FOREVER FAMILIES
In 2022, AGCI has matched 21 Colombian children with their forever families!
HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!
To our friends in Colombia, happy Colombian Independence Day!
TBRI® TRANSFORMATIONS
Our team will join an upcoming TBRI® practitioner training! We can’t wait to see the life change ahead in Colombia!
COSTA RICA ADOPTION OVERVIEW
AGCI works with Costa Rica’s central authority, Patronato Nacional de la Infancia (PANI) to facilitate adoptions. PANI is the entity that oversees all international adoptions in Costa Rica and is located in the municipality of Naranjo, about 30 minutes outside the capital of Costa Rica, San José.
As a Christian Adoption Agency, All God’s Children International is thrilled to begin placing orphaned children in Costa Rica with forever families beginning in 2023. Grants are also available—in the past two years, families adopting through AGCI’s Adoption programs received over $28,180 in adoption grants.
- Most children in need of intercountry adoption are between the ages of 0 and 15.
- Children ages 0-5 with moderate needs as well as children 6+ with mild to moderate needs are in need of families. At a minimum, all families must be open to adopting a child 0-8.
- Children with medical conditions and sibling groups are in need of families in Costa Rica.
- Families adopting from our Costa Rica adoption program can select the gender of their adopted child.
- AGCI has found forever families for over 600 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 COSTA RICA?
Age of Parents
Married couples and single women 25-59 years old are eligible to adopt a child from Costa Rica. There must be at least 15 years between the age of the younger parent and the child.
Marital Status
Couples married at least three years are welcome to adopt. Each spouse may have no more than two divorces which will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
Children in Family
Couples with five or fewer minor children and single women with two or fewer minor children are welcome to adopt from Costa Rica.
Income
Families must have 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 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.Â
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO ADOPT FROM COSTA RICA?
There are so many ways to fund your adoption! You can learn more about AGCI-specific grants, adoption loans, 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 Costa Rica. 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 COSTA RICA
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 6-7 weeks.
STEP FOUR
Welcome home! AGCI and Costa Rica require post-adoption reports prepared by a licensed social worker to be submitted on the 3, 6, 12, 18, and 24, 30, and 36-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!
COSTA RICA ADOPTION TEAM
Yolanda Leiva UrcuyoÂ
Rebeca Leiva BorbónÂ
COSTA RICA IN-COUNTRY TEAM
Our in-country representatives support with the facilitation of all adoptions through AGCI’s Costa Rica program! Additionally, AGCI works closely with the Central Authority that oversees adoptions in Costa Rica, PANI. PANI has a team of psychologists and social workers who often visit children and orphanages throughout Costa Rica to determine the needs of children and create plans to advocate for them! PANI also receives information from the court system in Costa Rica regarding the legal freeing process or the process of determining whether kids should be eligible for adoption or reunited with their birth families. Then, everyone involved works together to put a plan in place to make it happen.
