Ecuador is a country straddling the equator on South America’s west coast. And how to adopt a child in Ecuador is very easy if you follow our steps correctly and prepare the required documents.
Children in Ecuador are cared for in government and private orphanages. Children receive medical care, nutrition, and education.
Though the quality of care can vary widely. Ecuador is a South American country with a small adoption program.
Like many countries, parental poverty and neglect are the main reasons that the children become available for adoption in Ecuador.
Therefore, there is a lot of option for you to choose from. Below how to adopt a child in Ecuador will be explained carefully.
Who Is Eligible To Adopt In Ecuador?
There are so many things that are needs to be considered. Below are some of them;
- Age of Parents: Parents who are eligible to adopt in Ecuador must be up to 25 years old and not more than 50 years old. The younger parent must be at least 14 years older than the child that they want to adopt.
- Single Parent Adoption: A single mother is eligible to adopt in Ecuador but the age of the single parent is also considered as stated above.
- Marital Status: Couples that are married for at least a year or have been living together for at least 3 years is eligible to adopt in Ecuador.
- Income: Family members are supposed to have at least $10, 000 dollars per person.
- Criminal History: Applicants cannot have a history of felonies and no more than 2 misdemeanors. A misdemeanor is typically a crime punishable by less than 12 months in jail. Community service, probation, fines, and imprisonment for less than a year are commonly issued punishments for misdemeanors.
- Medical History: All applicants must complete their psychological check on their dossier before they are eligible to adopt. They cannot have any communicable disease during the time of the application or any other impairment that will hinder their ability to parent a child properly.
How To Adopt A Child In Ecuador
These are the steps explained in detail on how to adopt a child in Ecuador. Sit tight and read through.
Choose An Accredited Adoption Service
The first thing to do when looking for how to adopt a child In Ecuador is to look for an accredited adoption service in the US that has signed an agreement with the Ecuador government.
Only these agencies and attorneys can provide adoption services between the United States and Ecuador.
Apply To Adopt
After choosing an accredited adoption service, the next thing to do is to apply to be found eligible for adoption (Form I-800A) by the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
Once confirmed eligible by the US Citizenship as adoptive parents, your details are also forwarded to the Ecuador Central Authority to be determined by the technical unit if you are eligible to adopt under the Ecuadorian Law.
Be Matched With A Child
After the two steps above on how to adopt a child in Ecuador is meant, The Family Assignment Committee (Comites de Asignacion Familiar), will provide a referral for a child and assign a child to the prospective adoptive parent(s) and forward this information regarding the assigned child to the parent’s(s’) adoption service provider.
You cannot decide who you want to adopt in particular prior to the referral. The judge will then schedule an appointment (usually one or two days later) with the prospective adoptive parent(s) to acknowledge the signature(s) on the adoption request.
Apply For The Child To Be Found Eligible For Adoption
After you have been matched with a child, you can now apply directly to the USCIS for approval for the adoption of that specific child.
When the necessary papers are signed, accepted, and found eligible by the authorized body, and the Consular Officer determines that the child appears eligible to immigrate to the United States, he or she will notify the Central Authority (Consejo Nacional de la Niñez y Adolescencia, CNNA) and the Adoption Service Provider (Article 5 letter).
Finalize The Adoption Of The child
The last on how to adopt a child in Ecuador is finalizing the adoption of the child.
Which includes The courts in Ecuador issue adoption decrees. The Childhood and Adolescence Court, Juzgado de la Niñez y Adolescencia, must grant permission for the child to depart the country if only one member of the couple is present in Ecuador to travel with the child.
How Much Does It Cost To Adopt A Child In Ecuador
The approximate cost to adopt from Ecuador is $36,145. Cost does not include airfare, lodging, and other fees associated with travel.
The cost of adoption varies with different adoption service providers. In the adoption services contract that you sign at the beginning of the adoption process, your agency will itemize the fees and estimated expenses related to your adoption process.
Conclusion
There are a lot of orphanages in Ecuador that you can adopt a child from. The Santa Lucia Children‘s Home in Quito is an Orphanage in Ecuador that is unique and among the world’s orphanages.
There you’ll find no vast dormitories with rows of beds, but small “homes” in which children live as brothers and sisters, and are nurtured by their very own housemother. The children blossom in a loving, safe environment.
With our article on how to adopt a child in Ecuador, you will be able to adopt a child to call your own without much stress.
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