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China
- Overview
Crossroads is approved by the government of P.R. China to place Chinese children. The China Center for Adoption Affairs has the sole authority to refer and place children internationally.
The China Center for Adoption Affairs CCAA is the agency which governs adoptions in China. They have developed a system which created an adoption process that is smooth and easy. Typically, the adoptive family will be linked with a girl who is between 8 and 12 months of age. Adoptive families must be at least 30 years of age and preference is given to families where one adoptive parent is no more than 45 years older than the child. Approximately two months after the family has accepted the referral of a child, the adoptive family and child are united in China. The length of stay in China to complete this process is 2 weeks. Please click through the tabs across the top of this page for further information.
New Requirements as of May 1, 2007: Minimum 2 years marriage, if a divorce, 5 years of marriage. Limit of 2 divorces. Both spouses over 30 and under 50 years of age–exception to age 55 for a special needs child. Good physical and mental health-no major sight, hearing, ambulatory loss; no major organ replacement; no severe facial deformation; BMI=weight. Both spouses are high school graduates or above. Four or fewer children in the home with the youngest child being at least 1 year of age-exception for families who adopt special needs children.
- Children Available
The adorable Chinese girls who are available for adoption are usually infants 8 – 12 months of age and are generally in good health. Occasionally, twins and boys will be available. It is unlikely that sibling groups will be available. The referral information will be translated into English in 24 – 48 hours. The referral information includes at least one photo of the child, one page of medical information, a developmental chart, and information about the child’s personality and day to day routine.
There are many children with medical special needs, some are minor and some are medically correctible such as a cleft lip and/or palate. The ages of these children range from infant to 10 years old. Crossroads has pictures and information on special needs children. Visit our waiting children’s page to find some of the children who are waiting. If you are interested in a child with special needs, we are able to send you the information by e-mail.
- Family Characteristics
China has the following restrictions:
Adoptive parent’s age is a minimum of 30 years of age and a maximum of 50 years of age. The family’s annual income is a minimum of $10,000 per family member (this includes the child to be adopted). The family should have minimum net assets of $80,000.
The adopters are a married couple with a minimum length of marriage of 2 years. In case that either spouse is divorced, the length of marriage should be a minimum of 5 years. No more than 2 divorces per family are allowed.
The health of the adoptive parent(s) is generally good and do not have the following conditions: AIDS, mental handicap, infectious disease within infective stage, binocular blind or binocular parallax or monocular blind and with no ocular prosthesis, binaural hearing loss or language function loss (adoption of special needs children who have identical conditions will be exempt from this limitation), afunction or dysfunction of limbs or trunk, severe facial deformation, severe diseases which require long-term treatment and which affect life expectancy such as malignant tumor, lupus erythematosus, nephrosis, epilepsy, post-surgery of major organ transplants which are less than 10 years, schizophrenia, medication for severe mental disorders like depression, mania or anxiety neurosis, BMI weight of 40 or less.
Education of graduation from high school or higher.
A family has 4 or fewer children presently in the home, the youngest of which is a minimum of 1 year of age. Adoption of special needs children will be exempt from the limitation of the number of children in family under 18 years of age.
No criminal sanction. Adoption application will be given consideration on a case by case basis when either spouse has less than 3 criminal records of slight severity with no severe outcomes and the time for correction of wrong has reached 10 years or has less than 5 records of traffic law violation with no severe outcomes.
The Chinese Center for Adoption Affairs makes the final decision on the suitability of the family and makes all matches between parents and children.
- Process
As soon as your home study is completed, Crossroads or your home study agency will send it to the Citizenship and Immigration Services (CIS). The approval time varies from state to state, from 2 weeks to 2 months. In Minnesota and Wisconsin, this time is 3 – 5 weeks. During this time, the adoptive family is working with the Crossroads Program Specialist to assemble the dossier. This is not a difficult process and is usually completed well in advance of receiving the I-171H CIS approval. Upon receipt of the I-171H, the dossier documents are assembled. The documents are then taken by the adoptive family or sent by courier to the Secretary of State where each notarized document is certified with a Certificate of State. The next step is to send the certified dossier to the China Consulate for authentication. For Minnesota and Wisconsin residents, this is in Chicago. The dossier will be authenticated in one to two weeks and returned to the Crossroads Office. Your dossier will then be bundled with other family’s dossiers. The CCAA requires that agencies form groups of adoptive families. At Crossroads the typical group consists of 5 – 10 families. You will know in advance which group you are assigned and will know when the dossiers have been sent to the CCAA. All work with your dossier is by courier – either Federal Express or DHL – so that no time is wasted. The dossiers are logged in at the CCAA. The time to referral is currently 4 to 6 years or more after a group of dossiers is logged in. During this time, the dossiers are translated and reviewed for accuracy and content. If all is well, and usually is, the dossiers are approved and are sent to the referral department. As the referral department receives information of children who are legally free for adoption, they match those children with the next group of waiting families.
