Ethiopia Adoption - Adoption Process

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Ethiopia Adoption with Holt International

Ethiopia adoption-boys from a local neighbourhood

Ethiopia Adoption-Little girl from Durame

The timeframe to complete an adoption from Ethiopia takes approximately 12 to 18 months from application to placement. The process consists of several steps described below:

Apply (online) to Holt International
Holt staff carefully reviews the information in your application to determine that you meet U.S. and Ethiopian adoption requirements before you begin the adoption process to ensure you will be able to successfully complete it.
Approval takes 3 – 4 days
Complete a homestudy and parent education
• Once your application is approved, Holt will assign one of our social workers to conduct your homestudy assessment if you live in a state where Holt has a branch office. If you live in a state where Holt does not have a branch office, you can select a co-operating local service agency from a list we provide. The homestudy process will provide you with the opportunity to learn more about adoption, help you determine your ability to parent an adopted child, and allow your social worker to learn more about you. After your homestudy report is complete, it will be sent to Ethiopia for review and approval.

• Holt’s Adoptive Parent Preparation Courses introduce topics for you to consider that are known to be significant to the intercountry adoption experience. The courses cover topics such as what it means to become an inter-racial family, dealing with multiple losses, bonding and attachment, and more. After completing the courses, you will have a deeper understanding and be better prepared for what it means to be an adoptive family.
File for USCIS approval
Approval from the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is required in order to bring a child from another country into the U.S. as an immediate relative. Holt staff will assist and guide you through the steps of obtaining USCIS approval.
Prepare a dossier
A dossier is a compilation of documents you prepare in a specific fashion for submission to the Ethiopian government. Holt provides detailed instructions for how to complete each document in the Adoption Guidebook you receive when you begin the process. Holt staff is always available to answer any questions you might have as you prepare your dossier.
Holt sends dossier for authentication and translation
Your dossier will be translated by Holt staff into Amharic, which is the official language in Ethiopia.
Holt refers a child to a family
Families receive a photo of the child, all medical information received by Holt, and a child study which explains how the child came into care, why inter-country adoption is necessary for the child, and information on the child's development since coming into care. Families are encouraged to review the referral information with a medical professional before making the formal decision to accept the referral.
Families typically receive a referral 6 - 9 months after Holt receives a family’s dossier
Ethiopia’s Ministry of Women’s Affairs and Ethiopian Court approves the adoption
The Ministry of Women’s Affairs and the Ethiopian Court reviews the translated dossier, child information, and referral acceptance information and legally approves the adoption.
Final processing of child’s information is completed
Once the adoption is approved by Ethiopia, Holt’s in-country staff will obtain your child’s birth certificate, passport, and set an appointment for a final medical checkup and embassy appointment.
This can take approximately 3 weeks
Family travels to Ethiopia to receive their child and obtain child’s exit Visa
Holt staff notifies families when they’ve been invited to travel to Ethiopia to meet and receive their child. Holt assists families with all adoption related transportation, translation, and appointments while in country.
Travel lasts approximately one week
Family returns home Complete a post-placement report 1, 3, and 6 months after child’s arrival date Continue to submit post-placement reports annually until child turns 18 years of age
Finalize the adoption in the U.S. according to state law where you reside

• Learn about the adoption process

• Learn about the children

• Webinar schedule

• Families in process

• Meet the Staff

• Contact Holt for more information

• Holt blog postings from Ethiopia

• Wikipedia

• State Dept

• Ethiopia main page

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