Dominican Republic Adoptions
Introduction
Dominican Republic is located in the Caribbean, and is on the eastern part of the Island of Hispaniola. The Island is shared with Haiti, which is to the west of Dominican Republic.
In October 2016, Agape Adoptions received approval from Consejo Nacional para la Nines y la Adolescenia (CONANI), the adoption authority in Dominican Republic (DR) to participate with inter country adoptions. CONANI handles the adoption process in conjunction with Dominican courts. Agape Adoptions is directly accredited by CONANI and works with a reputable law firm to handle all adoption cases successfully in court.
All adoptions from DR are completed in accordance with the Hague Convention on inter country adoption. More information can be found here. As a Hague country, the Dominican Republic’s adoption program has a clear process. In general, the Dominican government gives the highest preference for children under four years of age to people of Dominican descent but exceptions may be made when the child has special needs.
Agape Adoptions hosts monthly virtual information meetings for those interested in adopting through our programs.
Eligibility
Agape Adoptions can provide a free case-by-case consultation regarding eligibility for adopting from DR.
Citizenship
One adoptive parent must be a US citizen.
Age
30 - 60 years old, and at least 15 years older than the child you plan to adopt.
Marriage Status
Only heterosexual couples who have been married for five years or more are allowed to adopt from the Dominican Republic. Single applicants are not eligible to adopt from the Dominican Republic.
Criminal History
No history of domestic violence, sexual abuse, or child abuse. No criminal violations in past 10 years.
Income
There is no minimum income required. However, you must meet the income requirements provided by USCIS for the child to immigrate.
Health Conditions
Families must have the physical, moral, social and sexual integrity that would enable them to offer a child or adolescent a home that would ensure his/her integral well-being.
Children in Home
There is no limit to the number of children currently in the home.
Other
Each potential adoptive parent must have at least a high school diploma or the equivalent.
About the Children
About the Children
The country of Dominican Republic includes many ethnic groups composed of European, Mestizo, Indigenous, Spanish, Haitian, and African backgrounds. Children available for intercountry adoption are representative of all of these ethnic groups.
Children placed for inter country adoption include boys and girls who are 3 - 15 years old. Most common are toddlers and elementary aged children. Infants are not available through DR.
(Children must be adopted prior to turning 16 years old in Dominican Republic, per USCIS immigration rules.)
Sibling Groups (2-3 children that are biological siblings).
Families considering adopting a child will have access to child’s background information before travel. In most cases, additional information is available upon request.
Many children available for adoption have identified medical or developmental special needs. Some medical conditions may be considered minor in the US; while other conditions may be more significant and even encompass multiple diagnoses. When adopting a child with special needs, Agape Adoptions strongly encourages families to research the needs they are open to, as well as consult with their family physician and/or an international adoption medical professional for more information about the particular health issues their child might face.
Agape Adoptions has experience with helping families to process an adoption for a child that is known to them, such as a relative adoption. If you are interested in adopting a child that you already know, please reach out to us so that we can learn more about your situation to determine if we can help; agape@agapeadoptions.org
Process & Timeline
Travel & Bonding Period; Post Adoption Requirements
- Complete adoption application for preliminary approval by Agape Adoptions.
- Complete adoption home study report (generally 3-4 months to complete). Once complete, your home study will be filed with the Immigration office.
- Complete dossier documents. The dossier is then sent to DR for officially submission with CONANI, DR’s adoption authority.
- Average time to complete adoption of a waiting child is 24-36 months; families wanting to adopt a child that is not currently waiting should expect a 4-4 1/2 year process. *Please note the travel and co-habitation bonding period requirements for DR
Travel & Bonding Period; Post Adoption Requirements
Travel & Bonding Period; Post Adoption Requirements
Travel & Bonding Period
After you are matched with a child or sibling group, you will travel to DR about two to three months later and you should be prepared to remain and live in the Dominican Republic to complete the co-habitation and bonding period 30-60 days; once the co-habitation period is completed parents will need to stay in the DR for 3-4 more months to complete the remaining part of the adoption process. Both parents must participate in this co-habitation period to bond with the child, but only one parent is required to stay once the co-habitation period is over; both parents must travel home with the adopted child.
If families have a valid reason, it is possible for the co-habitation period to be reduced. However, it will never be less than 30 days. Once this process is complete, there are additional paperwork and court processes that must be completed. At least one parent must stay in the Dominican Republic during the finalization process.
Post Adoption Requirements
Families are required to complete six (6) post adoption reports after arrival home. The reports are due at the following intervals: six months, 1,2,3,4 and 5 years after arrival home.
All reports must be completed by a Hague accredited agency and are submitted to CONANI through Agape Adoptions.
Agape Adoptions will advise you throughout the reporting process. Each report is intended to communicate to CONANI and Agape Adoptions how the family is adjusting to the adoption.
Fees
Fees
All fees are based on two adoptive parents and one adopted child
Agency Fees:$11,000
Application, dossier, translation and other paperwork processing fees:
$6300
Total USCIS, Department of State and CEAS Fees: $2010
(based on two PAP’s; immigration fees will increase for each additional household member)
Total Home Study and Post Placement Fees: $5700
Additional mileage and travel fees may be incurred for families located more than 50 miles from the main office, or city center of Spokane or Portland
Attorney Fees in Dominican Republic: $8000-$10,000
Estimated Travel fees (for two PAPs and one adopted child): $6600-$10,000
Total in country fees for child’s adoption processing: $625
*A detailed fee schedule is available upon request