The CCAA sends all referrals by courier. Families are called the same day that the referrals are received in the Crossroads office. Families either come to the office to receive the referral or the referral photo is scanned and sent by e-mail and the referral documents are sent by courier. At this time, the family reviews the information and sends their acceptance to the Crossroads office. Crossroads sends the acceptances to the CCAA by courier. Within approximately 4 weeks, the CCAA will send “Travel Letters” to Crossroads which allows the families to make arrangements to travel to China. Our liaison in China will make the necessary appointments at the capitol city of the province of your child’s birth and the US Consulate in Guangzhou. Your adoption will take place on a Monday in the capitol city and the following week the U.S. will issue your child’s visa at the Consulate in Guangzhou.
Crossroads holds a “travel meeting” prior to a group traveling to China. The focus is to review the paperwork needed to complete the adoption and to discuss any last minute questions. It is a marvelous time for the group to share the trip excitement.
Go to the “Travel” tab for the most exciting step of your adoption process.
- Travel
Envision acclimating to “China time” by visiting the Great Wall, touring the Forbidden City, the Summer Palace, walking across Tiananmen Square, or enjoying the evening watching an acrobat show or an opera. Most Crossroads families fly into Beijing arriving on Wednesday or Thursday evening which give them enough time to experience the wonders of China, rest after the long flight, and meet the Crossroads liaison for the first time.
Sunday is the day to travel to the capital city of your child’s province. Our liaison will arrange for all of your flights, hotel and daily travel. You will have time to settle quickly into your hotel and then you will receive your child in your arms for the very first time! This is a wonderful moment and you will have our liaison and other families in your group to share this happiness. When the documents are ready, the group will fly to Guangzhou. The US Consulate requires that all immigrants have a medical exam before a visa is issued. This is usually scheduled for Saturday. Appointments at the US Consulate are given on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesdays. Whatever day you are assigned, your visa will be issued the following day. If you are leaving China via Hong Kong, you should be able to make the evening flight. If you are flying to the US from Guangzhou, the flight leaves early the next morning.
The sights, the culture, the personal assistance of our liaison and the support of other families makes this experience truly exceptional and satisfying.
- Post Placement
The CCAA requires that reports are sent to their office at 6 and 12 months after placement.
Your adoption counselor will visit you within the first few weeks after you return home. She will gather a copy of your child’s legal documents which include a copy of her Chinese passport showing the photo page and the US visa page. You will also be given instructions on how to proceed with obtaining a Minnesota birth certificate or, if you live in Wisconsin, instructions on how to proceed with re-finalization. If you live in a different state, Crossroads will assist your agency as needed in this area. Hearing about your travel experience and the happy moments when your child was first placed in your arms is always a priority. Your adoption counselor will also help with the adjustment and bonding of your newly adopted child.
Crossroads will visit with you again at 5 months and 11 months after placement. The CCAA and Crossroads wants to make sure that your adjustment continues to be smooth. Several photos will be obtained at this meeting—some of your child and some of your whole family. The Post Placement department at the CCAA scans every photo into their computer and they roll across their screens, one after the other, showing beauty and happiness as well as those fun photos that every parent is able to snap at just the right moment.
Crossroads will write the required reports and send them, along with the photos, to our liaison who will translate them and submit them on time to the CCAA. If your home study agency is visiting and preparing the reports, Crossroads will assist them as needed.
Submitting the proof of citizenship, post placement reports, and photos to the CCAA is very important. Fulfilling these requirements in a timely manner is important to Crossroads and confirms to the CCAA our satisfaction with their program and respect for their rules and requirements.
