Mexico

Did You Know? Carolina Adoption Services was the first U.S. Adoption Agency to be licensed by the Central Authority of Mexico Desarrollo Integral de la Familia (DIF), translates to: State System for the Full Development of the Family.

View Central Authority of Mexico DIF Approval with translation.

Read the most recent news about our Mexico adoption program (click here to read).

Quick Reference

Children:

Age: 5 years and older and younger children with special needs

Parent Requirements:

Age: 25-60
Marriage: Married or single

Estimated Process Timeline

Travel-Guanajuato: 2 trips, 14 days each
Travel-Toluca: 1 trip, 30 days
Most states require an in country stay of 1-3 months.

Children Available

The children available for adoption are of Mexican heritage. Children 5 years and older are available, as well as younger children with special needs depending on the state from which you adopt. This adoption program is a wonderful opportunity for families wishing to adopt a child with minor special needs, or older children. Although younger children are sometimes available, families need to be open to a child 5 years and older, unless they are open to a child with special needs.

Eligible Applicants

Guanajuato: Families applying to Guanajuato must be 25 years of age and at least 17 years older than the child. Families with more than three children and not presently eligible.

Toluca: Families applying to Toluca must be 25-60 years of age and singles may adopt from this region.

Program & Process

Guanajuato: Once you accept a referral, you will make two two week trips to Guanajuato to complete the adoption. The wait from referral to your first trip is 3-5 months.

Toluca: Once you accept a referral, you will make one trip lasting approximately one month to complete the adoption. You will visit the child in the orphanage the first three days of the trip, then foster the child for the remaining time.

General Process Information
Once the dossier has been sent to Mexico, it is received by the Foreign Relations office where it is certified. The dossier is then sent to the Central DIF (State System for the Full Development of Children), where it is registered and then the dossier is forwarded to the State DIF where it is evaluated and approved. Each Mexican state has its own DIF with different requirements. Once the
family has been approved to adopt from the particular state, they are placed on a waiting list of approved families for a referral. Estimated process time after approval of dossier is six months or more.

The Country

Guanajuato is a state in the central highlands of Mexico.

Toluca is the capital city of the State of Mexico and is 33 miles west-southwest of
Mexico City. It has the coolest climate of any large city due to its high altitude of
8,793 feet.