Intro to
International
Adoption


Quick Comparison
of All Programs


China

Colombia

Ethiopia

Haiti

India

Kazakhstan

Korea

Liberia

Russia

USA


Quick Comparison of All Programs

(Click on the country name to go to the more detailed program page for that country.)

Country Applicant Criteria Children Waiting Time Travel
Requirement
China First time married couples must have at least 2 years of marriage. If either member of the couple has been married previously (not more than 2 times) they must be in their current marriage for 5 years or more.

Both members of the couple must be between the ages of 30-50.

Infants (mostly girls), toddlers to children 12 years of age. Hepatitis B, and HIV tested.

Special needs boys and girls up to age 12 are available.
Referral is approx. 24 months from submission of completed dossier. Travel is about 6 weeks from acceptance of the referral. One parent, but preferably both, must travel. Length of stay is about 12 days in most cases.
Colombia Couples under 40 and married for at least one year are eligible. Mostly infants, Hepatitis B and HIV tested. Referral is a minimum of 18 months from submission of completed dossier. Travel is about two to three weeks from acceptance of the referral. Both parents must travel. Length of stay is four to six weeks. Only one parent is required to remain in Colombia after the first week.
Ethiopia

Couples and single females accepted.

Applicants must be between the ages of 25-50; over 50 considered on a case by case basis.

Infants 6 months and older are available for adoption. Siblings available occasionally.

Children are tested for Hepatitis B, C, and HIV.

Referral is approximately 3-6 months from submission of dossier.

Travel is approximately 2-4 months after acceptance of the assignment.

Only one parent must travel.

Length of stay is approximately 6 days.

Haiti

Parents must be between 30 and 50.

Couples must be married a minimum of five years.

Single women may adopt.

Children from infants to age 12 are waiting for their forever families.

Individual children, twins, and sibling groups are available.

Children are healthy by third world standards.

Once a family's dossier is complete, the wait for a referral is generally very short.

Haitian adoptions are currently taking 15 to 18 months after a family's dossier reaches the orphanage. During that time, Alliance provides support, education, and opportunities for travel to Haiti for our waiting parents.
India*

*We are not accepting applications for the India program at this time.
Couples and singles accepted. Parents must be under 42 years of age, and have no more than 2 children in the family in order to adopt an infant. Parents ages 42-45 may adopt toddlers. Parents 45-50 may adopt children ages 3 and older. For couples, there is a minimum marriage length of 2 years, with no more than 1 previous marriage. Infants and toddlers are in need of families. Average age of infants at referral is 5 months, average age at arrival is 8-10 months. The time between the dossier being sent to India until the family receives an assignment is approximately 1-3 months. Children are escorted to the United States 3-5 months after acceptance of the referral or parents may travel for a stay of approximately 3-4 weeks. An expedited travel option (for an additional fee) allows parents to stay in India for only 7 ­ 10 days.
Kazakhstan Married couples and single women are accepted. Boys and girls, healthy infants, toddlers, and school-aged children, as well as older and special needs children, representing a variety of ethnicities are available. The children reside in orphanages (baby homes).

Currently there are short waiting times.

Parents spend time bonding and getting to know their child before committing to adoption.

Various travel options are available.

Korea*

* The Korean adoption program is currently available for Florida families only, with the exception that South Carolina families may apply to adopt Special Needs children from Korea.

Couples married at least 3 years with no more than 2 divorces each are eligible.

No more than 4 other children can be living at home.

Adoptive parents must be 25-42 at the time of the application.

Special waivers may be granted if both applicants are of Korean heritage

Healthy infants 6 to 12 months at time of referral are available for adoption.

Children are cared for in foster homes.

Children are tested for Hep B and HIV before leaving Korea.

Referral time is 6 to 10 months from completed application submission.

Children typically arrive home 3 to 6 months after referral.

Most children from Korea are escorted to the U.S., but families do have the option of traveling to Korea to pick up their child.

Most trips average 5 to 7 days.

Liberia Couples married at least one year are eligible. Single women are eligible for preschool aged and older children. Flexible age requirements.
Infants, toddlers and children of all ages, as well as sibling groups are available. Children are in orphanages and are tested for HIV and Hepatitis B.

Referral is approx. 4-6 months for an infant from submission of completed documents. Referrals for older children and sibling groups are often immediate.

Wait to travel is approx. 7-9 months (parents may visit during the wait).

One parent must travel.

Families who elect to have their adoption completed by POA can spend less than one week in country.

Russia*

* 11/22/07 - We have been re-accredited in Russia!

Singles up to age 49 and couples (married for at least one year) - one spouse under 49 and the other up to 54 - are accepted for infants. There is flexibility for older children.

We are currently unable to process applications from single males.

We place children of all ages from 8 months to 16 years of age.

Background information and health history only available in certain regions.

Children are tested for HIV, TB, Hepatitis B, and Syphilis.

Referral is approx. 8 - 12 months from submission of completed dossier (waiting time for boys and children over 6 years is shorter).

Travel is about 10 days to 3 weeks after the referral, depending on the region.

Both parents must travel.

All programs in Russia require two trips.


The Alliance facilitates international adoptions either through the agency's own programs or through networking with other independent agencies. The eligibility requirements are determined by the child's country of origin and may change at any time.





For more information, feel free to contact us:

The Alliance for Children, Inc.
464 Hillside Ave. Suite 300
Needham, MA 02494
Tel (781) 444-7148
Fax (781) 444-7979
info@allforchildren.org