- Fees
DUE AT TIME OF DOSSIER
State Certifications/Courier Fee: $165.00 – $185.00
Payable by personal check to CROSSROADS ADOPTION SERVICES. Fee listed includes the legalization at the MN Secretary of State office and dossier courier services. You may need to send a document or two to a different Secretary of State office, see China Dossier Process Worksheet.
Authentication Fees: $265.00 – $345.00
Payable by cashiers check /money order to CHINESE CONSULATE IN CHICAGO. Currently fees are $20.00 per document and $5.00 package handling charge. You may need to use more than one Consulate, see China Dossier Process Worksheet. You will be instructed further if using a Consulate other than Chicago.
Translation/China Center Fees and Liaison: $1,290.00 – $1,710.00
Payable by personal check to CROSSROADS ADOPTION SERVICES, for translation of your dossier, registration at C.C.C.W.A., in China and liaison assistance with dossier process.
Lower fee is for processing dossier for special needs children. Crossroads will disburse fees when groups are sent to China.
Program Support: $4,000.00
Payable by personal check to Crossroads Adoption Services. This fee will assist in maintaining of our working relationship with China.
DUE AT TIME OF REFERRAL ACCEPTANCE
Referral Fee: $2,000.00 – $2,500.00
Payable by cashier’s check to U.S. BANK #273 100 718 892. This fee is for liaison assistance in China. Families adopting special needs children will be charged the lower fee.
DUE AT TIME OF TRAVEL
Orphanage Donation: $5,300.00
Payable in U.S. dollars to be hand carried to China.
Legal Fees: $1,000.00
Paid in China in the province for processing the adoption, payable in U.S. dollars.
U.S. Embassy: $500.00
Your child’s US visa fee can be paid for in US dollars, Yuan or traveler’s checks. Your child’s visa pictures (2) and medical exam is paid for in US dollars. Your child will need to have visa photos taken, an exit medical examination, and visa pictures taken at the US Embassy.
Travel: $5,000.00 – $8,000.00
Travel expenses will vary depending on the time of travel, these fees are based on the current travel costs. Your fees may be higher due to length of wait times for a referral.
ESTIMATED TOTALS: $19,520.00 – $23,540.00
- Overview
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Colombia
- Overview
Crossroads Adoption Services is approved by the Instituto Colombiano de Bienestar Familiar (ICBF) to find families for Colombian children in need of permanent homes. Crossroads provides full adoption services, including home studies, to families living in Minnesota and western Wisconsin; and assists families living in other states to adopt a child from Colombia by collaborating with an adoption agency in the family’s state of residence to do the home study and post adoption reports.
Crossroads offers two options for Colombia adoption: ICBF and FANA
- Children Available
ICBF Program
The approximate wait time for a healthy child as young as possible to 35 months of age is 3-4 years. Older children can be referred more quickly: A child 5-7 years may be referred in approximately 2 years; children 7 years and older in one year or less.
FANA Program
The approximate wait time for a healthy child as young as possible to 35 months of age is 2-3 years. Older children, sibling groups, or children with special needs can be referred and placed in less than one year.
- Family Characteristics
ICBF Program
ICBF accepts applications from couples that have been married 3 years, have no more than one divorce each, and no significant mental health issues or criminal history. Single women may adopt a child 7 and older. Parent ages determine the age of child referred as follows:
□ 25-38 years old…………0-2 years
□ 39-41 years old…………3-4 years
□ 42-44 years old…………5-6 years
□ 45 and older…………….7 and older
□ 50 and older…………….8 and older
Many older children wait for a family. ICBF restrictions, including family size, are often waived for families wanting to adopt children with special characteristics, including those who are part in large sibling groups, older than 7 years of age and/or have special medical needs.
FANA Program
Married couples who live in Minnesota and western Wisconsin can adopt from FANA. To be approved for a child 0-2 years of age adoptive couples must be under 38 years of age, infertile, and have no more than one child in the home. First-time adopters cannot choose whether to adopt a boy or girl. Babies are cleared for adoption between 6 -18 months after birth.
- Process
ICBF Program
The approximate wait time for a healthy child as young as possible to 35 months of age is 3-4 years. Older children can be referred more quickly: A child 5-7 years may be referred in approximately 2 years; children 7 years and older in one year or less.
FANA Program
Once a family is approved by FANA the time to the referral of a young child is approximately 24-36 months. FANA works with ICBF to find homes for older children and children with special needs as well.
