HowTo Help The World's Poorest Children And Families

It's always a great joy to receive post placement reports with photos of happy children we have successfully placed, like those Kids Who Got their forever family 2 years ago. It's also very exciting to think of all the children we will place with many families that are currently either in line to travel to meet their children, or in the process of preparing their documents. Whether you have already made a firm decision to adopt or only considering this, feel free to contact us for more information so we could assist you to make a right choice for your family. You may learn more about Russian program here--

Guatemala has made the adoption process a very reliable and informative one for families. Children are very well cared for, oftentimes from birth, in foster homes. They receive excellent medical care and are well nurtured by their foster families, thereby helping to prevent bonding problems later in life. Most of these children are available for adoption at as young as one month.

Parent Eligibility

Married couples are accepted, and preferably married for one year (however, this is not a requirement). Parents must be under the age of 50 when adopting an infant. Single women may adopt. Older parents may adopt older children.

Available Children

Most adoptive parents will receive a referral of a one week old up to a two month old infant. There are literally thousands of young children who are available for adoption from Guatemala. Last year alone, Guatemala released almost as many children for adoption as China, a much larger country. There tends to be more boys than girls available for adoption in Guatemala.

Adoption Process

Adoptions by U.S. citizen parents in Guatemala are processed under a "notarial system." The Guatemalan attorneys receive and refer potential orphans to parents desiring to adopt a child. If the parents accept the referral, they will provide the attorney with a power of attorney to act on their behalf to complete an adoption. In most cases, the attorney represents the birth parent(s), the adopting parents, and the child(ren) in the Guatemalan Government proceedings. After obtaining clearance from a social worker under the supervision of a family court to proceed with a potential adoption case, and upon receipt of "pre-approval" from the Department of Homeland Security Office (DHS) in Guatemala, the attorney submits the case for review by the Guatemalan Solicitor General's Office (Procuradoria General de la Nacion, PGN ). Upon receiving PGN approval, the adoptive parents in the U.S. are legally responsible for their child(ren).

Travel

Traveling is not required to finalize the adoption, but we strongly encourage our families to do so. Paperwork takes approximately three months. Once the dossier is processed, the family will normally receive a referral in one week up to three months. Invitation to travel will be received in two to five months. One trip of 2 - 5 days is then taken, unless using the optional escort service.

Please contact Sally, our head Guatemala Counselor, for more details and information on this wonderful Guatemala program at (712) 256-7705 or email her at info@faithfuladoption.org.

In 2006, AGCI opened our first Hannah's Hope in Ethiopia and more than 90 children have been united with their adoptive families. Today, Hannah's Hope serves as a home for 55 children from the ages of one month to 15 years old. In addition to our Hannah's Hope home, AGCI sponsors over 300 children monthly through our orphan care program.

Hannah's Hope Ethiopia is lead by Almaz Asresahin. Almaz is an Ethiopian American with a broad range of personal and professional experience. She lived in the United States for 14 years, where she acquired a degree in international development and gained experience in international adoption and childcare.

Children Available

Children from three months to 15 years of age are available for adoption. Children will be at least five months old when they come home with their adoptive parents. Many sibling groups and older children are currently waiting for adoptive parents. Please call our office at 800-214-6719 to inquire about our waiting child program or e-mail waitingchildren@allgodschildren.org.

Care in Country - Hannah's Hope

Located in Addis Ababa, the capital city of Ethiopia, Hannah's Hope is a transitional home meant to provide love, shelter, safety, and medical care to orphans waiting to be placed with their forever families. Staffed with wonderful caregivers and supervision, each child living in Hannah's Hope receives the best care possible. All children are screened for HIV/AIDS, syphilis, and Hepatitis B and C prior to being referred to families. Under the Ethiopian inter-country adoption law, HIV/AIDS positive children are not eligible for international adoption. In addition to the medical screenings upon referral, children are visited weekly by a pediatrician.

To view video of Hannah's Hope Ethiopia click here.

Timeframe

The approximate timeframe from application through finalization of the adoption is 12 to 16 months. The timeframe from application through finalization of the adoption of a waiting child is six to nine months.

We have been blessed since 1994 to make a difference in the lives of China's orphaned children. With over 1.3 billion residents, today it is estimated that more then 50,000 children are living in orphanages throughout China. It has been a great privilege for AGCI to work side by side with the CCAA to find loving homes for more then 400 little ones who deserve and long for a family. Due to China's long history of working with international adoptions, their process is both organized and stable.

AGCI has a dedicated international staff, led by our foreign service provider, Benjamin Lee. Benjamin is a US Citizen who studied in the United States, earning his degree in law. As an ordained pastor, Benjamin has been a part of the AGCI team for more then six years. He has lived in China with his wife for more then a decade and with their expertise, ensures families an amazing support network.

Waiting Child Program

There are many children in China waiting for their forever families. These children are healthy but because of an often correctable or minor special need, they do not qualify for the regular program. Many of these children have no health issues and are in the waiting child program simply because they are over the age of six. A number of these children already had their conditions surgically corrected, but because they had the condition previously, they remain in the "special needs" program.

Children Available

Children from 9 months to 13 years of age are available for adoption. Children will be at least 13 months old when they come home with their adoptive parents. Many older and special needs children are currently waiting for adoptive families. These children's adoptions are expedited under Chinese law. Most children are between the ages of 2 and 4 years old and about 60 percent are boys. Please call our office at 800-214-6719 to inquire about our waiting child program or e-mail waitingchildren@allgodschildren.org.

Care in Country

Children in China are cared for in the welfare institutes located throughout the country. Known for good care, the children who have come home have only experienced minor delays. Many children under the waiting child program reside in foster homes.

Timeframe

The approximate timeframe from application through finalization of the adoption is three years. The timeframe from application through finalization of the adoption of a waiting child is 10 to 12 months.

AGCI is honored to announce our partnership with International Families Inc. (IFI) and thankful to share that the Lord has miraculously opened the door to India!

In a land where millions of orphans struggle to survive daily, it is amazing to realize that God knows each and every one by name. AGCI has felt a burden over the last years for India's orphaned children. Prayerfully, we have waited for God's perfect plan to unfold. Founded by Dr. and Mrs. Rao, IFI has dedicated their lives to the orphaned children of India.

Our open door might be your open door too… it may be the one God has destined you to walk through… AGCI is praying for families to answer the call to welcome an orphaned little one from India.

Children Available

Children from nine months to 12 years of age are available for adoption. Children will be at least 18 months old when they come home with their adoptive parents. Many sibling groups, older and special needs children are currently waiting for adoptive families. Please call our office at 800-214-6719 to inquire about our waiting child program or e-mail waitingchildren@allgodschildren.org.

Care in Country

Children in India are cared for by government accredited orphanages called "Recognized Indian Placement Agencies" (RIPA). AGCI is blessed to work primarily with an accredited RIPA called the "Peace Society." The Peace Society was founded in 2003 and is located in the southern Indian town of Chennai. The Peace Society is located on two acres of land and cares for more than 75 orphans. The staff consists of 55 workers, two social workers, three nurses and a doctor. AGCI may also receive children for placement from other accredited RIPA's located throughout India.

Timeframe

The approximate timeframe from application through guardianship of a child is 16 to 24 months. The approximate timeframe from application through guardianship of a waiting child is nine to 12 months.