Ethiopia Adoption FAQ

If you have a question about Gladney's Ethiopia Adoption Program, ask it here! We'll post the answer to this page.

Questions and Answers

Q: What is considered "sufficient income" in order to adopt from Ethiopia? Is the amount the same for all of Gladney's programs?
A: Families must meet the U.S. Immigration poverty guidelines (http://www.uscis.gov/) and prove economic stability to provide for a child. Each country is different on financial guidelines. By downloading our on-line information packet, you'll receive the specific guidelines for each country.
Q: How long does the family stay in Ethiopia?
A: Families adopting from Ethiopia will make 2 trips. Both trips are approximately 7-10 days including travel time.
Q: On the average, how many birth mothers change their mind after accepted referral?
A: Due to the amount of work a birth family member or birth parent must do to complete the child's paperwork prior to the child being referred to an adoptive family, it is very rare for a birth family member or birth parent to change his or her mind after the adoptive family has accepted their referral. However, keep in mind that the birth parent or birth family member that is placing the child does have the right to change his or her mind up until the family's court date.
Q: Has Gladney stopped accepting singles in their Ethiopia program?
A: Yes. Due to a request from MOWA for agencies to limit single parent adoptions, we are no longer accepting single parent applications.
Q: My wife was diagnosed with colon cancer a few months ago. We are curious if we would still be able to adopt a child.
A: Gladney requires that prospective parents be cancer free for at least one full year before starting the adoption process. As long as the prospective parent is currently healthy and can provide a letter from their physician stating so, we do not expect it would prohibit the parents from adopting from Ethiopia.
Q: Who does the HIV tests, Gladney or the Ethiopian government?
A: The testing is conducted by a lab in Ethiopia.
Q: How long is the wait?
A: Based on the current time frames that we're seeing in Ethiopia, the average estimated time frame for an adoption from Ethiopia is 18-24 months from submission of application to placement. Please note that this is a current estimated average, time frames can change at any point, and delays can occur causing the process to take longer.
Q: I have five children, ages range from 1-5. Am I able to adopt and older child??
A: Families with 5 or more children are considered on a case-by-case basis for adoptions from Ethiopia.  Ages of the children currently in the home, ability of the family to support additional children, and age of child the family is open to adopting would all be taken into consideration.
Q: Do they prefer to only give infants to married couples 5 plus years or is a couple of 2 years marriage eligible for an infant?
A: Ethiopia requires that all parents, regardless of the age of the child they would like to adopt, be married for at least 1 year.
Q: We are currently in the process of an adoption from China, but would also like to adopt from Ethiopia. Can these be done consecutively?
A: Gladney is currently not working with families for concurrent adoptions.
Q: How much do you have to pay to adopt a child?
A: The adoption fees to adopt a child from Ethiopia are approximately $18,000. This includes all adoption fees but does not include travel expenses.
Q: What HIV tests are infants given? How many are given and at what stages?
A: Infants (children under 18 months of age) receive one rapid ELISA HIV test and one or two DNA PCR HIV tests (depending on the choice of the adoptive parents for 1 or 2 PCR tests) prior to being referred to adoptive families.  If you choose to have two PCR tests completed, the 2nd PCR test must be conducted at least 6 weeks after the 1st PCR, and results for each PCR take approximately 1-4 weeks to obtain.  Children 18 months of age or older receive one rapid ELISA HIV test prior to being referred to adoptive families.
Q: If we have a biological child with some mild developmental delays, would we be permitted to adopt from Ethiopia?
A: This question can be assessed during the home study phase of the process. We would want to assess the family's ability to parent a child with a developmental delay and an adopted child as well the age of the child/children already in the home, any medical or emotional issues, age of child the family wants to adopt and other factors. The family should have health care coverage, financial stability and good support system as well.
Q:I am 41 and my husband is 50. Can we adopt an infant from Ethiopia?
A: At least one parent must be 45 years old or younger to adopt the youngest child possible from Ethiopia. Once both of the parents are over the age of 45, their age is taken into consideration when being matched to a child.
Q: Do you allow adoptions out of birth order from Ethiopia?
A: Ethiopia requires a 1 year age difference between children in the home and the adopted child. To place a child out of birth order is determined on a case by case basis.
Q: Is there a different referral wait time for girls vs. boys?
A: At this time, families are not waiting for girls any longer than families waiting for boys. However, this can change at any time depending on the number of referrals we receive and the number of families we have in the program waiting for boys or girls.
Q: Does Gladney assist in adopting identified children from Ethiopia?
A: Sometimes Gladney is able to assist families with adopting a child they have identified. The child must be legally available for adoption.
