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Haiti Adoption Program
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We work with a wonderful organization in Haiti called Foundation de L'Enfant Jesus. There are two beautiful facilities located near Kenskoff and Lamardelle, Haiti that are home to healthy children and HIV+ children. Since the earthquake, all of the children who were already matched with adoptive families have been able to come home.
Haiti is not closed to new adoptions, however, the new children that are coming into the orphanage since the earthquake have not been declared orphans and therefore are not available for international adoption at this time. We believe that many of them will in fact end up needing to be connected with forever families through international adoption in the near future. If you are considering adopting a child from Haiti please contact us for the most up to date information.
To read testimonials from some of our families during their adoption process click here
Family requirements for healthy children include:
1. Must be married or provide strong proof of relationship for at least ten years. Proof consists of letters from reference sources and bills showing cohabitation
2. Open to single women
3. At least one parent must be 35 years of age, and the upper age limit for adoptive parents is 55 years of age
4. No limit on number of adopted children; you can have up to four biological children, but you would need to receive presidential dispensation in Haiti which takes about 2-4 months
5. There are no religious or minimum income requirements.
Requirements are flexible and certain exceptions can be made, particularly for families open to adopting an HIV exposed child. Thus, please contact Adoption-Link if your family does not fit the above criteria to see if an approval can be obtained. This is determined by submitting a "Haiti Family Profile Form" directly to the Orphanage Director in Haiti at no cost to a family.
The time frame is currently unknown, from submission of approved home study to referral of a healthy boy or girl. There are over 67 children under the age of 3 years in the orphanage since the earthquake, however the full investigations to determine their orphan status have not been completed and we do not know how long it will be until they are completed.
Please see our HIV+ Waiting Children to review information about some very special children who cannot afford to wait any longer for their forever families.
The approximate wait time (prior to the earthquake) between submission of dossier and child's arrival home was 10-14 months.
Fees:
Adoption-Link Program Fee: $6,500
Other fees paid to Adoption-Link: $494
Haiti In Country Fees: $11,000
Estimated Travel Expenses $2,400 - $3,400
Other Miscellaneous Expenses & Fees: $5,700 - $5,900
Estimate of total adoption expense: $25,200 - $26,200
For a detailed breakout of all fees, please review the Haiti Adoption Fee Agreement.
Adoptive families are encouraged to make two trips to Haiti. The first trip is to visit the child and file the I-600 application at the American Embassy. This trip can be up to five days and families stay in the attached orphanage guest house. The second trip is to attend the visa appointment at the American Embassy and bring the child home.
At the time of referral, Adoption-Link will provide a photo, social history, developmental evaluation, and medical reports to the family. You can request information on waiting children and learn more about the Haiti Adoption Progam from our Adoption-Link staff. You can view photos and learn more about
Foundation de L'Enfant at either their website www.fondationenfantjesus.org, or the Village of Vision for Haiti Foundation, the US foundation which is financially supporting the orphanages and other programs, website at www.vvhf.org. Children cannot be held without an approved home study.
For more information, please call us at 708-524-1433 or email Heather Breems at
heather.breems@adoption-link.org to request a parent profile form and download an Adoption-Link Application
Learn about other Adoption-Link programs:
Domestic Adoption Program
Alliance of Hope Adoption Program
Chances by Choice (HIV Program)
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