Adopting goddaughter in Haiti

Please go to the website of the U.S. State Department for a good discussion of adoption from Haiti. Here is the link: [url=http://adoption.state.gov/country_information/country_specific_info.php?country-select=haiti]HAITI | Intercountry Adoption[/url] On that website, you will see the following paragraph: "AGE REQUIREMENTS: Under Haitian law, the prospective adoptive parent must be 35 or older. For married couples, one prospective adoptive parent may be under age 35, provided the couple has been married for ten years and has no biological children. The adoptive parent must be at least 19 years older than the child they intend to adopt. These restrictions can be waived with permission from the President of Haiti.(please see note below on 'Waiver of Ineligibility.')" The bottom line is that you ARE too young to adopt from Haiti. However, there is a loophole that allows the President of Haiti to waive the age requirements. My advice to you is that you consult an experienced immigration/adoption attorney or a licensed, nonprofit U.S. agency with a good track record of adoptions from Haiti and other countries. See what is actually happening with regard to waivers, these days. Also, read all the other information on the State Department's Haiti section, and be sure that you are eligible in other ways, and are comfortable with the process. Also, become familiar with issues concerning adopted children. You do not say how old that your godchild is, but it sounds as if she is of school age. Be aware that parenting an older adopted child can be full of challenges, as the child may have had some negative life experiences, and may also grieve the loss of her biological family and country very heartily. Best wishes to you in your efforts to adopt your godchild. Sharon