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Thank you for your continued
interest in our Haiti adoption program and the children of
Haiti. Slowly we are beginning to see some normalcy and routine
return to life in Haiti. Just one more display of the
resiliency and determination of the Haitian people. The needs
are still great in Haiti. Basic shelters are scarce and
approximately half a million people in Port au Prince have been
left homeless. We are celebrating with the LBB families of 56
children who have come home since the earthquake.
We will continue to put our
efforts towards the rebuilding and healing of Haiti. Our
orphanages and facilitators are part of our family and we will
continue to support them in their efforts to help the children
of Haiti.
Adopting from Haiti is a wonderful option for so many
families-for several reasons. A Love Beyond Borders works with
established, well-run orphanages throughout Haiti. It is estimated that there are
nearly 1 million orphans in Haiti, a staggering number in a
country with just over 8 million in total population.
Extreme poverty is the number one reason that so many little
ones find themselves without the permanency of a family.
Despite these hardships, the children of Haiti show great
resiliency and determination. In nearly every case the children
come from some home infrastructure that has provided them with
emotional comfort and security. These early experiences have
shown to help the children adjust to their lives with their new
families with relative ease.
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When you choose A Love Beyond Borders to complete your Haitian
adoption you will receive exceptional service from our very
experienced staff. From our US coordinator with 10+ years of
Haiti experience to our staff and facilitators working in Haiti,
all are committed to excellent service and to top quality care
of the children we are providing for. Because of this
experience our program tends to be faster than many others with
adoptions taking approximately 12-15 months from submission of
dossier and/or acceptance of your referral to travel (compared
to 15-36 months)With the close proximity to the US, many
families choose to travel to Haiti during the adoption
process to spend time with their children. Phone
calls, letters, and gifts for your child are also welcome during
the adoption process. For clients of A Love Beyond Borders, on
average you will have the option of visiting Haiti approximately
twice per year as part of our group trips. Escorted group trip
opportunities are typically scheduled twice each year so
prospective applicants can meet and choose a child to adopt,
visit your child to be, and sign important legal documents in
Haiti to speed up your final immigration process from Haiti to
US. Due to several factors including the administrative burden
and cost burden to our orphanages and facilitators, our
attorneys and orphanage directors have requested that clients of A
Love Beyond Borders not visit Haiti during the
adoption process unless it is as part of our organized group
trips.
For
families who choose to adopt from our Infant Care program,
you will be referred an infant under 12 months old and you will
provide a nominal monthly stipend to care for the child to get
your child off to the most optimal start possible. Children in
the IC program will receive recommended medical evaluations per
age, vaccinations, diapers, quality formula, and private nanny
care. The opportunity for early healthy nutrition and one care
giver to care for your child will dramatically increase your
child's opportunity for optimal physical and emotional
well-being. Thus said, it should be remembered that Haiti is an
extremely impoverished, poor third-world country and the
possibility of malnourishment prior to coming to the orphanage
is a strong possibility. The care of a child with malnourishment
require special care and recovery can be slow. Even with the
benefits offered by the IC program, standards will be less than
those typically received by children in the US with similar
opportunities.
Why Choose to adopt from Haiti through A Love Beyond
Borders? The children are typically healthy with
minor to correctable health conditions, there are flexible adoptive parent
requirements, and young babies and sibling groups are available. You may adopt unrelated children, although we always encourage
the adoption of siblings if a particular group is available.
Unlike many adoption agencies, A Love Beyond Borders does not
charge an additional agency service fee when you adopt a second
or third biological sibling at the same time. Haiti is a country
that allows an escort option so that the adoptive parents do not
need to travel to Haiti. We strongly prefer and recommend that
you plan at least one
trip of approximately 5-7 days at the end to bring
home your child, although escort service is an option under specific
circumstances. Whenever possible, we encourage adoptive parents
to plan two trips to Haiti plus your pick up trip; one trip to
meet or select a child, a second trip to sign important legal
documents which speeds up the immigration process, and then the
final pick up trip to bring your child home. Our experienced program staff provides step by
step guidance on preparing your dossier, and we will complete
the dossier translation and authentication process for you.
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Children |
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Infants to 12 years old at time of referral. Our Infant
Care Program provides newborn or young infant referrals
and special support to the child. Special conditions apply*
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Sibling groups and twins available.
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Unrelated children can be adopted at the same time.
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“Home” style orphanages for better care.
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Typically healthy
although some minor to correctable health conditions may
exist.
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Adoptive Parents Requirements |
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Married couples
and single
heterosexual men and women
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Couples should
be married for at least 10 years. (please contact us if you
have been married fewer than 10 years as Haiti often makes
exceptions if you've been in a committed relationship and
have years combined)
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Maximum age of adoptive
parent should be 50 or less, some exceptions apply, please
inquire.
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At least one
parent should be 35 years or older.
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In special
situations, single mothers at least 27 years old will be
accepted.
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Haitian law
requires that adoptive parents are a minimum of 18 years
older than the adoptive child.
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Number of
children already in the home varies depending on specific
circumstances. Typically it is more difficult to
complete an adoption if you already have three children in
the home.
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Previously
divorced individuals may adopt.
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On a case by case basis,
A Love Beyond Borders ,may be able to assist families with
their Haitian adoption who are not US citizens and live in other
countries.
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Timelines & Process: |
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Parents are usually able to
complete their adoption within 9-13/15 months after accepting a
referral and submitting a dossier to Haiti.
However, the timeframe for any
adoption depends on several factors, including how fast adoption
Home study, USCIS and dossier is completed, children available,
and the practices in the country and region of the adoption.
Once your dossier is completed it
will be translated into French and then sent to Haiti. You can
then expect to receive your referral within 1-2 months,
unless you specifically request an infant less then 12 months
old. If that is the case, your referral wait may be as long as
4-6 months.
Once you accept your referral,
the actual adoption process takes 12-15 months to complete
although we are now seeing trends as low as 9 months.
*Infant Care Program
participants will receive a referral of a newborn or young
infant and will provide supplemental financial support for
formula, medical care, diapers, etc. until the child reaches 12
months of age.
Due to the nature of
international adoptions, the requirements, timelines and fees
are subject to change without notice. |
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