Q: What happens if a woman becomes pregnant during the adoption process? Would the adoption process be canceled or postponed? Would the couple lose any money that they had paid already?
A: Gladney’s policy as an agency is that prospective adoptive parents go “on hold” with their adoption process if the adoptive mother becomes pregnant.  The purpose of this policy is to do what is in the best interest of families as well as what is in the best interest of the children who will be placed in adoptive families.  Our main priority and goal is to place children in loving families and to do what we can to try to ensure successful adoptive placements.  Therefore, we look at the “big picture” of families and want to fully assess before placing children in the homes of adoptive families.  We ask that families in the process of adopting notify us of any major changes in their families (moves, job changes, pregnancies, etc.) that can affect the adoption process.  We as an agency are responsible to have current information and documentation on file for families, and we are responsible to make sure that CIS and the countries that families are adopting from have current information as well.
Our policy regarding pregnancies is that we want for there to be at least a 12 month age difference between any children in the home and an adopted child, and we want for there to be at least a 9-12 month time difference between the birth of a biological child and the placement of an adopted child in the home.  After you have your baby, you may contact us as early as 3 months after your baby is born in order to inquire about continuing with the adoption process.  A home study update/assessment would need to be completed at the time you reenter the process due to the addition of a family member in your home and the need to assess the adjustment of your family and readiness to move forward with the adoption process.  The timing of your adoption may be longer than average in order to maintain an age difference between the child in your home and the child you adopt.
 
Q: Does our youngest child at home have to be a certain age before we can adopt from Ethiopia?
A: There must be at least a 1 year age difference between the child in your home and the child that you are adopting.
Q: What is the fee if you adopt more than one child at the same time?
A: The adoption fees for adopting two related children from Ethiopia at the same time are approximately $17,000 for the first adoption an additional $2,900 for the 2nd child. Details of this information can be found in our information packet.
Q: My spouse has a criminal record. Does this disqualify us from adopting from Ethiopia?
A: The type of charge will be the deciding factor. Once we receive and review your Information Sheet, we will have a better idea.
Q: My husband and I have been married for five months, would we have to wait until we have been married for a year to being the process of adopting, or are there some parts that we could do now?
A: The paperwork for the adoption could begin after your first anniversary date. Some of the paperwork is time sensitive and could expire if you begin too early.
Q: Would we be allowed to start the process to adopt an older child (age 4 or 5) if we are pregnant?
A: Gladney's guideline for prospective parents is to wait at least 3 months after the birth of your child to start the adoption process.
Q: I am 47 and my husband is 54, would we be able to adopt an infant? What about a sibling group of younger children?
A: The age requirements for prospective adoptive parents is that one parent must be 45 years old or younger to adopt the youngest child. A couple that is 47 and 54 would be able to be matched with a child age 2 years or older.
Q: What is the first step in adopting an Ethiopian child?
A: The first step to adopting is to complete the Gladney Adoption Information Sheet found in our information packet. If you need an information packet, you can request it by clicking on Get Started Today!
Q: Can a family request a sibling group in which one child is an infant and leave the other age open or must you be specific about both ages you would accept.
A: When it comes to adopting a child, the more flexible a family can be on the age range of a child or children, the easier it is to match them to a child or children. Families need to keep in mind that a child that meets their exact request may not be available and flexibility makes it easier to match them to a child.  Your homestudy and CIS approval must have an age range that you are approved for, so you do have to decide on a maximum age that you are open to for the older sibling.
Q: If a family wants to adopt an older child, can they be specific about the age and request a 5 year old for example? Also, do referrals for older children come at about the same speed as infants?
A: Families hoping to adopt an older child from Ethiopia may select the age and gender. When it comes to adopting a child, the more flexible and open a family can be on the age range of a child, the easier it is to match them to a child. Families need to keep in mind that a child that meets their exact request may not be available and flexibility makes it easier to match them to a child.
Q: How much does it cost from start to finish?
A: The total adoption expenses for Ethiopia are approximately $18,000 plus travel to Ethiopia. Travel expenses are between $10,000 and $14,000 for 2 people to travel there for 2 trips (between $5,000 and $7,000 per trip).
Q: Have most of the older children lived in the orphanage since they were babies or were they brought there as older children?
A: There are many situations as to why children are in orphanages. They could have been brought there shortly after birth or later in their life. Parents may have decided that they could not care for the child financially at any point in time or are deceased and there was no one else to take care of the child.
Q: Do the children get placed in a Gladney center after a referral is accepted or do they remain at the orphanage?
A: Infants that are matched to families working with The Gladney Center are placed in one of our foster care centers until the family travels to pick them up.  Whether or not an older child can be placed in one of Gladney's foster care centers is at the discretion of the child's orphanage, and Gladney does not have control over the orphanage's decision.
