How much is it to adopt a child in africa
Adoption From South Africa | South Africa Orphans
Our new South Africa Adoption Program is now open!
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How to Adopt From South Africa
Program Overview
Eligibility
Process
Program Overview
Eligibility
Process
FALL CELEBRATIONS
FOREVER FAMILIES
Seven children have been united with their forever families in 2022!
AGCI IN SOUTH AFRICA
Our in-country team recently met with our partners to find ways to increase efficiency in the South African adoption process!
WAITING CHILD ADVOCACY
We have increased our waiting child advocacy efforts and have continued searching for forever families for these precious children!
SOUTH AFRICA ADOPTION OVERVIEW
All God’s Children International is one of three U. S. agencies accredited to provide adoption services for children in South Africa. The country of South Africa is one of the first African nations to embrace the regulations of the Hague Convention and AGCI is one of the only agencies with 2 Hague-accredited programs in Africa!
Tragically, disease, unemployment, political unrest, and numerous other factors have led to a devastating orphan crisis in South Africa. Children have been abandoned or relinquished, often with medical needs that require special services. Many orphans are being cared for in foster homes or small institutions.
Christian Adoption Agency, All God’s Children International began working directly in partnership with Johannesburg Child Welfare Society (JCW) in South Africa to place South African orphans in loving adoptive families in 2018. JCW is a social service organization that has been serving South African families since 1909.
- Most children available for adoption are between the ages of 2-6.
- All children eligible for adoption have medical conditions, are part of a sibling group, or are considered older orphans.
- Timeframe: 1-3 years. Timeframe is from registered dossier to completion. Timeframes are dependent on family’s openness to medical conditions, gender, and age of child.
- Complete a FREE Pre-App to view waiting children.
View Waiting Children
WHO IS ELIGIBLE TO ADOPT FROM SOUTH AFRICA?
Age of Parents
Both parents must be between 25 and 48 years of age.
Marital Status
Couples married at least 1 year are welcome to adopt from South Africa. If there is a history of divorce, the current marriage must be at least 2 years. Each spouse may have up to 2 divorces.
Single Applicant
Single parents are eligible to adopt from South Africa.
Children in Family
Families with children are welcome to adopt from South Africa. The youngest child in the home must be at least 2 years old at the time of application.
Income
Families must have a positive net worth and an income of at least $10,000 per family member, including the adopted child.
Criminal History
Applicants cannot have a history of felonies and no more than two misdemeanors in their lifetime. Misdemeanors will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
Medical History
Applicants without a past or current diagnosis of a life-threatening or communicable disease or other condition that impairs their ability to parent and/or the quality of life of a child are eligible to adopt from South Africa.
“And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.” Matthew 18:5
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO ADOPT FROM SOUTH AFRICA?
The approximate cost to adopt from South Africa is $26,900. Cost does not include airfare, lodging, and other fees associated with travel.
There are so many ways to fund your adoption! You can learn more about AGCI specific grants, adoption loans, and employee benefits and more on our How to Fund Page!
AGENCY FEES
APPLICATION: $400 This non-refundable fee covers the cost of a review of your application to confirm your eligibility for your desired program.
(Due at application)
U.S. AGENCY: $8,000* The agency fee covers AGCI’s cost to facilitate your adoption with agency and government officials in both the United States and foreign country. Processing expenses for AGCI include, but are not limited to, personnel costs, administrative overhead, operational costs, staff training and education, state, federal, and international licensing and accreditations, communications and insurance. (1/2 due with completion of contract and 1/2 due six months after contract)
PROGRAM FEE: $2,800* This fee provides care for orphans around the world and allows AGCI to provide the medical, emotional, spiritual, and developmental care that every child deserves. (Due with completion of orientation)
POST-ADOPTION SERVICE: $2,800 This fee allows us to provide post-adoption support services to your family and process post-adoption reports. (Due with completion of referral packet)
*If adopting siblings, agency and 1st program fees increase.
HOME STUDY AND POST-ADOPTION*
AGCI HOME STUDY SERVICES: $2,500 These fees cover our services in preparing and completing your adoption home study, including any applicable social worker travel costs. If outside AGCI’s home study states; these fees may be payable to your home study agency. (Due with completion of orientation)
POST-ADOPTION REPORTS: $400 per report; $225 per report for each additional child. These fees cover the cost for AGCI to provide post-placement visits and reports upon arrival home. (Due with completion of referral packet)
*These fees may vary if payable to your home study agency for families living outside of AGCI’s licensed states.
