Is Adopting from Africa Right for YOU?

There are thousands of children in Africa that are homeless, orphans, or in foster care. Many are going day-to-day, waiting for a family to adopt them.

Is that family you?

As we take a look into the process of adopting from Africa, we can see that there is no lack of opportunities for people to give back and help out a child, a family, and a community. There are hundreds of adoption agencies aiding in the placement of African children looking for a home. A lot of these agencies offer varying opportunities ranging from adoption, foster care, orphan hosting, student exchanges, etc.

The average cost of adopting from Africa would be between $20,000 and $40,000, including the home study, counseling, medical expenses, and foster care if needed.

Africa also has many states that are open to international adoption. A few of these are Ghana, Congo, Uganda, Burundi, and many more.

However, a word of caution: it can be dangerous to adopt from some adoption agencies, as it has been reported from many sources that there can be corruption within groups that could be dangerous for the birth families and children. It is best to stick with reliable agencies and sources to make sure that the adoption is clean and all correct. Hilary Whiteman from CNN says in a blog post: “Due to the illegal nature of these acts, it has been difficult to properly document them, but it is known that there have been cases of children sold by their parents, and children abducted and later trafficked or even placed for adoption…”

After putting a halt on adoptions to the United States in May of 2017, the Ethiopian government passed a law in January 2018 that banned all international adoptions from Ethiopia. The ban came amid concerns about child trafficking within the country, and fear that the children were not being cared for properly when adopted outside of the country. International adoptions from Ethiopia peaked in 2010 but declined sharply in the years following.

Though many precautions should be taken when it comes to international adoption from anywhere in the world, it can also be a very rewarding and positive experience, creating new opportunities for kids that might not otherwise get the chance. Adoption from Africa can help children find proper healthcare and modern medicine. They can receive an education, and experience opportunities they never would have gotten to experience otherwise. There are so many monumental reasons to adopt a child, but the number one reason is this: all children deserve love.

We are on your side and look forward to working with you and your international adoption. If you need a support group, a Q&A board, or just more stories and experiences, we encourage you to take a look at our forum, and if you are specifically interested in African adoption, we hope you will check out our Africa Adoption Forum. All of these boards are filled with people just like you.

If you are interested in learning more about international adoption in general, here is our guide.

Are you looking to adopt internationally? Today could be your day.