Q: I have seen several postings on blogs regarding infants being HIV negative after testing in Ethiopia but testing positive once in the U.S. Is this a major concern or is the information I read not really accurate?
A: Families do need to be aware of the risks of adopting internationally. Having a child test negative for HIV, or any other health risk, in the foreign country and then testing positive here in the U.S. is one of the risks of adopting internationally. At this time, Gladney has not had this happen with any of the children we have placed from Ethiopia.
Q: Can families request that the orphanage choose the gender of the child they will adopt or does the family have to choose ahead of time?
A: Families do not have to select gender and can choose to be matched with the first child available of either gender.
Q: Can parents who are adopting bring their other children with them for adoption proceedings in Ethiopia?
A: Some families do take their children with them when they travel to the foreign country.
Q: My husband served about two weeks in jail on a minor assault charge about 25 years ago. Would we be eligible to adopt from Ethiopia?
A: Gladney would need to see copies of the charges and disposition before making a final decision.
Q: Can you tell me what the orphanages are like that the children stay at in Ethiopia? Do doctors or nurses stay with them?
A: At the orphanages, there are caregivers that care for the children but they are not doctors or nurses. The caregiver to child ratio can range from 1 to 3 to 1 to 20.  Gladney has foster care centers where we care for many of the infants and toddlers that are placed with our families.  At the Gladney foster care centers, the caregiver to child ratio is 1 to 3 for infants. We also have a full time doctor and 3 nurses on our staff.  The children receive excellent care in our foster care centers.
Q: If the father is over 50 but the mother is 30, would they be able to adopt an infant?
A: This depends on the actual age of the father.
Q: Through your Ethiopia Adoption Program, are the adoptive parents allowed to choose the gender or give a gender preference of their prospective child?
A: Families are allowed to choose the gender of the child they would like to adopt from Ethiopia.
Q: Do you allow adoption of two infants (or children under 2 years old that have different birth parents)?
A: Gladney will place related children together. We have chosen not to place 2 unrelated children at one time.
Q: Where can I find the Ethiopia available children?
A: Once a family has been approved to adopt, they will wait for a child referral and will receive pictures and medical information on that child as part of the referral.
Q: Are there pictures and profiles of available children posted on your Web site?
A: No.  If you are interested in adopting an older child and finding out about waiting children, please contact Judy Hayes or Debra Parris at 1-800-GLADNEY.
Q: What religion are most of the children? Is this a factor when selecting families for the children?
A: Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity and Protestant Christianity are common religions that are practiced in Ethiopia.  However, families adopting are from a variety of backgrounds and faiths.  Religion is not a factor when selecting families for the children.
Q: How long does it take once the dossier is completed?
A: Once the dossier is sent to Ethiopia, a family officially begins waiting for a referral, and it takes about 8 to 10 months for families to be matched to a child. This time frame varies depending on the age and gender of the child the family wants to adopt. After the family receives a referral of a child, they will travel to Ethiopia about 4 to 6 months after they receive a referral to appear for their court date, and they will travel to Ethiopia about 1-2 months after their adoption is finalized to have their US Embassy appointment and bring the child home.
Q: Do the adoption fees include everything?
A: The fees listed on the Ethiopia program brochure in the Gladney information packet are estimates of the total expenses including Gladney fees, immigration fees, and the foreign government fees. Travel expenses are estimated at the bottom of the brochure.
Q: Is it required by Gladney that potential adoptive families have a positive debt ratio (more assets than debt)?
A: Yes. Families adopting do need to have a positive debt ratio where assets/income is more than debts paid.
Q: Can you specify when requesting a child that she be a girl and that she be HIV negative? What would these specifications do to the length of time you would have to wait for a referral from Ethiopia?
A: Families receive the health report on a child before they agree to adopt that child. Waiting for a child who is HIV negative has not extended the wait.
Q: Do you place children that are HIV positive?
A: Yes, we have placed children who are HIV positive with families who express openness to this medical condition.  
Q: How do you anticipate Ethiopia's current military operations will impact the adoption process?
A: At this time, there has not been an impact on adoptions. However, we cannot predict the future and can only wait and see how the situation progresses.
Q: Are there special needs children or infants available for adoption?
A: Yes. The family would need to specify the special needs they are willing to adopt.
Q: Is it possible to adopt two infants, or even twins, from Ethiopia?
A: It is possible to adopt twins from Ethiopia. However, it doesn't happen very often.  Gladney does not place 2 unrelated infants in one family at the same time.
Q: Why does it cost so much to adopt? Especially in countries where children are rarely adopted from?