NON-AGCI HOME STUDY REVIEW: $400 Any home study written by your home study agency (if outside our 6 home study states) will be reviewed by AGCI to ensure it meets all AGCI, USCIS, Hague and sending country criteria. (Due with completion of orientation)
SOUTH AFRICA COUNTRY FEES & EXPENSES
$7,100* These fees cover the cost of facilitating an international adoption in South Africa.
These fees include, but are not limited to costs related to personnel, administration, training and education, legal fees and communications associated with government and agency authorities, government fees, and care of your child prior to the completion of your adoption (Due with completion of dossier and referral packet as indicated on fee schedule).
ADDITIONAL & THIRD PARTY EXPENSES
| Adoptive Parent Home Study Education: | $300 |
| Adoptive Parent Referral Education: | $600 |
| IAAME Accreditation Monitoring & Oversight: | $500 |
| FBI Fingerprinting: | $85 per adult |
| USCIS & Immigration Related Fees: | $775+ |
| Notary Services, County & State Authentication: | $250+ |
| Document Authentication and Translation Fees: | $400-$3,600 |
| Re-Adoption: | $500-$1,500 |
| Travel Expenses: | $3,000-$15,000 |
TOTAL COST: The approximate cost to adopt from South Africa is $26,900.
Cost does not include airfare, lodging and other fees associated with travel.
Fee Disclosure: All fees paid to AGCI are paid in advance of service. AGCI fees are non-refundable and may not be waived. If services are terminated and a refund is due, all refunds will be processed within 60 days of withdrawal and/or closure of the adoption file upon receiving the Adoption Termination Contract.
“A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling. God sets the lonely in families…” Psalm 68:5-6
HOW TO ADOPT A CHILD FROM SOUTH AFRICA
STEP ONE
Complete home study and dossier process.
STEP TWO
Wait to be matched with your child and then begin the referral process.
STEP THREE
If you accept your referral, then you will wait for the Central Authority to issue the formal referral paperwork with all the child’s legal and medical history. Once you receive this information, you will then submit the I-800 paperwork to U.
S. Immigration.
STEP FOUR
Once your family has received the approval from the Central Authority, you will be able to travel to South Africa to meet your child to begin bonding. A social worker in South Africa will assess the bonding between you and your child prior to beginning the court process to finalize your child’s adoption. You will attend a court hearing to finalize the adoption.
STEP FIVE
Once the adoption is finalized, one meeting will take place at the U.S. Embassy in South Africa, and your final visa appointment will be held at the U.S. Embassy in South Africa. Your family will then travel home with your adopted child. This trip will span 6-14+ weeks.
STEP SIX
Welcome home! AGCI and South Africa require post-adoption visits and reports at 3, 6, and 12-month anniversaries from the U.S. Embassy appointment date and annually for 2-5 years after your child is home. In addition, once the adoption is finalized and your child is home, you are required to complete your state re-adoption process.
AGCI is here for support throughout your child’s life—connect with us at anytime for ongoing support services!
SOUTH AFRICA ADOPTION TEAM
SOUTH AFRICA IN-COUNTRY TEAM
AGCI partners with the Johannesburg Child Welfare Society (JCW) in South Africa, which works directly under the authority of the Central Authority, Department of Social Development.
“Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but when dreams come true, there is life and joy.” – Proverbs 13
CONTACT US TO LEARN MORE ABOUT ADOPTING FROM SOUTH AFRICA!
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Learn More About Adoption In Other Countries
Bulgaria
Burundi
China
Colombia
Haiti
Philippines
South Africa
United States
Is Adopting from Africa Right for YOU?
There are thousands of children in Africa that are homeless, orphans, or in foster care.
Many are going day-to-day, waiting for a family to adopt them.
Is that family you?
As we take a look into the process of adopting from Africa, we can see that there is no lack of opportunities for people to give back and help out a child, a family, and a community. There are hundreds of adoption agencies aiding in the placement of African children looking for a home. A lot of these agencies offer varying opportunities ranging from adoption, foster care, orphan hosting, student exchanges, etc.
The average cost of adopting from Africa would be between $20,000 and $40,000, including the home study, counseling, medical expenses, and foster care if needed.
Africa also has many states that are open to international adoption. A few of these are Ghana, Congo, Uganda, Burundi, and many more.
However, a word of caution: it can be dangerous to adopt from some adoption agencies, as it has been reported from many sources that there can be corruption within groups that could be dangerous for the birth families and children.