- Travel
In both programs,the family travels to Colombia about two months after accepting a referral. Once in Colombia, the family may stay in a private hotel or family home with their child until the legal paperwork is done and they return to the US. Lodging, in-country transportation and drivers/translators are arranged by Crossroads’ in-country representatives. The initial adoption work takes up to 10 days. One parent can leave after this, if needed. The other parent remains in-country another 4-6 weeks, until the adoption is finalized in court. Families view the weeks spent in Colombia as a wonderful time to bond with their new child, and to take in the beauty and culture of the country and its people.
- Post Placement
DUE AT TIME OF DOSSIER
Dossier Processing: $1,000.00
Payable by personal check to Crossroads Adoption Services
This fee covers dossier preparation, obtaining Minnesota apostilles and courier services to the MN Secretary of State and Colombia. Documents from other states needing apostiles and courier services will be an additional cost.
Courier Fees and Authentication: $100.00 – $500.00
Payable by family for documents needing authentication (apostille) in Washington, D.C and states other than Minnesota.
Program Support: $4,000.00
Payable by personal check to Crossroads Adoption Services This fee enables Crossroads to maintain a working relationship with Colombia, including the services of government required legal representative, communications with and travel to Colombia to ensure continued licensing.
Translation/Authentication of Dossier: $1,200.00 – $1,400.00
Payable by personal check to Crossroads Adoption Services. This fee is for the official translation of your dossier in Colombia and for document authentication by the Colombian Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Adoption Processing (1st Half): $1,000.00
Payable by personal check to Crossroads Adoption Services This fee covers Crossroads’ and liaison services required to present your dossier to the government of Colombia, follow-up of your process with Bienestar, and for communication of any requirements and changes needed to your documentation.
DUE AT TIME OF REFERRAL ACCEPTANCE
Translation of Referral Documents: $1,000.00
Payable by personal check to Crossroads Adoption Services. This fee covers the official translation of the child’s referral documents. This amount is per child and will be determined by the number of pages to be translated.
Adoption Processing (2nd Half): $1,000.00
Payable by personal check to Crossroads Adoption Services This fee covers liaison services arranging for accommodations, verbal translations, completion of paperwork and accompanying family to process the adoption when in Colombia.
Translation of Legal Documents: $100.00 – $200.00
Payable by personal check to Crossroads Adoption Services This fee covers the official translation of the child’s legal documents after the adoption is final. This amount is per child and will be determined by the number of pages to be translated.
Attorney Fees: $1,200.00 – $1,400.00
Payable by personal check to Crossroads. This fee covers representation in court by the attorney appointed to process the adoption while in Colombia.
Humanitarian Aid: $1,000.00
Payable by personal check to Crossroads Adoption Services. This fee is for the care and maintenance of a non-governmental organization providing services to children.
DUE AT TIME OF TRAVEL
Driver/Translator: $250.00 – $700.00
Payable in cash to the driver and/or translator in Colombia, at time of travel, to assist you with transportation to your child facility, courts, US Embassy, and to obtain legal documents during your stay in Colombia. The higher rate is applicable if you travel outside of Bogota by plane to the child’s facility or orphanage.
U.S. Embassy – Visa and Medical Exam: $500.00
Payable in cash, credit card or traveler’s checks , to the U.S. Embassy, at time of travel visa per child. The visa medical exam must be paid in cash.
Miscellaneous Documents: $100.00 – $200.00
Payable in cash as needed for child’s passport and new birth certificate, copies of court documents, and U.S. visa photos.
Travel: $5,000.00 – $7,000.00
Travel expenses will vary depending on the time of travel and length of your stay (average 4-6 weeks) in Colombia. These fees include airfare, lodging and meals, and exit taxes.
ESTIMATED TOTAL: $17,450.00 – $20,900.00
- Fees
DUE AT TIME OF DOSSIER
Dossier Processing: $1,000.00
Payable by personal check to Crossroads Adoption Services
This fee covers dossier preparation, obtaining Minnesota apostilles and courier services to the MN Secretary of State and Colombia. Documents from other states needing apostiles and courier services will be an additional cost.
Courier Fees and Authentication: $100.00 – $500.00
Payable by family for documents needing authentication (apostille) in Washington, D.C and states other than Minnesota.
Program Support: $4,000.00
Payable by personal check to Crossroads Adoption Services. This fee enables Crossroads to maintain a working relationship with Colombia, including the services of government required legal representative, communications with and travel to Colombia to ensure continued licensing.
