Carolina Adoption Services is not accepting applications to the Haiti adoption program. Once the Haitian government is able to move forward with adoptions we will begin accepting applications again.
Read the U.S. State Department’s statement on Haitian orphans and adoption here.
We understand that Americans, moved by images of children in need, want to open their homes and adopt Haitian children. In view of this, a Haitian Adoption Waiting List has been created for families specifically interested in Haiti. By completing the Haitian Adoption Waiting List form you are assured a place on the waiting list, regular updates on the status of Haiti, and agency newsletters.
CAS Haiti Waiting List Form
Please consider making a donation to help the children of Haiti today.
Haiti Earthquake Update
January 21, 2010: CAS learned today that at least 165 Humanitarian Paroles have been issued to children and that nearly 100 children have already arrived in the United States. We hope that the children of MDA with American families may soon travel home to receive the care that they need and deserve. The situation in Haiti is becoming worse everyday as people become more desperate. Please consider making a donation which will be sent to directly support the Maison des Anges Orphanage, thank you.
January 20, 2010:CAS was able to send a donation of $830 to the orphanage director’s husband so that they may purchase the basic necessities such as food and water for the 90 children of the Maison des Anges (MDA) Orphanage. We have seen many pictures now from European media outlets that the needs of MDA are significant as the children are sleeping in the open air with no shelter. They have very few tents and are relying on well water.
January 19, 2010:Secretary Napolitano after receiving support from numerous NGO’s, members of Congress, Joint Council on International Children’s Services and adoption service providers has made the decision to allow children who qualify and were previously matched with American families to enter the United States. There are two categories of children who may be permitted to enter the U.S. – there are children with adoptions that were previously finalized and children who have been matched with American families and declared orphans but for whom their adoptions have not been completed. Families with matches of children have been instructed to submit detailed information to the Department of Homeland Security who will in turn forward this information to the U.S. Embassy in Port au Prince, the Department of State and members of Congress. At this time children should not be taken to the U.S. Embassy as it is considered an unsecure location. Much more information will be forthcoming as the process is ironed out for these children to legally be processed at the Embassy and escorted to the United States to be united with their adoptive families. This news greatly impacted two of our families waiting to bring their children home.
January 18, 2010: Carolina Adoption Services has heard directly from our orphanage Director. He told us that the main orphanage building collapsed over the weekend and the children had to be moved to another orphanage for their safety. The Director made it to the Dominican Republic to receive a wire of aid and purchase needed supplies for the orphans. The journey is long and hard and we are hopeful that aid will make it to the orphanage from the supplies arriving in Haiti. We also learned that our orphanage Directors lost their son in the earthquake, please keep them in your thoughts as well.
January 15, 2010: JCICS(Joint Council on International Children’s Services) is asking that all families in process of adopting from Haiti join the Haitian Adoptive Parent and Orphan Database, which is available on their website, www.jcics.org. Collection of this information is critical in ensuring that those children who qualify can get their visa expedited.
January 15, 2010:A post on the Red Cross blog site stated that the children and staff at Maison des Anges were all unharmed, but in need of food and water. The post also stated that the primary building had structural damage.
January 14, 2010: Carolina Adoption Services heard briefly from the orphanage that we work with in Haiti. All 90 children and staff are okay, but the orphanage has sustained damage. We are awaiting a list of needs for the orphanage and surrounding community and hope to receive this today. The largest concern is the children of Haiti and the availability of resources. The orphanage we work with and most others in Haiti are at maximum capacity and fear they will have to turn new orphaned children away without resources to care for them. As we receive news and needed items we will update our website.
If you would like to provide relief to the orphans and children affected by the earthquake, please Donate Today. On the donation page you may note that the donation is for Haiti Earthquake relief.
A CAS family talks with the news about concerns for their son and other children in Haiti.
Adopting Family Receives Good News, click here to see their story.
This is an excellent program if you are interested in adopting a young child. Contact Allie for more details.
Read the most recent news about our Haiti adoption program (click here to read).
Quick Reference
Children
Age: 4 months to 9 Years
Parent Requirements:
The parent requirements have been set by the Haitian government.
Age: 35 and up, One parent must be 35 years of age
Marriage: Married, 10 years or single women
No children in the home
Estimated Process Timeline:
From dossier to referral: Up to 6 months
Civil court approval to travel: 7-12 months
Travel: 1 trip, 5-7 days
Children Available
The children available for adoption from Haiti are of African heritage. Most of the children have a dark complexion, brown eyes and dark hair. Infants and children through 9 years of age are available for international adoption. Children with special needs are also available.
Eligible Applicants
Married couples who have been married for 10 years and single women ages 35 and older can adopt children from Haiti. There is no maximum age limit for adoptive parents; however, adoptive parents 50 and older should be open to a child at least 3 years and older. The family should not have any children in the home. If you do have a child you can request a Presidential Waiver, which may add up to one year to the family’s wait after being matched with a child.
Program & Process
Carolina Adoption Services is working with the Maison des Anges orphanage. This orphanage is located in Tabarre, on the outskirts of Port-au-Prince. The children are well cared for with an average of five children to one caregiver. There is a clinic on the orphanage grounds and a pediatrician visits twice weekly. Children that are two and older attend pre-school.
Carolina Adoption Service’s staff is here to assist families with every step of the dossier. Once submitted, the dossier is sent to our partner in Haiti and and a family is matched with a child. Our Haitian staff then submits the dossier to the Institut du Bien Etre Social et Recherches (IBESR), which is the central adoption authority. Once the IBESR grants approval, all paperwork is submitted to the Parquet (the public prosecutor’s office), next the dossier is legalized, then sent to the Ministry of the Interior (MOI) and finally to immigration. From submission of dossier until the child is referred takes up to 6 months. You will receive considerable information about a referred child. This information consists of a medical, social, developmental and background report along with pictures of the child. Families are welcome and encouraged to visit the child they have been matched with in Haiti while waiting for approval and issuance of the decree of adoption.
Adoptive parents have the option of making one or two trips to Haiti, each lasting 5-7 days. Families who opt to make two trips will file their I-600 Petition in Haiti and save considerable time for the adoption to be finalized. The second trip will include an interview at the US Consulate in Port-Au-Prince for the child’s immigrant visa. Parents are met at the airport by an in-country representative and are escorted throughout their trip. Parents have the option of staying at a guest home near the orphanage or at a hotel of their choosing.
The country
Haiti is a small island located in the Caribbean, which was established in 1804. This country is approximately the size of Maryland and features two beautiful mountain ranges and two great valleys. Haiti shares the island of Hispaniola with the Dominican Republic and has a population of approximately 8.7 million people.