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Our Adoption Program

In Ethiopia, nearly 4.5 million children who have lost one or both parents and every year, several hundreds of children are abandoned. Others are of needy families and are highly vulnerable. Through its adoption program, CHSFS Ethiopia addresses this problem by helping children of varying age categories ranging between infants and school age kids meet with their adoptive families.

The children stay at CHSFS foster care center in Addis Ababa after legal documents for their adoption have been processed and until they go to their permanent families in the US.

Children's Home Society and Family Services works closely with Bethzatha Children's Home Association (an orphanage). CHSFS provides financial and technical support to the orphanage.

Since April 2004, CHSFS-Ethiopia has placed over 900 Ethiopian children with American families. Many more families and children are in the adoption process. In 2006 a total of 731 children were adopted from Ethiopia to the US and 205 of them were adopted through CHSFS Ethiopia. In 2007 our organization has placed 306 children with their American families. Upto October 2008, 271 children have been adopted. According to the New York Times, "Two elements distinguish CHSFS Ethiopia's adoption system,...adopting families are encouraged to meet birth families and visit the villages where the children were raised, a cutting-edge practice in adoptions." Click here for the full story.
 
Fiscal Year
  
Total number of children adopted from Ethiopia to the US (US Department of State)
 
Number of children placed with American families through  CHSFS

2004

289

37

2005

440

106

2006

731

205
2007
306
2008
271
 
     
Children waiting for adoption include
  • Male and female children
  • Infants (0-12 months), toddlers (12-36 months) and school age children (36 months and above)
  • Sibling groups that may sometimes include twins and triplets
Adoption Requirements
  • Adoptive parents must be married couples or single women (gay and lesbian applicants are not accepted)
  • For married couples, at least one adoptive parent must be a US citizen
  • Couples must be married for a minimum of one year at the time the dossier is sent to Ethiopia
  • The age of adoptive parents must be between 25 and 50 for consideration of an infant adoption
  • Adoptive parents must be in good health
  • They must be able to show sufficient income to parent the child
  • Ethiopian law does not allow the adoption of a child by a gay or lesbian person/s
  • First time parents must be prepared to rise a child of either gender

Adoption Process
The Adoption Section at CHSFS-Ethiopia verifies that the child's document is complete for the adoption process before the child enters CHSFS foster care center. The department also receives and documents post placement reports of every adopted child.

Post Placement Report
Post placement report of each child is sent from the head office quarterly for the first year, and annually thereafter until the child is 18 years old. The report includes pictures and updated information of the child as observed by social workers. A copy of each report is issued to the Ministry of Women's Affairs (MoWA) in Ethiopia as well as to the birth parents. CHSFS-Ethiopia has also requested a minimum of 10 minutes' video clip that shows the condition of the child to be sent along with the report.

Adoption Timeframe
From accepting a referral until the child travels to his/her new home, it takes approximately two to six months.  Time frames are likely to vary depending on different situations and cases.
 
Adoption fees, escort policy & additional information
For more information on adoption fees and escort policy and to learn more about adopting from Ethiopia through Children's Home Society & Family Services, please link to www.chsfs.org

 

  
 
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