Ethiopia Adoptions

Ethiopia is a beautiful country situated in Eastern Africa near the Red Sea. It is one of the oldest countries in the world and was the home of the Queen of Sheba. Modern day Ethiopia is the product of many millennia of interaction among peoples in and around the Ethiopian highlands region. From the earliest times, these groups combined to produce a culture that at any given time differed markedly from that of surrounding peoples.

One of the most significant influences on the formation and evolution of culture in northern Ethiopia consisted of migrants from Southwest Arabia. Arriving during the first millennium B.C., these migrants brought very distinctive speech, writing, and stone-building traditions to northern Ethiopia. These migrants also seem to have contributed directly to the rise of the Aksumite kingdom, a trading state that prospered in the first centuries of the Christian era.

The ancient Ethiopian monarchy remained free from colonial rule (except for one brief period of Italian occupation from 1936 to 1941). The empire which started with Menelik, son of the Queen of Sheba, continued until 1974 when Emperor Haile Selassie (who had ruled for 44 years) was deposed and a socialist state was established in Ethiopia.

Following the death of Haile Selassie, there was a civil war Ethiopia until 1991, when a transitional government was formed. The 17 years of civil war bankrupted the country and left thousands of orphaned children. Ethiopia adopted a constitution in 1994 and held their first democratic elections in 1995.

Today, Ethiopia's 67 million people are among the poorest in the world. Infant and maternal mortality rates in Ethiopia are among the highest in the world, leaving thousands of children orphaned and in need of loving families. The numbers of orphaned children continue to increase as the diseases of poverty cause the premature deaths of parents. In 2002, Americans adopted 105 children from Ethiopia.

What's Involved in Adopting a Child From Ethiopia?

At the time of this writing, only four U.S. adoption agencies are approved by the Ethiopian government to complete international adoptions of Ethiopian children (this fact is confirmed by the U.S. Embassy in Addis Ababa). Before you use any adoption agency or adoption facilitator, please do your research! The U.S. adoption agencies approved by the Ethiopian government are:

1. Americans for African Adoption
   8910 Timberwood Drive
   Indianapolis, IN 46234-1952
   phone: 317-271-4567; fax: 317-271-8739
   email: amfaa@aol.com; www.africanadoptions.org
2. Adoption Advocates International
   401 East Front Street
   Port Angeles, WA 98362
   phone: 360-452-4777; http://www.adoptionadvocates.org/
3. Wide Horizons for Children, Inc.
   38 Edge Hill Road
   Waltham, MA 02451
   phone: (781) 894-5330; fax: (781) 899-2769
   email: info@whfc.org; http://www.whfc.
4. Children's Home Society and Family Services
   1605 Eustis Street
   St. Paul, MN 55108
   phone: 651-646-6393; fax: 651-646-0436
   email: info@chsm.com; http://www.chsm.com/

U.S. citizens must work with the Ethiopian governmental central authority, the Children, Youth and Family Affairs Department (CYFAD) which is under the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs. Americans who enter into private adoptions that bypass the CYFAD will not be able to take the child out of Ethiopia, and will not be able to obtain a U.S. immigrant visa.

To adopt a child from Ethiopia, you must complete a homestudy and prepare a dossier. Your adoption agency will submit everything to the Ethiopian government. The adoption committee of the Ethiopian CYFAD will review your file and determine whether or not you are eligible to adopt from Ethiopia. Once you are approved to adopt from Ethiopia, you will receive a child referral. After you accept referral of your child, your adoption agency will handle the rest of the paperwork and red tape in Ethiopia. The adoption agency will then arrange to have your child escorted to the U.S. and your waiting arms. (Note: Traveling to Ethiopia to bring your child home is not recommended due to a variety of dangers. See the travel advisory below.)

• Children Available: Healthy infants and children of all ages, including sibling groups, may be adopted from Ethiopia. Twins - and even triplets! - are somewhat common in Ethiopia! Special needs children are also available for adoption from Ethiopia.
• Parent Requirements: Married couples, single women, and single men may adopt from Ethiopia. Parents must be at least 25 years old.
• Travel Requirements: Travel is not required.
• Time Frame: From the time of your initial application until you bring your child home takes an average of eight to twelve months.
• Number of Children Adopted by Americans in 2002: 105
• Additional Information: The children available for adoption from Ethiopia live in orphanages.

Travel Advisory: The U.S. Department of State has issued a travel advisory for the countries of east Africa, including Ethiopia, due to the high potential for terrorist activities. Supporters of Al-Qaida and other extremists are known to be active in East Africa.

Ethiopia Adoptions

Credits: Excerpted from "International Adoption Guidebook" by Mary Strickert