It is best to stick with reliable agencies and sources to make sure that the adoption is clean and all correct. Hilary Whiteman from CNN says in a blog post: “Due to the illegal nature of these acts, it has been difficult to properly document them, but it is known that there have been cases of children sold by their parents, and children abducted and later trafficked or even placed for adoption…”
After putting a halt on adoptions to the United States in May of 2017, the Ethiopian government passed a law in January 2018 that banned all international adoptions from Ethiopia. The ban came amid concerns about child trafficking within the country, and fear that the children were not being cared for properly when adopted outside of the country. International adoptions from Ethiopia peaked in 2010 but declined sharply in the years following.
Though many precautions should be taken when it comes to international adoption from anywhere in the world, it can also be a very rewarding and positive experience, creating new opportunities for kids that might not otherwise get the chance.
Adoption from Africa can help children find proper healthcare and modern medicine. They can receive an education, and experience opportunities they never would have gotten to experience otherwise. There are so many monumental reasons to adopt a child, but the number one reason is this: all children deserve love.
We are on your side and look forward to working with you and your international adoption. If you need a support group, a Q&A board, or just more stories and experiences, we encourage you to take a look at our forum, and if you are specifically interested in African adoption, we hope you will check out our Africa Adoption Forum. All of these boards are filled with people just like you.
If you are interested in learning more about international adoption in general, here is our guide.
Are you looking to adopt internationally? Today could be your day.
Considering adoption? Let us help you on your journey to creating your forever family.
Visit Adoption.org or call 1-800-ADOPT-98.
features of paperwork for children of blacks in different countries of the continent, international practice, detailed instructions
International adoption currently gives many children of blacks a chance for a happy future in a loving family. The financial possibilities of families from different countries are different, as well as the level of medical care, the level of education in developed countries. Children in African countries often do not have the opportunity of normal food and medical care.
The adoption of such a child gives him a great chance for a promising future.
Dear readers! Our articles talk about typical ways to resolve legal issues, but each case is unique.
If you want to know how to solve exactly your problem - please use the online consultant form on the right or call +7 (804) 333-20-57. It's fast and free!
Document preparation instructions
In order to be able to adopt a child from Africa, , you need to go through a rather long process of processing documents (we talked about the main problems that arise in the process of international adoption and how to resolve them here).
In many African countries, intercountry adoption is difficult and sometimes not possible, such as in:
- Egypt.
- Algiers.
- Morocco.
- Mauritania, i.e. Arab and Islamic republics. There is prohibited the export of children by non-residents.
Adoptions by non-residents are prohibited in:
- Tanzania.
- Malawi.
- Mali.
Kenya has had a moratorium on intercountry adoption since 2014.
- First of all, a couple wishing to adopt a Negro child must have certain qualities: be married and have the financial means to accept the child into the family.
In Uganda, as well as in Ghana, a foster family must live for at least a year in the country before being granted permission in accordance with the country's changed law.
- The family applies in the prescribed form. Namely, it is necessary to submit an application to the state of which country the child is a citizen.
In this case, there is a need to travel to the territory of the country. - In the embassy of the necessary African country in the Russian Federation, you can clarify the department that is responsible for this issue. Contact the institution and file an application.
As additional documents, an identity card and a document on the state of health may be required, as well as an obligation to register with social guardianship authorities and other requested documents.
In Ethiopia, for example, this is done by the family judge, who in turn reports to the Ministry of Women's Affairs. And issues of this nature are regulated by the Agency for Intercountry Adoption (ECAI).
- ECAI can also handle paperwork. At the same time, the same Ethiopia has tightened the clearance in view of the fact that a certain daily limit on the issuance of permits is set. The waiting list can now be up to three years.
- The next step is the analysis and consideration of candidates. This is done by the relevant authorities of the individual State. The decision can be either positive or negative. In the case of a positive decision, the guardians are issued a special document that allows them to take further steps in the registration of guardianship.
- Next, the family goes to the shelter to choose a child. When meeting children, there is an intermediary who draws up an appropriate report. According to its results, the case can either move forward or stop.
- The final stage is the execution of documents for the child and adoptive parents (you can find out what documents you need to prepare for adoption here). This aspect varies by country and may differ by the authority responsible for the matter. In African countries, this is either a person of the judicial system or guardianship authorities.
- Registration of a child in a family in the Russian Federation.
