Ethiopia Adoption Program

Alliance for Children, Inc. is proud to announce our partnership with Children's House International's Ethiopia Adoption Program. a licensed child-placing agency, for families wishing to adopt from Ethiopia. Children's House International (CHI), a licensed child-placing agency, is authorized by the Ministry of Justice of the Government of Ethiopia and has been directly licensed to place children from Ethiopia since 2006.

Alliance for Children will guide families through the process including the home study preparation (for families living in states in which Alliance is licensed), dossier preparation and general support and guidance throughout the adoption process. The process would be the same as with any of Alliance's other adoption programs. All adoptions from Ethiopia will be completed under Children's House International's license through their in-country representatives. Our hope is that, by working together, Children's House International and Alliance for Children can find more families for the millions of African children needing for homes.

Children available for adoption
* Infants 6-10 months and older at time of referral
* Siblings available occasionally
* Children are tested for Hepatitis B, C, and HIV

Eligibility requirements
* Couples accepted
* Applicants between the ages of 25-50; over 50 considered on a case by case basis

Process before travel
* Apply to INS for advanced approval to be eligible to adopt from Ethiopia.
* Satisfy the laws of the state where you reside.
* Complete a home study by a licensed agency or social worker.
* Meet the eligibility requirement of the Ethiopian Adoption Laws and provide necessary documents to the Ethiopian government.

Time Frame
* It takes approximately 3 months to obtain INS approval, complete a Home study and prepare a dossier.
* Referral is approximately 6-9 months from submission of dossier.
* Court Date is approx 2-3 months after acceptance of referral.
* Travel is approximately 2 months after court date.
* Only one parent must travel.
* Length of stay is approximately 6 days.


General information about Ethiopia
(Information taken from the CIA World Fact Book)

Ethiopia is the oldest independent country in Africa, and the three main colors of her flag (green, yellow, and red) were so often adopted by other African countries upon independence that they became known as the pan-African colors.

Unique among African countries, the ancient Ethiopian monarchy maintained its freedom from colonial rule with the exception of the 1936-41 Italian occupation during World War II. A constitution was adopted in 1994, and Ethiopia's first multiparty elections were held in 1995. A border war with Eritrea late in the 1990s ended with a peace treaty in December 2000.

Ethiopia's poverty-stricken economy is based on agriculture, accounting for almost half of GDP, 60% of exports, and 80% of total employment. The agricultural sector suffers from frequent drought and poor cultivation practices. Coffee is critical to the Ethiopian economy with exports of some $350 million in 2006, but historically low prices have seen many farmers switching to qat to supplement income. The war with Eritrea in 1998-2000 and recurrent drought have buffeted the economy, in particular coffee production. In November 2001, Ethiopia qualified for debt relief from the Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative, and in December 2005 the IMF voted to forgive Ethiopia's debt to the body. Under Ethiopia's constitution, the state owns all land and provides long-term leases to the tenants; the system continues to hamper growth in the industrial sector as entrepreneurs are unable to use land as collateral for loans. Drought struck again late in 2002, leading to a 3.3% decline in GDP in 2003. Normal weather patterns helped agricultural and GDP growth recover during 2004-07.