Translation/Authentication of Dossier: $1,200.00 – $1,400.00
Payable by personal check to Crossroads Adoption Services. This fee is for the official translation of your dossier in Colombia and for document authentication by the Colombian Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Adoption Processing (1st Half): $1,000.00
Payable by personal check to Crossroads Adoption Services. This fee covers Crossroads’ and liaison services required to present your dossier to the government of Colombia, follow-up of your process with Bienestar, and for communication of any requirements and changes needed to your documentation.
DUE AT TIME OF REFERRAL ACCEPTANCE
Translation of Referral Documents: $1,000.00
Payable by personal check to Crossroads Adoption Services. This fee covers the official translation of the child’s referral documents. This amount is per child and will be determined by the number of pages to be translated.
Adoption Processing (2nd Half): $1,000.00
Payable by personal check to Crossroads Adoption Services. This fee covers liaison services arranging for accommodations, verbal translations, completion of paperwork and accompanying family to process the adoption when in Colombia.
Translation of Legal Documents: $100.00 – $200.00
Payable by personal check to Crossroads Adoption Services. This fee covers the official translation of the child’s legal documents after the adoption is final. This amount is per child and will be determined by the number of pages to be translated.
Attorney Fees: $1,200.00 – $1,400.00
Payable by personal check to Crossroads. This fee covers representation in court by the attorney appointed to process the adoption while in Colombia.
Humanitarian Aid: $1,000.00
Payable by personal check to Crossroads Adoption Services. This fee is for the care and maintenance of a non-governmental organization providing services to children.
DUE AT TIME OF TRAVEL
Driver/Translator: $250.00 – $700.00
Payable in cash to the driver and/or translator in Colombia, at time of travel, to assist you with transportation to your child facility, courts, US Embassy, and to obtain legal documents during your stay in Colombia. The higher rate is applicable if you travel outside of Bogota by plane to the child’s facility or orphanage.
U.S. Embassy – Visa and Medical Exam: $500.00
Payable in cash, credit card or traveler’s checks, to the U.S. Embassy, at time of travel visa per child. The visa medical exam must be paid in cash.
Miscellaneous Documents: $100.00 – $200.00
Payable in cash as needed for child’s passport and new birth certificate, copies of court documents, and U.S. visa photos.
Travel: $5,000.00 – $7,000.00
ESTIMATED TOTALS: $17,450.00 – $20,900.00
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- Overview
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DR of Congo
- Overview
Crossroads has initiated a pilot program in the Democratic Republic of Congo, a country of 71 million people in south central Africa. The children available for adoption are between 3-15 years of age and are either healthy or have special medical needs.
DR Congo borders the Central African Republic and South Sudan to the north; Uganda, Rwanda, and Burundi in the east; Zambia and Angola to the south; and the Atlantic Ocean to the west. The children cleared for adoption are often found abandoned or voluntarily relinquished by their birth family due to extreme poverty and inability to provide the love and care that their parents would like to give their child.
- Family Characteristics
Single women and couples may adopt a child from the DR of Congo. Couples must be married for 5 years or more.
- Process
Applicants submit a dossier to the DR of Congo.
- Travel
Prospective adoptive parents need to prepare for possible short notice of travel. A single parent or both married parents must travel to the DR of Congo to meet their child (unless special circumstances allow them not to travel). Parents must prepare for a two week stay in Congo.
- Post Placement
Families receive a full and final adoption of their child in the DR of Congo. Families need to file/finalize the adoption in local court, depending on their state of residence.
- Fees
DUE AT TIME OF DOSSIER
Program Support: $4,000.00
Payable by personal check to Crossroads Adoption Services, due with the dossier. This fee will assist in maintaining of our working relationship with Philippines.
Dossier Processing: $1,000.00
Payable by personal check to CROSSROADS ADOPTION SERVICES, due with the dossier. This fee will cover costs associated with dossier assistance, document review, preparing dossier for I.C.A.B. and international courier services.
DUE AT TIME OF REFERRAL ACCEPTANCE
Processing Fee: $3,000.00
Payable by cashier’s check to CROSSROADS ADOPTION SERVICES, due at time of referral. I.C.A.B. may waive this fee for special recruitment.
