier for Ethiopia.~Once~the dossier is complete, the adoptive parents may receive a referral. Upon acceptance of the referral, the dossier is~sent to Ethiopia and together with the~referral paperwork, presented to~the Ethiopian government for~review. Our representatives in Ethiopia monitor and assist with the process from government approval to court, where guardianship is granted, until the child travels home. The timeline from receipt of dossier in Ethiopia until child travels home, is approximately~2 to 4~months. Parents can choose to travel to Ethiopia or arrange for an escort to pick up their child. International adoptions in Ethiopia are~overseen by M.O.L.S.A. (Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs), a government division under the Ministry of Justice which~regulates all adoption processing. A general outline of the process is as follows: -~Home study completion and USCIS (immigration) filing and I171H approval
-~Dossier~submitted to International Family Services with 1st installment of program fees. -~Family receives the referral and accepts the child and the 2nd installment of the program fee is paid. -~Approval from Ethiopia of family's dossier~and child referral paperwork - Court process in Ethiopia to grant adoption decree - Submission of final payments to IFS -~Completion of USCIS paperwork for child's US visa -~Child travels home Time Frames We provide approximate time frames for all milestones. Each family's process is individual and unique; therefore timelines may differ, from case to case. The following time frames are generally are based on recent experience in Ethiopia. These are rough projections that can change without warning. - From application submitted until~referral: Typically up to 4 months. Varies, depending on how quickly individual family works to complete dossier as well as the time~it takes to complete~home study for agency approval.
- From dossier submitted for a specific child in country until court order issued: Approximately 4-6 weeks. - From court order issued until child may travel: 2 - 8 weeks, depending on final processing of child's US visa in Ethiopia. Parents have the option of traveling to Ethiopia to receive their child or having their child escorted to the nearest major U.S. airport. For parents who travel, we provide travel notes and tips as well as assist in coordinating your stay in Ethiopia.
Traveling to Ethiopia and visiting our care center allows families to develop the child-parent bond all the more quickly; it also provides a deeper understanding of a child's background. For these reasons, we strongly encourage families to travel to Ethiopia. Those who travel will be met by the staff at the airport in Addis Ababa. Families will be well taken care of during their stay as our staff will see to making accommodation, transportation and translation arrangements during the adoption trip. Other arrangements such as seeing some sites in Ethiopia's capital city can also be arranged through our representatives in country. Typical Information:~ A photo and available medical information is provided upon referral of the child.~ All children are tested during the process for HIV, Hepatitis B, tuberculosis, and venereal disease and are given to the prospective adoptive parent at time of referral.~ A video is sometimes available.~ Travel: Generally, the children are escorted to the U.S. but many families travel to Ethiopia to escort their own children.~ Post- Placement: You will be required to provide three post-placement reports. These reports will be due within 30 days of arrival to the U.S. The next reports are due three months and six months of child’s arrival date.~ These will be forwarded to Ethiopia.~ We are thrilled to have the opportunity to help the Ethiopian children. A portion of the adoption fees help to fund a development project in Ethiopia: The Toukoul Program for HIV and handicapped children. FEE SCHEDULE ETHIOPIA International Family Services IFS Agency fee $4,250
*Additional sibling fee per child $500 * Additional unrelated child $1,250 Total Program Fees for ONE child $9,800.00 $4,000- Due when the dossier is sent in to Ethiopia $4,300- Due when the referral is accepted $1,500- Due 2 weeks before travel Total Program Fees for TWO children $13,750.00
$6,000- Due when the dossier is sent in to Ethiopia $5,750- Due when the referral is accepted $2,750- Due 2 weeks before travel Total Program Fees for ONE child between 6 -14 years old $8,300.00 $3,000- Due when the dossier is sent in to Ethiopia $4,300- Due when the referral is accepted $1,000- Due two weeks before travel Total Program Fees for TWO children between 6-14 years old $12,250 $5,000- Due when the dossier is sent in to Ethiopia $5,750- Due when the referral is accepted $1,500- Due two weeks before travel Approx. Additional Costs - Document authentication fee: $200- $500 (depends on your state) - Home Study fee: $1- $ 2,000 (depends on agency) - Post Placement follow up reports: $1,000+ (depends on agency) - Travel: varies- depending on airline and the season you are traveling. Usually the ticket is anywhere from $1,200 to $2,500. - Money wiring fees: $90 - Accommodations: including three meals will be $75/day for 2 people, - Guide and transportation: $70/day for transportation within the city of Addis Ababa. If the family wants to go outside of Addis Ababa to visit the country the cost charged for transportation will be $100/day plus fuel expenses. If more than one adoptive family is traveling the fee can be divided. - Child’s Medical Examination in Ethiopia: $35-$45 - Child’s Visa $380 - Visa for the Parents: These will be obtained in Addis Ababa before you leave the airport in the Ethiopia Consular section. The fee is $20 per person. Brenda Compton Senior Adoption Consultant International Family Services Brenda@ifservices.org (417) 332-0844 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- For the latest in Adoption.......
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