Ethiopia is one of the world’s oldest nations and Africa's most populous nation. Ethiopia is filled with rugged mountains and isolated river valleys making it one of the most breathtaking nations on the continent. Due to poverty, abandonment and other misfortune, Ethiopia has a large population of orphaned children.
Adoption ARK partners with an accredited agency for adoptions in Ethiopia.
How to Start Your Ethiopian Adoption Process
- Read the information on this page and contact us or fill out our no-commitment registration form and an adoption consultant will contact you with more information.
- If you decide this program is for you, request an adoption contract from your consultant, complete it, and send it in to our Illinois office with the initial fee.
Your contract will be reviewed and approved by our director, and then you will be assigned a caseworker to complete your adoption.
- Your caseworker will inform you of the steps needed to move forward with your adoption. Some of these steps include: Submitting your petition to adopt an orphan from overseas (I600A form) starting your home study if you do not have one completed Collecting documents and forms needed for your adoption dossier.
- Once your dossier is complete, all documents need to be notarized and apostilled.
- Send in your notarized and apostille dossier to your caseworker. Your caseworker will make sure the dossier is complete.
- Once your dossier is checked by your caseworker it is sent to the U.S. Department of State and the Ethiopian Embassy to be authenticated.
- After authentication, your caseworker will check your dossier one last time before sending it to out team in Ethiopia.
- At last, your dossier is at the Ministry of Women's Affairs and being reviewed so that a referral can be assigned to your family.
- After the referral is accepted, your file is sent to the Federal Court. After the Judge at the Federal Court reviews your documents, he/she can finalize your adoption or request more information.
- After finalization, a new birth-certificate and Ethiopian passport are issued.
- All other arrangements, including the parent’s appointment at the American Embassy, are made before the adopting parents travel to pick-up their child/children.
Your Trip to Ethiopia
- Your caseworker will notify you that your adoption has been approved and assist you with a travel schedule.
- Upon arriving in Ethiopia, your in country coordinator will assist you with all appointments.
During your stay you have the opportunity to visit with the doctors, orphanage director and orphanage staff that have been responsible for your child's care at the orphanage.
- You will spend 5-7 days in Ethiopia with your child while waiting for the U.S. Embassy to issue your child's visa.
- Afterwards, you may travel back home with your new family.
- Post placement reports, issued by your homestudy agency, are required at 3 months; 6 months and one year after you arrived home with your child. Self-written post placement reports are required by adoptive parents until their child is 18 years old.