Adoption from Brazil can be a very lengthy process. Children available for adoption to the U.S. are generally between the ages of 9 and 12, sibling groups, special needs, mixed race, and reside in orphanages. Only when a Brazilian home cannot be found for an adoptable child is that child eligible for intercountry adoption. Potential adoptive parents must be at least 18 years old and 16 years or more older than the adoptable children. In 2011, U.S. citizens adopted approximately nine children from Brazil.
