Children's House International is pleased to announce our new Moroccan progam. We are currently working with several orphanages in the country and are excited about this program moving forward.  Morocco is a beautiful country with loving people who provide excellent care for the children who reside in their orphanages. The culture of Morocco cherishes children.   Due to conditions of poverty, some children are abandoned at a young age.

Your time spent in Morocco will be culturally rich and will enable you to understand better the country and background of your child's heritage.

Children Available

The children who are available in Morocco span from approximately a couple of months old and and higher. Sibling pairs are also available as well as many older children. There are far more boys available for adoption generally because the girls are parented by their family and help out in the home. Children with special needs which range from minor to more significant are also available. We do have specific waiting children ranging from newborn to older that we can speak with you about if interested. Please note that we cannot post pictures of children who are available on our website. Children's House does allow adoption of siblings but does not agree to adoptions of unrelated children except under individual circumstances.

Who Can Adopt?

Both married couples and single women can work with Morocco. There is no age restriction which makes it a positive program for families who do not meet the requirements of other more restrictive countries. It is important to note that in order to be considered by the country of Morocco,  the adoptive family must either be Muslim or be willing to convert to Islam . If converting, a family will sign a document in front of a Moroccan notary.  The document must be signed in Morocco. This document will be presented to the court. It is recommended that the adoptive family read information about the country and the religion of Islam, including the Koran,  in order to make an informed decision.

Government Requirements

The country of Morocco does not grant an order of adoption since adoption is not a Muslim concept.   Morocco does provide a Kafala which is, in effect, an order of guardianship. Upon completion of the process, this order and accompaning documents can be brought to a U.S. court where an adoption can be filed and finalized according to the law of each individual state. Morocco has no post placement requirements.  Children's House International does have it's own post adoption requirments for each family.

• MARRIAGE REQUIREMENTS: Prospective adoptive parents must either be a single female or a married couple. Morocco does not recognize same sex marriages or domestic partnerships.

• INCOME REQUIREMENTS: The Government of Morocco requires that people seeking legal guardianship of Moroccan children be employed.

• OTHER REQUIREMENTS: Prospective adoptive parents of Moroccan children must be Muslim. Those who are not already Muslim can easily convert to Islam while in Morocco. They can obtain a conversion document from any court notary (Adul) office. Prospective adoptive parents must also have a letter from a doctor practicing in Morocco indicating that they are in good mental and physical heath and capable of caring for an adopted child.

Adoption Process

The adoptive couple will begin the process by taking the following steps. They will file an I 600A with the embassy in their country of residence since Morocco has not signed the Hague as of this time.

The couple will also begin a homestudy with an approved social worker. Please speak with CHI before you begin this process to be sure that your social worker is qualified .

Once the necessary paperwork for Morocco, known as a dossier,  is completed ( along with the assistance of the CHI staff) and approved, the adoptive couple or single mother will travel to the country, meet with our representative in a region of the country and visit with the children who are available to be placed. The wait for a referral can range from 3 months to one year , depending on the sex and age of the child requested.

Once the family accepts a referral, paperwork will be submitted to the court to get a certificate of abandonment and Kafala or guardianship. The process takes 3 to 6 months depending on the individual region where the child resides.   The family will come back to Morocco to attend a court hearing and once completed , the family will wait for the child's birth certificate, Moroccan passport and other documents to be completed. This time period varies.

Upon completion, the adoptive family will make an appointment with their child at the U.S. embassy in Casablanca where they will have an immigrant visa interview and obtain an IR4 visa. The family will be accompanied by CHI's in country representative during this step of the  process.  The IR4 visa indicates that the adoption is not final but gives the family permission to go to their U.S. state of residence and finalizing the adoption. Once finalized, the family will get a U.S. court order, a state birth certificate and they will be able to get a passport for their child.

Travel requirements

The prospective adoptive family will need to make two trips to Morocco.  The first being approximately 4-5 days at which time you will be shown children that are available from the orphanage. The second trip approximately 3-4 weeks at which time you will bring your child home with you.   

Please note: Families that have opened their hearts to adopting a waiting special needs child may have specific information prior to travel.   

Adoption Fees

For more information, including fees, email: inquiry@chiadopt.org.

Or you can click here 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.

Our CHI consultant will assist the family in contacting an attorney in their state of residence and finalizing their Moroccan adoption.

Please contact us if you would like to speak with us about a the adoption process in Morocco.

More Cultural Information:

        The Africa Guide: Morocco

        Morroco.com: Morrocan Culture

        World Health Organization: Morocco

        US Department of State: Morocco

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