1. How did Adoption Ministry get started in Ethiopia?
Joy Casey, our ministry director, has been doing domestic adoptions for many years. In 2007, she visited Ethiopia and God began to speak to her about expanding the ministry to include adoptions from Ethiopia. Because the Ethiopian government was not accepting applications for new agencies at that time, we began a partnership with Children’s House International – an agency which is Hague-accredited and licensed in Ethiopia.
2. What kind of families are you looking for?
We are interested in partnering with families who share our ministry philosophy:
* Adoption is a calling from God and a commitment to a life-long healing process
* Adoption is about giving a family to a child not about getting a child for your family
* Adoption includes understanding and appreciating the circumstances and sacrifice a birthparent has made (whether relinquished or abandoned) and being willing to provide post-adoption pictures and updates to be shared with the birthparent or the orphanage
3. How does your partnership with Children’s House International (CHI) work?
CHI is the licensed placing agency and will handle all of your paperwork, homestudy approval, dossier documents and will issue your referral. They are your legal representatives in Ethiopia as well. All of your fees are paid to CHI. YWAM operates four orphanages in Ethiopia and all of our families adopt children from those orphanages. Once you’ve accepted a referral, you will receive monthly developmental reports on your child from the orphanage and if we have updated pictures, you’ll receive those as well. We require that all families adopting through us be active in their local church and commit to raise their children to serve Christ.
4. Does YWAM have orphanages in Ethiopia?
We have four Widows and Orphans Homes – in Adama, Nekemte, Gimbie and Dembidollo. Our stateside staff regularly visits the orphanages and brings back updated photos and video. We know our children and maintain direct contact with them. We also have mission teams that travel to Ethiopia and work with our in-country representative to serve in our various humanitarian outreaches as well as minister to the widows and orphans that live in our Homes. You will know everything that we know about the child/children that you adopt – their medical status, as much family history as we’re able to discover and any living relatives we’re aware of.
5. How long is the whole process?
We always tell our families that international adoption is not for the faint of heart! Waiting can be difficult and there are often closures, delays and paperwork issues that are completely out of our control. The US embassy is now requiring much more additional documentation than they previously have so this will most certainly add some time to the whole process. Giving timelines is risky business because there are so many variables! In the past, based on the experience of our families who have completed their adoptions, an average length of time from application with CHI to returning home with your child was about 10 – 12 months, although we’ve had families wait over a year and a half. Due to unique issues with a particular child, it could be 18 months or longer before returning home with your child. This whole process can involve long waits and will be an opportunity for your faith to grow and be stretched!
6. How much does it cost to adopt through CHI/YWAM?
Costs vary based on the number of children you are adopting and your travel expenses. Here is a very general overview of the fees – (For a more detailed look at fees and when each portion is due, please go to our website under Application/Fees and scroll down to click on the financial agreement that matches the number of children you’d like to adopt):
Fees paid to CHI: $16,600
Homestudy: $ 1,000 – 3,000 (varies)
Adoption education: $ 120-250
Dossier expenses: $ 1,400 (approx)
Travel: 2 trips for 2 adults @ approx. $1800 per person $ 7,200 (est.)
Child’s one-way airfare: approx. $ 800 (est.)
In-country expenses: approx. for 2 trips $ 1,830 – 2,700 est.
7. How does travel to Ethiopia work?
The Ethiopian government requires parents to travel twice. The first trip is a fairly brief visit to attend the court hearing where your child’s paperwork is approved and the adoption becomes legal. Both parents are required to appear in court. The second trip will be to appear with your child at the U.S. Embassy to receive your child’s visa so you can bring him home. Only one parent is required to be present for this visit.
8. When can I gain access to the Waiting Children webpage?
After you have been accepted into the CHI/YWAM program, we will give you access to the Waiting Children webpage. It is important to keep in mind that the children listed there will most likely not be available to adopt when you are ready for a referral. We encourage you not to get attached to those sweet little faces for that reason! Several of our families have chosen not to log on to that site until they are ready for a referral.
9. When can we be ‘matched’ with a child?
After you have completed your homestudy and it has been approved by CHI’s social worker, you will send in the I-600A (Application for Advance Processing of Orphan Petition) and fingerprints. When that form has been approved, you receive Form I-171H and you are ready for CHI to issue your referral — but not until then! We’re often asked how long it will take to get a referral, and that varies depending on how long it takes you to complete your homestudy and dossier documents and what children are “paper ready” in our orphanages. It generally takes from 2 to 4 months but that is a very general timeline.
10. What if I have more questions?
We are more than happy to answer your questions via email or telephone – just ask! We like to stay in close touch with our families and we pray for them regularly.
