Adopting from Colombia

In 2007, Children's Hope found loving homes for 84 children from Colombia. Infants and older children are available but over half of Children's Hope Colombia families adopt sibling groups.

Colombia Adoptions are facilitated by Children's Hope through the Colombian Institute of Family Welfare (ICBF)
(The government social welfare agency including foster homes & orphanages)

Colombia is a fascinating country where adoptive families come and go without difficulty. Colombia has a long history of adoption. They have had a very organized central authority in Bogotá for many years, known as the Colombian Institute of Family Welfare (ICBF) which processes the government adoptions and oversees the licensing of private orphanages. Children aged 1 through early teens are available for adoption. There are many sibling groups available, as well as special needs children. Many children are abandoned by single parents who simply cannot afford to feed them, or who must work to survive and cannot afford child care while they work. Others come from families where they have been neglected or mistreated and their parent's parental rights have been taken away from them. All of them need a permanent family.

Scope of Our Services:

1. Assist you in preparing your dossier that is then forwarded to Colombia, where our contact will arrange for a translation and its submission to ICBF.

2. When a child becomes available with the characteristics you have requested (e.g. "siblings ages 4-8, healthy"), you will receive a child offer from Children's Hope, including a photo and written information.

3. Upon your acceptance of the child(ren), you will travel to the city where the child(ren) lives to be a part of the court process. Representatives will meet you at the airport in Bogotá and take you to the hotel having made all appointments with adoption officials, either in Bogotá or the city that your child is in.

4. Then you will be assisted to get the child’s passport, and later a visa for him or her at the U.S. Consulate in Bogoá

5. After you have returned home with your child, the program director will notify social work staff to provide post-placement services. Post-placement reports are translated and sent to the placing agency in Colombia.

6. Upon the social worker’s approval to re-adopt in the U.S. court, you will be instructed to engage legal assistance to finalize the adoption. You are then required to provide proof of U.S. citizenship for your child.