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
If you have roots in Latin America and are interested in adoption, click here to learn more about AGCI’s Heritage Family Adoption Program.
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.
- Children with medical conditions and sibling groups are in need of families in Costa Rica.
- AGCI has found forever families for over 600 children since 2015!
- Timeframe: under 2 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
Parents between the ages of 25 and 59 are welcome to adopt a child. There must be at least a 15-year age difference between the youngest parent and the adopted child.
Marital Status
Couples married at least three years are welcome to adopt.
Single Applicant
Single women ages 25-59 may adopt.
Children in Family
Families with 5 children or less are welcome to adopt from Costa Rica.
Income
Families interested in adopting a child must 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 history of felonies or misdemeanors 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. A psychological evaluation is required for all applicants5
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO ADOPT FROM COSTA RICA?
The approximate cost to adopt from Costa Rica is $30,120. Cost does not include airfare, lodging, and other fees associated with travel.
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: $350 This non-refundable fee covers the cost of a review of your application to confirm your eligibility for your program and address any potential challenges with you, your social worker, and our in-country staff. (Due at application)
U.S. AGENCY: $8,500* The agency fee covers AGCI’s cost to facilitate your adoption with agency and government officials in both the United States and foreign country. 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, communications and insurance. (1/2 due with completion of contract and 1/2 due six months after contract)
PROGRAM FEE: $2,500* This fee provides care for orphans around the world and allows AGCI to provide the medical, emotional, spiritual, and developmental care that every child deserves. (Due with completion of orientation)
POST-ADOPTION SERVICE: $2,800 This fee allows us to provide post-adoption support services to your family and process post-adoption reports. (Due with completion of referral packet)
*If adopting siblings, agency and orphan care fees increase.
HOME STUDY AND POST-ADOPTION*
HOME STUDY SERVICES: $2,500 These fees cover our services in preparing and completing your adoption home study, including any applicable social worker travel costs. (Due with completion of orientation)
POST-ADOPTION REPORTS: $400 per report; $225 per report for each additional child. These fees cover the cost for AGCI to provide post-placement visits and reports upon arrival home. (Due with completion of referral packet)
*These fees may vary if payable to your home study agency for families living outside of AGCI’s licensed states.
NON-AGCI HOME STUDY REVIEW: $400 Any home study written by one of AGCI’s cooperating agencies will be reviewed by AGCI to ensure it meets all AGCI, USCIS, Hague and sending country criteria. Home study and Post Adoption service fees are paid to your cooperating agency. (Due with completion of orientation)
COSTA RICA COUNTRY FEES & EXPENSES
$8,770 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)
ADDITIONAL & THIRD PARTY EXPENSES
| Adoptive Parent Home Study Education: | $300 |
| Adoptive Parent Referral Education: | $600 |
| Accreditation Monitoring & Oversight: | $850 |
| FBI Fingerprinting: | $85 per adult |
| USCIS & Immigration Related Fees: | $775+ |
| Notary Services, County & State Authentication: | $250+ |
| Document Authentication and Translation Fees: | $400-$3,600 |
| Re-Adoption: | $500-$1,500 |
| Travel Expenses: | $3,000-$15,000 |
TOTAL COST: The approximate cost to adopt from Costa Rica is $30,120. Cost does not include airfare, lodging, and other fees associated with travel.
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.
“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
Complete your first series of education modules, your home study, and collect your dossier documents for submission to PANI. Once your dossier is registered with the Central Authority (PANI), you will await referral.
Wait to be matched with your child and begin the referral process! The average wait time from dossier registration with PANI to referral is 12+ months. Once the 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. With a social worker’s approval, a referral can occur for a waiting child before the completion of your dossier.
Travel to meet your child! It’s required that parents spend 5-6 weeks in-country with their adopted child.
During your stay, the following will take place:
- Interview by the PANI team to assess the bonding period
- Documents submitted to court
- Court approval
- Obtain birth certificates and passports
- Final medical examination
- Apply for an adoption visa
- U.S. Embassy for final exit interview
Welcome home! AGCI and Costa Rica require post-adoption visits and reports at 3, 6, 12, 18, 24, 30, 36-month anniversaries of your child’s adoption. Parents also may be required to complete their state’s re-adoption process depending on their state. Your adoption from Costa Rica will be a full and final Hague adoption and your child will travel home on an IH-3 visa meaning your child will become an automatic US Citizen upon their granted entry to the US per the Child Citizenship Act (CCA). AGCI is here for support throughout your child’s life—connect with us at any time for ongoing support services and post-adoption guidance!
COSTA RICA 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.
