Bonjour!

Thank you for your interest in our adoption program in Haiti. Haiti does not require an agency to be licensed by their government at the moment in order to work there. We have our own program in Haiti. Children's House prides itself on providing a personalized service - like friends helping friends. We will be available to help you, whether it is for gathering documents, filling out forms or giving advice and support. Below is a summary of the new program we have in Haiti. Thanks again for your interest!! If you have any questions or would like additional information.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Haiti

Haiti, a tropical country located in the Caribbean, occupies the Western one-third of the island of Hispaniola, between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean. It shares the island with the Dominican Republic (to its West) and is directly East of Cuba. Eight Million people live in Haiti, which is slightly smaller in size than Maryland. The official languages are French and Creole. People of African descent make up 95% of the population, mulatto and white the remaining 5%. Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere and 80% of the population lives in abject poverty.

Haitian children are strikingly beautiful! They are of African descent and most have dark skin and large dark eyes. Children who are available for adoption through this program are infants up to 6 years old. Sibling groups are available and two unrelated children may be adopted at the same time. All children have tested negative for AIDS. Sibling groups are available and two unrelated children may be adopted at the same time. Most of these children are abandoned, while many are orphaned or placed there by a parent who simply cannot take care of them.

CHI works with a private orphanage in TiMache where the children get lots of attention and care. Children's House International works in conjunction with Chances for Children.

Haitian requirements:

• Married adoptive parents - One must be between 35 -50 years old.  The younger parent must be at least 30 years of age.
• Married couples must be married for 10+ years
• Single Women (must be 35-50 years old)
• Divorce is permissible (case by case).
• Families with up to 1 biological child are accepted with proof of secondary infertility.
  ***If you are interested, please request the Family Profile Form. This is sent to the Foundation so they can pre-approve your age, family size, etc.

Required Documentation:

• I-600A - CIS Approval (I-171H)
• International Home Study
• Documentation for Haiti - List of documents and a detailed booklet on obtaining them, including samples, will be provided upon entering program.

We will be glad to assist you in filing your I-600A with CIS and also in retaining a social worker to complete your home study.

Children Waiting for Families:

• 6 months to 6 years old
• Sibling Groups
• 2 Unrelated children may be adopted at the same time

Child Referral Process:

Upon receipt of your Application packet, CHI will forward your Family Profile Form to the director of the orphanage. She will verify that your family meets the criteria for adopting in Haiti. Once CHI and Chances for Children receive and approve your Home Study, you will be given a referral or will be able to select a child from the Chances for Children website. The website will contain a photo and basic information on the children available. Once a child selection is made and approved by Chances for Children, you will receive a certificate matching you with the child/ren and a social history. You will then have one month to finish the dossier.

Time Frame:

Once you have accepted a referral and your dossier is received in Haiti, the process takes approximately 18-20 months until the adoption is final. CHI will receive regular progress reports on the status of the process, as well as updated photos and medical reports. This information will be passed on to you.

Travel:

Both parents must travel 4-6 months after referral to file forms for the end of the process. Only one parent is required to travel at the end of the process to pick up the child. The typical stay in Haiti is 5-8 days. We encourage families to travel to Haiti to pick up their child so they can see first hand their child's birth country. If this is not possible, arrangements can be made to escort the child to Miami; however, setting up an escort does add months and additional expense to the adoption.

Fees:

The total agency program fee includes attorney fees, complete care of child, doctor visits, vaccinations, photographs for parents, photos for passport and visa, passport, new birth certificate, legal, court, administrative fees.

Or you can click on this link: http://chitr.xtranet-designs.com/public.php to receive information on the agency contract, financial agreements and statistical information on: the number of adoption placements per year for the prior 3 calendar years, the number of placements that remain intact, the number of families who apply to adopt each year, and the number of waiting children eligible for adoption.

Thanks again for your interest! If you have any questions or would like additional information, as well as personal references, please contact Katherine Holliday at Chilatinam@aol.com or (801) 766-3412.

To Get More Information

More Cultural Information:
http://www.everyculture.com/Ge-It/Haiti.html

Medical Information about Haiti
http://www.who.int/countries/hti/en/

Additional Link:
http://adoption.state.gov/country/haiti.html