How to Adopt from Colombia
“Be open-minded about what’s possible. Yes, these kids have been through a lot, but they want the stability, safety and belonging of a family. You have to be available, if God’s ready to expand your family. Our kids found us, and we’re super blessed to have them in our lives.”
COLOMBIA ADOPTION OVERVIEW
If you have roots in Latin America and are interested in adoption, click here to learn more about AGCI’s Heritage Family Adoption Program.
The care at the homes AGCI partners with is exceptional and the staff provides us with detailed reports and updates on all waiting children so we’re best able to advocate for them. AGCI works with Colombia’s central authority, Colombian Institute of Family Welfare (ICBF) to facilitate adoptions. ICBF is the entity that processes all international adoptions in Colombia and is located in the capital of Bogota.
As a Christian Adoption Agency, All God’s Children International has been elevating care and placing orphaned children in Colombia with forever families since 2014. Grants are also available—in the past two years, families adopting through AGCI’s Colombia Adoption program received over $28,180 in adoption grants.
- Most children available for adoption are between the ages of 0 to 15.
- Children with medical conditions and sibling groups are also eligible.
- We need families for our Colombia adoption program—there are currently 11,000 orphans waiting to be adopted in Colombia.
- AGCI has found forever families for over 300 children since 2015!
- Timeframe: 2-3+ years. Timeframe is from registered dossier to completion. Timeframes are dependent on family’s openness to medical conditions, gender, and age of child.
- Complete a FREE Pre-App to view waiting children.
WHO IS ELIGIBLE TO ADOPT FROM COLOMBIA?
Age of Parents
Married couples and single women ages 25-55 are eligible to adopt from Colombia. There must be at least 15 years between the age of the younger parent and the child. Parents 55+ can adopt children 8 and older. Colombia guidelines specify the age of the child families are eligible to adopt.
Marital Status
Couples married at least two years are welcome to adopt. Each spouse may have no more than two divorces.
Children in Family
Families with five or fewer minor children and single women with two or fewer minor children are welcome to adopt in Colombia.
Income
Families will have a positive net worth and an income of at least $15,000 per family member, including the adopted child.
Criminal History
Applicants with a criminal history will be assessed on a case-by-case basis.
Medical History
Applicants cannot have a past or current diagnosis of a communicable and/or life-threatening disease or other conditions that impairs their ability to parent and/or quality of life a child. All other medical conditions will be considered on a case-by-case basis. All applicants are required to complete a psychological evaluation during their dossier, and all mental health conditions will be assessed on a case-by-case basis.
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO ADOPT FROM COLOMBIA?
There are so many ways to fund your adoption! You can learn more about AGCI specific grants, adoption loans, and employee benefits and more on our How to Fund Page!
AGENCY FEES
APPLICATION: This non-refundable fee covers the cost of a review of your application to confirm your eligibility for your desired program.
U.S. AGENCY*: Processing expenses for AGCI include, but are not limited to, personnel costs, administrative overhead, operational costs, staff training and education, state, federal, and international licensing and accreditations, oversight and supervision of cooperating agencies, post-adoption support services, communications, and insurance. The agency fee covers AGCI’s cost to facilitate your adoption with agency and government officials in the United States and abroad.
*If adopting siblings, agency fees increase.
HOME STUDY AND POST-ADOPTION
HOME STUDY SERVICES: These fees cover the services needed to prepare and complete your adoption home study. These fees vary depending on your home study agency.
POST-ADOPTION REPORTS: These fees cover the cost for your home study agency to provide post-placement visits and reports upon arrival home. These fees vary depending on your home study agency.
INTERNATIONAL FEES
These fees cover the cost of facilitating an international adoption in Colombia. These fees include, but are not limited to costs related to personnel, administration, training and education, legal fees and communications associated with government and agency authorities, government fees, and care of your child prior to the completion of your adoption. (Due with completion of dossier and referral packet as indicated on fee schedule)
FEE DISCLOSURE
All fees paid to AGCI are paid in advance of service. AGCI fees are non-refundable and may not be waived. If services are terminated and a refund is due, all refunds will be processed within 60 days of withdrawal and/or closure of the adoption file upon receiving the Adoption Termination Contract.
ADDITIONAL & THIRD-PARTY EXPENSES
Additional or third-party expenses are outlined in the provided Fee Schedule.
“The post-referral process stage was our favorite—obviously. And not just because of the stage that we were in, but because that is when AGCI’s efforts really started to shine. Before that, there was a quiet period where there wasn’t much to say or inform us of, but the second Myles had a face and a name, it was all hands on deck. And that’s when we learned that the silence wasn’t because people don’t care, but because there were no things to say during those times. Whatever could be done was being done. AGCI was always working behind the scenes. We felt so supported and surrounded by not only AGCI staff, but also people in-country. Once we got a referral and we saw how dedicated people are to the process, we saw the support and the love that you guys have for our kid.” —Ellie Garrison
HOW TO ADOPT FROM COLOMBIA
STEP ONE
Once contracted with AGCI, your next steps are to begin your home study, education, and dossier.
STEP TWO
Once your dossier is registered, the Central Authority places families on their waiting list until a child is referred. Once information on the child is received, you will have two weeks to make an informed decision about accepting the referral of the child or children matched with your family. Wait times vary depending on your family’s openness to age, number of children and identified specialized needs.
STEP THREE
Parents travel to meet your child and finalize the adoption! In-country travel typically spans 5-7 weeks.
STEP FOUR
Welcome home! AGCI and Colombia require post-adoption reports prepared by a licensed social worker to be submitted on the 3, 6, 12, 18, and 24-month anniversaries of your child’s arrival into the U.S. AGCI is here for support throughout your child’s life—connect with us at any time for ongoing support services!
COLOMBIA ADOPTION TEAM
COLOMBIA IN-COUNTRY TEAM
Our in country representative, Ana Maria, facilities all adoptions through AGCI’s Colombia program! Additionally, AGCI works closely with a team of social workers. These social workers visit children and orphanages throughout Colombia to determine whether kids should be eligible for adoption or reunited with their birth families and then put a plan in place to make it happen.
IN ADDITION TO OUR COLOMBIA ADOPTION PROGRAM, AGCI IS WORKING TO FURTHER IMPROVE CARE IN COLOMBIA THROUGH OUR ORPHAN CARE SPONSORSHIP PROGRAM AND ADVOCACY EFFORTS.
CONTACT US TO LEARN MORE ABOUT ADOPTING FROM Colombia!