If necessary, you need to contact the embassy of the country where the child came from, as well as the guardianship authorities in the Russian Federation.
Help! Adoption is regulated throughout the world by the Hague Convention.
It should be noted that in Africa there is a community of St. Egidio, which provides assistance to children from Mozambique. This community practices distance adoption, where adoptive parents once a month can make donations for a particular child in order to provide for his nutrition, upbringing and education.
Download a sample application for the adoption of a child
Features of international law in matters of children
Many countries impose restrictions and prohibitions on international adoption. Among the restricted countries are Russia, China, South Korea, Romania. It should be noted that African countries have a significantly low number of formal adoptions. So the average is 1 child 1 million children under 18.
It should also be noted that in the countries of the continent there are a large number of illegal adoptions and those that do not meet the requirements.
So the countries of Scandinavia forbade their citizens to take children from Ethiopia.
Most countries in Africa have a ban on the adoption of their children by foreigners. At the same time, there are more than 750 orphanages in Africa and more than 2 million orphans, many of whom live on the street.
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Child from Haiti? We do not recommend
It is really amazing - not a single Czech family has yet officially adopted a child from abroad. The official procedure for international adoption is so complicated and lengthy that it discourages even the most patient Czech parents from being law-abiding. In addition, the Czech Republic is a signatory to the Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoption and only allows its citizens to adopt children from other countries that have ratified the convention.
Not surprisingly, many Czechs decide to adopt by circumventing established procedures. This is confirmed by Czech Nadezhda Strakova, the first woman in the Czech Republic who, with her husband, is trying to adopt a child from the Philippines. Nadezhda complains about the slowness of the adoption procedure.
Photo: CTK
“In April it will be two years since we are trying to adopt a child. And I'm talking only about the formalities that we had to endure in the Czech Republic. We have now been informed that the Philippine side has registered us in their database, and, most likely, we have to wait another two years. The adoption process is very long, which can be frustrating for many parents.”
Nadezhda Strakova and her husband do not dare to circumvent the law - that is, they themselves go to the Philippines and negotiate the adoption of a child with local authorities without involving the Czech ones. It's very risky, says Nadezhda.
“There are quite a lot of obstacles: you get little information about the health of the child and his biological parents.
There is no exact certainty that the child was not abducted from the parents. That this happens is proven by cases in Africa and Latin America.”
Photo: CTK
Why there are strict rules for international adoption of children, explains the director of the Czech Office for International Child Protection Zdeněk Kapitan.
“There are two reasons for this. Firstly, it is required to find out whether the child is really free for adoption, and, secondly, to check whether there are prerequisites for the transfer of the child to specific applicants. It's a rather complicated process."
Despite the risk that comes with the informal adoption of a foreign child, some Czechs decide to illegally adopt African children from countries that are not covered by the Hague Convention. It is possible that there will be those who want to take into their families the Haitian orphans who lost
Zdeněk Kapitan (Photo: CTK)
their parents during the January earthquake.
But the Office for International Child Protection does not recommend Czech citizens to take children from Haiti. This state is not a signatory to the Hague Convention. What this means for potential adoptive parents, explains Zdeněk Kapitan.
“This means that Haiti does not guarantee that the minimum standards of the International Adoption Institute are met. However, children from the island are still being adopted. In this regard, Haiti has established cooperation with the United States, Canada and France. At the same time, the international social service assesses the adoption process in Haiti as non-transparent, problematic, since parents are not provided with sufficient guarantees that the child is free to be transferred to another family.”
- A widely publicized incident was when American missionaries tried to bring Haitian children to the US without an adoption permit. By the way, the court released them. But what if it turns out that a child taken out of Haiti to new parents has a biological father and mother alive?
Photo: CTK
“This is generally a problem for Haiti.
Please note that most of the orphans there are social orphans. Parents do not have the means to support their children and they transfer them to orphanages. That is, in the strict sense of the word, these children are not orphans.”
- How many Czechs are interested in adopting children from Haiti?
"According to the information we have, we are talking about dozens of interested parties."
- 800 Haitian children have already been adopted in the United States under the accelerated program after the earthquake. Why can't Czechs do that?
“The exchange of information between states about a child is a complex and expensive process. But it is impossible to get high-quality conclusions from doctors and psychologists quickly. We, from experience, have to ask for more detailed information 2-3 times. If this is not done, then the child can enter the territory of the Czech Republic, become attached to foster parents, and then - imagine a situation that he is returned to his homeland.
