Adoption Voices

History on Haiti Adoption Program

Family Requirements
 
About the Children

Haiti Adoption Laws

Adoption Process

Adoption Costs
 

Family Testimonial

"A Gift from Haiti"

Post-Adoption Services

Humanitarian aid in Haiti

Contact Haiti Program Director
 

The Republic of Haiti shares the lush, tropical island of Hispaniola with the country of Dominican Republic. The island was discovered by Columbus in 1492, when he landed near the modern day city of Cap Haitien, thinking he had discovered China.  Haiti lies approximately 50 miles southeast of Cuba and is considered part of the West Indies.  Haiti's culture is a vibrant mixture of African, French, Indian, British and Spanish influences.

Children are placed in the orphanage of Dillon's sister agency, The Foundation for the Children of Haiti (USFCH), located in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, through abandonment or relinquishment by birth parents or a relative.  Children become available for adoption in Haiti primarily because of the extreme economic disadvantages of their birth families. 
The Foundation has an excellent complex to care for the waiting children including the Rainbow Of Love Nursery and Children's Village, School of the Good Sower, and Hope Hospital.  Gladys Thomas has been overseeing the Foundation's work in Haiti since 1981 and has been instrumental in the growth of the Foundation in serving the needs of Haiti's less fortunate.

Dillon International began placing Haitian children with U.S. families in 1991.

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• Childless, heterosexual married couples between the ages of 35 - 50 are eligible to adopt

• Childless, single heterosexual women who are living alone and between the ages of 35 - 50, are also eligible to adopt

• Length of marriage must be at least 10 years unless couple is infertile

• Applicants who are between the ages 45 - 50 must be willing to accept a toddler

• One previous divorce is accepted.

• Second marriages must be at least 10 years in length

• No more than 15 years age difference between husband and wife

• Preference is given to Christian and Jewish families wanting to adopt.

• Families may have no more than 2 adopted children under the age of 18 living in their home and no biological children

• U.S. citizens in all 50 states are eligible to adopt from this program.

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• Children usually range in ages between 24 - 36 months upon arrival in the U.S.

• Toddlers, older children and sibling groups are also available for adoption (The wait time for the adoption of these children moves more quickly than the adoption of an infant.)

• Both boys and girls are available for adoption

• Families may request their child's gender, however, families who are open to either gender will move more quickly through the process

• Children receive excellent medical care with access to a specialized children's hospital within the orphanage complex

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The Haitian courts issue adoption decrees and other legal documents, and the “Institut du Bien Etre Social et de Recherches” (IBESR) is the sole authority to provide authorization to adopt.  IBESR also accredits adoption agents and orphanages in Haiti. IBESR will not work with orphanages it does not recognize nor will it issue adoption decrees to children in unrecognized orphanages.  The laws and regulations regarding U.S. citizens adopting children from Haiti may be found by visiting the U.S. State Department's website or by downloading the International Adoption Brochure developed by the U.S. Consulate in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.

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Adoption Process

• Families complete a home study and then submit their dossier to Dillon for the Haitian government's approval

• Families should plan on a waiting period of 12 - 14 months for a referral of an infant girl or 5 - 7 months for the referral of an infant boy or child over age 2 after submitting their dossier to the agency

• Families will wait another 24 - 26 months for notification that their child's adoption has been completed in Haiti and their child is ready to travel

• After receiving USCIS approval, families may travel to receive their child

• Families must travel to receive their child  

• Families are responsible for their own travel arrangements 

• Single mothers are NOT required to have a travel companion accompany them

• Plan for a 3 - 4 day stay in Port-au-Prince

• Families will stay at FCH's guest house

• Greeters from FCH meet the families at the airport when they arrive

• FCH staff are available to assist families during their stay

• Families will spend time getting acquainted with their child before taking him/her to the guest house to stay with them

• Re-finalize the child's adoption in the U.S. after completing
  3 post-placement visits with the family's caseworker, usually takes 6 months

SPECIAL NOTE on US Citizenship:  If both parents travel to receive their child and complete the adoption in Haiti, the child will become a U.S. citizen upon entering the United States.  If only one parent of a married couple travels to Haiti, their child will become a U.S. citizen upon re-finalization of the adoption in the United States.
 

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Specific fees are only due after a particular service has been rendered in the adoption process and are considered non-refundable after payment has been received.  All fees are subject to change and services are charged at the rate that is current at the time of billing.

ESTIMATED HAITI PROGRAM ADOPTION COST:  $21,375 - $22,320
(Estimate includes agency, international, and travel fees ONLY.)

Other fees and expenses families will incur during the adoption process include

• home study and post-placement services,

• USCIS fees,

• refundable deposit,*

• out-of-pocket expenses related to the family's state of residence and the country adopting from.  

Dillon International has relationships with licensed home study providers across the U.S. and can assist families living outside our service area in locating a licensed agency near them for these services.  For families living in Oklahoma, Texas, Missouri, Kansas, Arkansas and southern California (counties of Santa Barbara, Ventura, Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino, Riverside, San Diego, and Imperial), Dillon International will provide their home study and post-placement services.  Dillon International's home study & post-placement fees for non-Hague countries is $2,900 and for Hague countries, it is $3,150 (in California these fees are slightly higher).

For a complete breakdown of expected fees and services for Dillon's Haiti program, please see the Explanation of Fees and Services in Dillon's adoption application packet which can be downloaded from our website.

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*Each family adopting with Dillon International will also be required to pay a $500 Refundable Deposit which will be returned in a lump sum after the family provides Dillon with the following:
1) proof of a will
2) proof of their child's U.S. final adoption decree/ registration
3) copies of their child's in-country adoption documents (exception for Korea)
4) proof of their child's Social Security Number
5) proof of their child's U.S. Certificate of Citizenship
6) submission of all post-placement reports required by their child's birth country
Families must provide this documentation within three (3) years after their child arrives home in order to receive their refund.

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Post-Adoption Services

• Dillon International believes that post-adoption support fosters an overall positive adoption experience for both adoptee and adoptive family

• Our long-term experience has shown us that adoptees develop a better sense of identity, purpose, and boost in their self-confidence from an understanding and appreciation of their birth heritage

• The agency provides a variety of activities and events to allow an adoptee and his/her family to celebrate his/her birth heritage

• For more information on specific Haiti heritage events, visit the post-adoption section of Dillon's website

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Humanitarian Aid in Haiti

Dillon International is committed to improving the lives of Haiti's children whether they are available for adoption or not. 

• Dillon's orphanCare International annually supports the medical care children receive at Hope Hospital which is part of the FCH's Children's Village in Port-au-Prince, Haiti along with other FCH programs that benefit the local community surrounding the orphanages.

Dillon's orphanCare International is ONLY able to work with the established programs in the countries currently listed on our website.  Because of limited resources we are not able to respond to new requests for aid.

For more information on how Dillon is improving the lives of children in Haiti and in other countries, please visit Dillon's humanitarian aid website: www.orphancareintl.org and click on Haiti.

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