ACCEPTING YOUR REFERRAL ? DOCUMENTS
TO RETURN
Upon accepting your referral, you
will return:
-
A signed
Confirmation Letter (We ask that your fax this to 314-427-4288
immediately upon accepting the child referred to you.)
-
The signed Agreement to Adopt
-
The International Program Fee of
$5800.00 (personal checks are accepted).
-
Release Form
-
Click here
to fill out the online Travel Form and submit to
Sharon.Turner@ChildrensHope.net
Adopting
Toddlers and Older Children
For families adopting children
over the age of two, we recommend that parents prepare two (2)
small identical photo books with photos of parent/parents, siblings,
the new child?s room, family activity shot and family pet(s). Send
one book to CHI, and if you label the photos, we will mail the photo
book to Ethiopia.
Please take the remaining book to Ethiopia with you, just in case the orphanage staff forgets to give it
to your child when leaving the orphanage.
TRAVEL
PREPARATION PACKAGE
While we are waiting for
your Travel Date we will send the travel preparation package.
The package will contain forms with written instructions and
samples that will need to be completed for your trip and the
adoption process. Some of the forms included will be: the Visa
applications, the I-864 and I-864A Affidavit of Support forms,
if
needed, along with the current checklist of documents you
will need to take to Ethiopia.
The following list summarizes the general
sequence of events that unfold (after home study completion) in
order for you to travel to receive your child.
You receive approval from CIS?s I-600A
(I-171H) and notify us. Your dossier is sent to Ethiopia. You will
wait to receive a referral of a child. Once the referral is accepted
by you, your dossier is reviewed by the governmental officials in
Ethiopia and approved. The adoption is finalized in the Ethiopian
court.
Once the court order granting
guardianship is issued (in both the Amharic original and English
translation) and our Representative has obtained the child?s birth
certificate and Ethiopian passport. Do not sign the I-600 until you
are directed to do so at the U.S. Embassy.
Family is informed of travel dates by
Children?s Hope
staff and sends Children?s Hope a copy of its travel itinerary to
and from Ethiopia.
During this time, our representative
begins the child's required final medical exam and obtains the
Ethiopian exit visa. Also, he sets up family's lodging arrangements
at the House of Hope.
The family will then travel to Ethiopia
and hand-carry the final CIS paperwork (I-600, notarized Affidavit
of Vaccination and I-864 packet including supporting documents) and
embassy medical. Our representative will provide transportation and
accompany you to the U.S. Embassy to file in Addis Ababa at the
appropriate time.
Fees related to child's passport and visa
preparation are sent directly by Children's Hope to our
representative in Ethiopia. (The family is not responsible for
paying these in Ethiopia.)
Child is issued US visa and can travel to
the US.
Acquire transit visa if applicable.
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