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Haiti Adoption FAQ

What are the children from Haiti like?

The available children range in age from 1 month old to teenagers.  Each of these children needs a family to call their own.  The children are of African descent.  A few children are Mulatto, but most have dark skin, hair and eyes.  The children live in family run orphanages.

I have fears that Haiti is overrun with the AIDS virus.  What is the possibility of my child having AIDS or being HIV positive?

Many people express concern about the possibility of their child having AIDS or being HIV positive.  The best lab in Haiti carefully screens each child, before they are accepted into the orphanage.  The children are screened for Hepatitis B and C, Anemia, Sickle Cell, Tuberculosis, Typhoid and HIV.  Any child that does not pass the rigorous screening is not accepted into the orphanage.

How long will the process take?

Once your paperwork is gathered, translated and authenticated, it is sent to Haiti.  The Haiti portion of the process generally takes anywhere from 14 to 16 months to be completed.  The adoption must be finalized in Haiti before the child can come home to the adoptive family.   From beginning to end, a realistic time frame is 20 to 24 months to complete an adoption from Haiti.

How do I find the child I would like to adopt?

Once your dossier is submitted a prospective adoptive family can view current pictures of available children.  If none of these children meet the criteria for the child desiered, it could take up to 6 weeks to obtain a potential referral for a child. The orphanage will send photos, medical information and the child's background informatoin and families are asked to give the referral offered careful consideration.   The prospective adoptive family is given up to 14 days to make a decision to accept or decline the referral. If they accept the referral, they are asked to sign an acceptance letter.  If they decline, another referral will be made within 1 month. For more detailed information regarding the withdrawal of a referral, please go to the following link - http://www.wiaa.org/referralprocedure.asp.

Can I adopt more than one child at once?

YES!  There are many wonderful sibling groups of all ages available.  There are many sibling groups of 2 available and also some sibling groups of 3* available.  It is also possible to adopt 2 unrelated children at the same time.

*Some restrictions apply to adopting 3 children at once.

Do I need to travel in order to complete this adoption?

Yes, at least one adoptive parent will be required to make a trip to Haiti sometime during the process to file the I-600 form with USCIS.  Often times families do not want to spend a lot of time in Haiti, so it is possible to make this a very quick trip.  When the adoption is completed, parents may choose to have the child escorted home or fly to Haiti to bring their child home.  Most adoptive families consider their travel to Haiti a unique and culturally enriching experience and treasure the memories of their experience while in Haiti.

Do I qualify to adopt a child from Haiti?

The Haitian government has some rules and regulations adoptive families must meet, although often times there is flexibility in the law. Haiti will allow single women between the ages of 35 and 50 to adopt children, although in some circumstances a single woman who is at least 30 years old may be accepted in this program. Married couples are also encouraged to adopt children from Haiti, but must be between the ages of 30 and 50, must have been married for at least 5 years, and can have no more than 4 children living in the home at the time they apply for this program. Families that do not meet these guidelines may also be considered, but must have WIA apply for pre-approval on their behalf before they can be accepted in to this program.

If you are interested in more information about adopting from Haiti, please email Kathy Junk at kathy@wiaa.org.