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Ethiopia: Adoption Program

 Important Update:  The US Department of State released on Friday March 5th a statement  on their website that in addition to filing an I600A and I600 form each case will now require an I604 form (Determination on Child for Adoption, sometimes referred to as “orphan investigation”).  This form will launch an investigation to determine if the child is an orphan and that laws were followed in the adoption process.  It is due to some allegations of "direct recruitment of children from birth parents" that prompted the US Department of State to put this precaution in place.  It is estimated by Small World at this time that the addition of the I604 form by the US Department of State will add approximately 1 to 3 months to the total adoption process timeline for Ethiopian adoptions.  Please vist the following link to read the official announcement from the US Department of State.  http://adoption.state.gov/news/ethiopia.html

Small World’s Ethiopia program is in cooperation with Hope Adoption.  Hope is an accredited adoption agency in Ethiopia.  Small World staff will guide you in completing your dossier and submit the final dossier to the Ministry of Women's Affairs (MOWA) in Ethiopia.

Once your dossier is accepted in Ethiopia, it is translated and examined by MOWA.  You will receive a referral from Ethiopia approximately 6 - 12 months after your dossier is registered. Parents are given a picture, medical test results and a socio-biographical sketch of the child’s life.  All children are tested for HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis and other medical conditions.

After referral there is a waiting period of 2-4 months while the Ethiopian government processes the adoption.  This adoption is completed in Ethiopian courts by proxy.  Once this is complete, you will travel to Ethiopia to complete the adoption process.  Escorts are available.