Sibling Groups: If you are adopting a sibling group of 2 or more – the fee is $3,000.00, as determined by I.C.A.B.
Orphanage Donation: $1,000.00
Payable by cashier’s check to the orphanage, due at time of referral. You will be informed as to whom this check is made out to at time of referral. This fee is determined by I.C.A.B. for the Child Care Support Fund and wiil help improvement of the agencies’ services to children.
Attorney Costs: $2,500.00
Payable by cashier’s check to CROSSROADS ADOPTION SERVICES, due at time of referral.
Court and Processing Fees: $2,500.00
Payable by cashier’s check to CROSSROADS ADOPTION SERVICES, due at time of referral.
DUE AT TIME OF TRAVEL
Lab Fees: $375.00
You will be informed as to whom this check is made out to at time of referral.
Child Passport: $530.00
Travel expenses will vary depending on the time of travel, these fees are based on the current travel costs. Your fees may be higher due to length of wait times for a referral. These fees include an estimated amount for airfare, ground expenses, lodging, and meals. This fee reflects the fee amount for two parents and two children.
Embassy Fees: $500.00
Payable by cashier’s check to CROSSROADS ADOPTION SERVICES, due at time of referral.
Travel Costs: $5,000.00
ESTIMATED TOTAL: $20,405.00
- Overview
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Philippines
- Overview
Crossroads is approved by the government of the Philippines to place Filipino children. The Inter-Country Adoption Board has the sole authority to refer and place children internationally.
The Inter-Country Adoption Board (ICAB) accepts dossiers from adoptive families, reviews the dossiers, approves the adoptive family and refers a child. Dossiers are reviewed and approved within one month of receipt. The child’s facility reviews dossiers and chooses the family who can best meet the child’s needs. ICAB has many families waiting for children under 3 and will hold the dossier in abeyance for about a year before releasing it for possible consideration by a child facility. Children can be as young as 8 months of age and many will be close to 2 years old when referred. Families are required to travel to meet and take custody of the child – about 3-5 months after acceptance of the referral. Adoptive families must be less than 46 years old to adopt an infant. The length of stay in the Philippines is one week.
- Children Available
The children available for adoption reflect the many and varied ethnic groups which make up the Philippines from the traditional Filipino face to those with a hint of Spanish, Asian or Polynesian. There are more boys than girls available. Often children are 12–18 months before they are cleared for international adoption.
The Philippines has a social service system much like that in the United States. When a birth family is unable to care for their child, a social worker of a public or private facility becomes involved. Counseling is given to the birth family over a 6-month period to assure that adoption is the best plan for the child and family.
Priority is given to recruiting citizens of the Philippines who reside in the Philippines. When such a family cannot be identified, the child is ready to be referred to an adoptive family from another country. A staff member from the child’s facility travels to Manila to review the dossiers of potential families. The Matching Committee of ICAB meets to review and approve a match. The referral is then sent by courier to the adoptive family’s agency.
- Family Characteristics
The Inter-Country Adoption Board welcomes married couples for children of all ages.
Guidelines for adoptive parent(s) are as follows:
Married couples must be married a minimum of 3 years. If there has been a divorce, the couple must be married a minimum of 5 years.
One previous divorce per person is allowed.
There must be a minimum of 16 years between the adopting parent and the child to be adopted.
Families with 3 or more children are not usually referred children under the age of 6 years, unless it is a sibling group with older and younger children.
Adoptive mothers less than 43 years of age may adopt an infant.
- Process
The Inter-Country Adoption Board is the government office that handles all aspects of the adoption process. A dossier is required to begin the process. The documents in the dossier need only to be notarized which.
Crossroads submits the dossier to ICAB. The adoption committee reviews the dossier and sends Crossroads notice that the family has been approved. This process takes approximately 1-4 months.
A family approved for an infant will wait a minimum of 1 year before the child-caring agencies are given an opportunity to review their dossier as a choice.
The child-care facility has worked with the birth family for a minimum of 6 months so that the family has enough time to make a sound decision about the future of the child. Once the birth parents have legally relinquished the child, the facility searched for a Filipino adoptive family who are residents of the Philippines. If no Filipino family can be identified, the child is considered for international adoption.
A staff person from the child facility will review the dossiers of waiting families who are requesting a child like the child in need of adoptive parents. Two potential adoptive families are chosen. The request for the child to be linked with one of these adoptive families is submitted to the matching committee.
