Lutheran Children and Family Service

PARENT REQUIREMENTS

Age of Parents:
25-40 years old for an infant in a private orphanage; 25-35 years old for a child 0-3 years old from ICBF (public childcaring system); 36-45 years old for a child 3-6 years old.

Other Children:
May have other children in the home for ICBF consideration. For private orphanage program, only homes with one other child are considered.

Marriage:
3 years minimum; 2 years if the couple is infertile. Previous divorce is acceptable.

Travel:
Both parents must initially travel to Colombia to receive the child and petition the court for adoption. This trip lasts 1-2 weeks.

Then, both parents may then stay in Colombia for the duration of the adoption process. This trip lasts an additional 2-4 weeks.

Or, one parent may return to the U.S. while the other remains in Colombia and completes the court and immigration process.

CHILDREN	TIMING
Gender: Parents may state a preference in their application to Colombia, but requests are not guaranteed. Age: Infants to 12 years old. Infants are typically 2-3 months old at referral. Other: Sibling groups between 3-10 years and special needs toddlers with minor physical disabilities are also available.	Application: Families can begin the application process immediately. Referral: Approximately 6-12 months after submission of dossier to Colombian representatives. Travel: Families typically travel within 2 weeks of accepting the referral.
PRIMARY COSTS TO CONSIDER
Program Fees: Document and Adoption Study coordination/ preparation; Colombian Representative Fee (Colombia); Colombian Representative administrative expenses (Colombia); Translations and authentications (Colombia); Referral and court document translations (U.S.); State certifications & Colombian authentications (U.S.); Colombian Program consultation; Dossier coordination; Telephone and fax; Postage and courier; Ayudame Orphanage Donation; Colombian Attorney Fee; Food & Lodging.

PARENT REQUIREMENTS

Age of Parents:
Parents should be 25-50 yrs. old for infant adoptions. Older parents will be considered for children who are not infants. Upper age limit depends upon the age of the child to be adopted.

Other Children:
May have other children at home. No infertility requirement.

Marriage:
Married couples preferred but single women can adopt. Previous divorces acceptable.

Travel:
Depending on the program, selected travel opportunities vary, but typically does not last beyond 5 days. Please request additional information.

Families may meet their child’s foster parents, orphanage caretakers and/or birth mothers. The child will be placed with parents the first day after arrival.

Income:
Requirements vary by program. Please request additional information.

CHILDREN	TIMING
Gender: Both boys and girls are available for adoption. Age: Mostly babies; children come home between 6 and 9 months old. Older children who have legal documentation may also be available for adoption.	Referral: Average time frame from application to the Guatemala program (after homestudy) to referral is 1-3 months. Travel: Approximately 6 months after referral is accepted. Parents will receive monthly updates on child during this waiting period.
PRIMARY COSTS TO CONSIDER
The costs associated with these children living in foster homes will increase the overall fees of this program.

Serving children from:

Colombia Guatemala

Serving children from:

Colombia

Guatemala