A: One of the largest expense categories are salaries as many people are involved in each adoption. In the U.S. alone, we employ 78 professionals. We also have contract staff in China, Guatemala, Columbia, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Mexico, Russia and the Ukraine. Although the staff of Gladney views their work as a mission, they must earn a living to provide for their families. Each employee needs a salary, a desk, a computer, a phone, office supplies and ongoing training. We also have to spend money on capital expenditures for equipment, furniture, maintenance, insurance, etc.
Our staff also travels to various countries frequently to develop agreements with government officials, train staff, work with associates, and meet with judges and social workers to assure them that international adoptions through Gladney are successful and ethical. These efforts are necessary to assure the continuation of international adoptions around the world.
A large portion of our work is with the children and if possible, the birth mothers. In others, we work hand-in-hand with private or government run welfare institutes. Some centers care for anywhere from 50 to 200 children or more. They depend on financial support from their government to provide food, clothing, medicine, utilities, doctors, nurses, education and administrative staff. Many countries simply do not have enough money to give them so they depend on The Gladney Center to provide the much needed humanitarian aid.
Of course, there are many people in the child's birth country who help make the adoption possible. Care givers are needed to nurture the children, case workers gather background information on each child, investigators check the validity of the abandonment or the intent of the family to give their child in adoption. All of this and more requires money to pay expenses.
Finally, when parents travel to pick up their child, facilitators, guides and translators meet them at the airport, settle them into hotels, transport them to their meetings and help them as they meet their child for the first time. Gladney facilitators guide parents through the legal process and additional people help them obtain the medical examination and paperwork necessary for their child's visa at the U.S. Consul.
After hearing about the needs mentioned above, it may not surprise you to know that as an average, The Gladney Center for Adoption loses around $5,000 on each adoption. In order to compensate for this loss on each adoption, we must rely on contributions and donations from our many donors who see that they can partner with us to make a difference. From a financial standpoint, many of the things we invest in do not make financial sense but we know we are touching many lives. That is the reason we do what we do.
Q: My husband I are not quite ready to start the adoption process. Is there anything we can do to help the children in the orphanages in the meantime?
A: Definitely! Gladney is continually providing humanitarian aid for the children in the orphanages. You can contribute to this effort by making a donation through The Gladney Fund online or by calling 817-922-6033. Please designate your gift as "Humanitarian Aid".
Q: If I am wanting to adopt an infant, can I specify a specific age range, for example 0-6 months, or do I have to be open to getting a referral for a child who is under a certain age.
A: With the Ethiopia program you can specify the age range of the child you want to adopt.
Q: What are the ages of the babies that are being brought home from Ethiopia?
A: The ages of children brought home from Ethiopia have been 3 months and older.
Q: I am 27 and my husband is 46. Will either of our ages prevent us from adopting from Ethiopia?
A: Your ages are within the requirements for Ethiopia.
Q: Is a positive net worth required to adopt from Ethiopia? I just finished graduate school and have student loans, but my salary is quite high.
A: As a part of the application process, information will be provided by the prospective parent to Gladney showing the debt to income ratio.
Q: If the parents are/were HIV positive does that mean the child is HIV positive as well? Are most of the children HIV positive? Can you request that the child not be HIV positive?
A: Just because parents test positive to HIV, does not necessarily mean the child is HIV positive. Gladney encourages families to talk with a health professional about HIV and other illnesses common with children from foreign countries.
Q: My husband runs his own business and we have a young child at home so it would be difficult to take time off to travel. Can infants from Ethiopia be escorted to this country?
A: Escorting is only an option if adoptive parents have a medically documented reason why they cannot travel. Otherwise, both of you are encouraged to travel, and at least one parent is required to travel for the court date and at least one parent is required to travel for the Embassy appointment/placement.
Q: Can infants be escorted to the US if the parents are unable to travel?
A: Escorting is only an option if adoptive parents have a medically documented reason why they cannot travel. Otherwise, both of you are encouraged to travel, and at least one parent is required to travel for the court date and at least one parent is required to travel for the Embassy appointment/placement.
Q: I have read that both male and female infant circumcision is common Ethiopia. Should adoptive parents expect either male or female infants or children to have been circumcised?
A: Yes, male and female circumcision is common in Ethiopia. It is more common to see it with an older adopted child and not as common in a younger adopted child. However, it is possible.
Q: I'm curious as to what information will be needed for the Ethiopian adoptions? Do you have a copy somewhere on your Web site of the dossier list of requirements?
A: The list of documents for a foreign dossier is provided to families as they work on their Gladney adoption application. At this time, we do not have those lists on our Web site.
Q: What other money would be involved except money paid to Gladney?
A: Gladney provides a detailed fee schedule in our information packet for each of the foreign countries. Click on "Get Started Today" and follow the instructions to receive this information.