The child’s information, photo, medical report, and general information is sent to the agency of the potential first adoptive family.
Upon acceptance of the child, the family will prepare various documents which are sent, along with the family’s, acceptance to ICAB. In approximately 1-2 months, ICAB will send a document called the Placement Authority. This document is accepted as a legal document by the local U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (CIS) and is sent along with the I-600 petition to that local office.
The local CIS office reviews and approves the petition and sends the approval and supporting documents to the National Visa Center. The National Visa Center forwards the file to the U.S. Embassy in Manila. This process can take 6 -10 weeks. When the U.S. Embassy in Manila receives the approval, the ICAB office is contacted. Arrangements are then made for the child to be brought to Metro Manila (some are on other islands or a good distance from Metro Manila) to complete the visa steps.
The visa process takes approximately 1-3 weeks. The child is first examined by a US Embassy approved clinic as required for all immigrants. As part of the medical exam, the child is given a Mantoux test which is read three days later. If the test is negative, the child is scheduled for the visa interview at the U.S. Embassy and the visa is issued within a few days.
The adoptive family is then invited to come to the Philippines to meet their child.
- Travel
The graciousness of the East greets you at every turn. The prevalence of English adds comfort to everyday needs. You may be enjoying the hustle and bustle of Manila with its streets filled with cars, busses, jeepneys, motorcycles, bicycles and three-wheelers, or traveling to one of the many islands where the pace will be a little slower.
Your travel and stay in the Philippines will be a memorable and exciting one. The time zone in the Philippines is approximately 14 hours ahead of CST. Families from Minnesota and Wisconsin will usually leave on a Saturday, flying from Minneapolis to Manila via Tokyo, a 20-hour trip that spans two days as you cross over the date line. Most travelers will land and exit through immigration by midnight on the next day (Sunday).
Most families will stay at a hotel close to the international airport for the first night, especially if they are traveling to another island. Monday morning each family will call the ICAB office to “check in”. Crossroads has already sent your itinerary, so the social worker who will be assisting you will be expecting your call. She will have arranged for your visit to your child’s facility if your child is in Manila. If your child is on another island, she will have made the arrangements for you to be met when you arrive there. Families will go to the child facility that day.
Families meet their child upon arriving at the child facility. Depending upon the age of the child, the family may gradually get to know their child for a day or two before taking custody. This will be a bittersweet time for your child’s caretakers as they have become very attached to your child. They will do all that they can do to make this transition as easy as possible.
Families are invited to spend an hour or two with the ICAB staff on the day before they depart. Meeting with adoptive parents is a pleasurable task and one that never gets old. They are eager to hear about your child and your trip.
Departure flights are usually early morning. Because of the date line, you will arrive home on the same day that you leave Manila.
- Post Placement
The Government of the Philippines requires that the placement is supervised by the home study agency for 6 months, preparing 3 reports during that period. The Inter-Country Adoption Board (ICAB) then sends consent for the family to complete the legal adoption in their state of residence.
Your adoption counselor will visit you within the first few weeks after you return home. Your adoption counselor will gather a copy of your child’s legal documents which includes a copy of his/her Filipino passport showing the photo page and the US visa page. They will also collect photos to send with the first post placement report. Hearing about your travel experience and the happy moments when your child was first placed in your arms is always a priority. Your adoption counselor will also help you with the adjustment and bonding of your newly adopted child.
Crossroads will visit with you again at between 2 and 3 months and again between 5 and 6 months. Crossroads wants to make sure that your adjustment continues to be smooth. Because ICAB retains guardianship of your child, you will need their written approval so that you can finalize the adoption in your juvenile county court. Crossroads will provide a folder of information and forms which are needed to finalize the adoption of your child in your county juvenile court. Different states may have different finalization procedures. If you live in a different state, your home study agency will assist you with finalization.
Crossroads will notify you when your file is complete at your country juvenile court so that you can call to schedule a court date. The adoption finalization hearing will take less than 15 minutes. You will receive an adoption decree and a state birth certificate for your child. Crossroads requests that you send a copy of these documents to our office. They are required by ICAB.
- Fees
DUE AT TIME OF DOSSIER
Program Support: $4,000.00
Payable by personal check to Crossroads Adoption Services, due with the dossier. This fee will assist in maintaining of our working relationship with Philippines.
