ADOPTION

Throughout the Africa, more than 100,000 children and youth are in need of permanent adoptive families.  For reasons such as abuse, neglect, and abandonment, their birth families are unwilling or unable to provide for the needs of these kids.  Once the court has determined they cannot safely live with birth family, the search begins for a family willing to adopt.  Unfortunately for many kids, the waiting time for that family can be  weeks or months .
 

Though cost can be a major factor for many adoptions, it’s not as big a concern in all situations. International and private adoptions tend to cost more due to the cost of lawyer and agency fees and usually range between $15,000 and $40,000. However, not all adoptions are this expensive. In many states,like in the United states adoption through the foster care system is affordable and generally less than $2,500. Regardless of which type of adoption you pursue, the US government provides up to $10,000 in tax credit for each adopted child though not applicable in Africa.

In addition, several different organizations offer grants or interest free loans to adoptive families. These include groups like:

Abba Fund
America’s Christian Credit Union
Lifesong for Orphans
Show Hope


                                  How long does an adoption take?

The average wait for a domestic adoption is less than two months. In a small percentage of scenarios, it can take longer (especially for an international adoption). Nearly all adoptions with us  take 2 to 3 months  at a minimum.


               Can the birth parents come back and take the child?


Once the parental rights have been terminated and all appeals have been exhausted, the biological parents have no ability to “take their children back.” Many foster parents open their home to a child with the hopes of adoption. In many cases, this is a child whose parental rights have been terminated. However, certain situations occur when a family takes in a child with a legal risk. This means they are taking the risk that the parental rights may not yet be terminated and the child will be returned to the birth family. However, families are aware of this risk before the child is placed in their home though we make sure the birth parents rights are fully terminated before placing a child to his or forever home.