Our Uganda program is full of happy families! If you are interested in adopting from Uganda, please contact Allie Hamel to be placed on our waiting list. Check back with us often for information on when new families will be welcome to begin their adoptions.
Read the most recent news about our Uganda adoption program (click here to read).
To learn about Adopting from Uganda watch our on demand webinar by clicking here (15 minutes).
Quick Reference
Children:
Age: 1-3 years
Parent Requirements:
Age: 25-44
Marriage: 2 years; history of divorce must be pre-approved by the orphanage
Orphanage prefers families who are Christian.
Estimated Process Timeline
From Dossier to referral: 6-15 months
From referral to travel: 2-6 weeks
Travel: 2 tips, 2 weeks & 3 weeks
Learn more from Allie about adopting from Uganda…
Children Available
The children available for adoption in Uganda are 1-3 years of age, with infants under 12 months occasionally available. Carolina Adoption Services is proud to partner with the Sanyu Babies Home located on Namirembe Hill overlooking Uganda’s capital city of Kampala. Sanyu is the oldest babies’ home in Uganda. The care of the children at Sanyu is wonderful and they have a maximum capacity of 50 children.
Eligible Applicants
If you would like to adopt from Uganda you must meet a few basic requirements. You must have been married at least two years or be a single woman. If there is a history of divorce we must have pre-approval by the orphanage before you can move forward with your adoption. There needs to be at least a 21 year age difference between the parent(s) and child. The orphanage also prefers families who are Christian.
Program & Process
You will first work with your program coordinator to complete your dossier for adoption from Uganda which is sent to Sanyu. The officials at Sanyu match you with a child according to when your dossier was submitted. The wait for a referral may be 6-15 months depending on the children available, the number of waiting families, and your request/child preference. Once you accept your referral, you will be invited to travel to Uganda within approximately 2-6 weeks.
You will make two trips to Uganda, the first will be two weeks and the second trip will be at least three weeks. CAS recommends that families stay at the guest house at Sanyu. During the first trip you will spend time bonding with your child and assisting the orphanage with special projects. This is a wonderful opportunity for you to gain a first-hand experience of the Ugandan culture and life at Sanyu. You will then return home and wait for a court date. On your second trip you will attend court, obtain legal guardianship and receive your child’s visa. You will be guided through the court and legal process by CAS and an experienced and respected Ugandan adoption attorney.
In Uganda you will obtain legal guardianship of your child. This provides legal authority to care for your child. When you return home to the United States, you will be able to finalize the adoption in your state of residency. You would then apply for your child’s citizenship with the guidance of CAS’ experienced post-adoption staff.
CAS will educate and prepare you for every step of your Ugandan adoption. You can rely on your program coordinator to guide and assist you through your dossier, being matched with your child, and throughout your travel to Uganda.
The Country
Uganda is in East Africa bordered by Sudan, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, and Democratic Republic of Congo. The Republic of Uganda established its independence in 1962. There are more than 2 million orphans in Uganda, the highest number of any country in the world. Ugandans have a varied ethnic background. English is the official language and is used in courts, taught in schools, etc.