Dossier Processing: $300.00
Payable by personal check to CROSSROADS ADOPTION SERVICES, due with the dossier. This fee will cover costs associated with dossier assistance, document review, preparing dossier for I.C.A.B. and international courier services.
ICAB Application Fee: $200.00
Non-refundable fee payable by cashier’s check to INTER-COUNTRY ADOPTION BOARD, due with the dossier.
DUE AT TIME OF REFERRAL ACCEPTANCE
Processing Fee: $2,000.00 – $3,000.00
Payable by cashier’s check to INTER-COUNTRY ADOPTION BOARD, due at time of referral. I.C.A.B. may waive this fee for special recruitment.
Sibling Groups: If you are adopting a sibling group of 2 or more – the fee is $3,000.00, as determined by I.C.A.B.
I.C.A.B. Child Pre-Travel Expenses: $1,000.00 – $3,000.00
Payable by cashier’s check to INTER-COUNTRY ADOPTION BOARD, due at time of referral. This fee covers the following expenses in the Philippines: Child’s visa/visa medical, passport/photos, NCR transportation, local domestic air-fares, chest x-ray, pedia-neuro exam and miscellaneous costs connected to obtaining a visa. This fee is approximately $1000 per child – I.C.A.B. will inform Crossroads of your fee just prior to travel.
DUE AT TIME OF TRAVEL
Orphanage Fee: $1,000.00
Payable by cashier’s check to the orphanage/ICAB, due at time of referral. You will be informed as to whom this check is made out to at time of referral. This fee is determined by I.C.A.B. for the Child Care Support Fund and wiil help improvement of the agencies’ services to children.
Travel Expenses: $4,000.00 – $6,000.00
Travel expenses will vary depending on the time of travel, these fees are based on the current travel costs. Your fees may be higher due to length of wait times for a referral. These fees include an estimated amount for airfare, ground expenses, lodging, and meals. This fee reflects the fee amount for two parents and two children.
ESTIMATED TOTALS: $12,500.00 – $17,500.00
- Overview
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Other/Own Source
- Overview
If you are looking for information on a program/country that was not listed on our site, you can go to the US Department of State’s website, and choose the option to “learn about a country” and choose a country from the dropdown menu. You will find information about the requirements to adopt, the children available, and the general process.
You will notice that some countries do not allow US Citizens to adopt from their country. Some international sources, including Guatemala, Nepal and Viet Nam, are currently closed to US Citizens.
Many families link with an agency in another state to adopt from a country other than those offered by Crossroads. Crossroads is able to assist families with home study services and will collaborate with other agencies on behalf of your family.
We have assisted families to adopt from over 53 countries by linking with other agencies. Recently, Crossroads helped families adopt through the following countries: Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Haiti, Niger, Mexico, and the Republic of Marshall Islands.
There are untold children in need of families and waiting parents ready to provide loving homes throughout the world. Crossroads finds children homes and creates families. They are a wonderful organization that I am thankful for everyday. My beautiful daughter is a daily reminder.
-Sue
- Overview
The mission of Crossroads Adoption Services is to serve orphaned and homeless children. Many of the children who are adopted by Crossroads’ families were born in other countries. Many international adoption countries require that the adoptive family travel to the country to complete the adoption. When a family is required to travel for the international adoption, there is an agency representative in that country who is bilingual and will assist with the whole process.
Time frames for placement of international adoption vary by country (see countries of interest). Time from acceptance of referral until travel averages 1-6 months. Because these times vary depending on the child source and the adoption process, Crossroads will review the current status with you.
Flexibility on the part of waiting families is crucial. Our fees are within the industry range or lower. There are fees for U.S. Immigration, document preparation, a variety of required approvals that vary from country to country and travel expenses.
International Adoption Programs – Crossroads has worked with many countries. Government rules regarding international adoption can and do change. Crossroads information found on this website reflects the countries who have an approval system and have approved Crossroads as an agency or those countries with whom we have a direct relationship.
Parent Initiated Adoption – Crossroads can assist with a parent-initiated adoption in any country where the adoptive family has a source of their own and where the country will allow an adoption of this nature..
Liaison Service – Crossroads serves as a liaison with other adoption agencies for the placement of children from a number of countries including China and Colombia.
Crossroads employs a program specialist who reviews international dossiers (adoption study and legal papers) for accuracy.
