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How to Adopt from Barbados

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Source: Wikipedia.org.

Adoption Authority

Barbados Adoption Authority

The adoption agency for all of Barbados is the Child Care Board. There are no private adoption agencies operating in Barbados.


The Process

The process for adopting a child from Barbados generally includes the following steps:


  1. Choose an Adoption Service Provider
  2. Apply to be Found Eligible to Adopt
  3. Be Matched with a Child
  4. Adopt the Child in Barbados
  5. Apply for the Child to be Found Eligible for Adoption
  6. Bring Your Child Home


1. Choose an Adoption Service Provider


The first step in adopting a child from Barbados is usually to select a licensed agency in the United States that can help with your adoption. Adoption service providers must be licensed by the U.S. state in which they operate. Learn more about choosing the right adoption service provider.


2. Apply to be Found Eligible to Adopt


To bring an adopted child from Barbados to the United States, you must apply to be found eligible to adopt (Form I-600A) by the U.S. Government, Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Learn how.

In addition to meeting the U.S. requirements for adoptive parents, you need to meet the requirements of Barbados as described in the Who Can Adopt section.


3. Be Matched with a Child


If you are eligible to adopt, and a child is available for intercountry adoption, the central adoption authority in Barbados will provide you with a referral to a child. Each family must decide for itself whether or not it will be able to meet the needs of a particular child and provide a permanent family placement for the referred child. .

The child must be eligible to be adopted according to Barbadian requirements, as described in the Who Can be Adopted section. The child must also meet the definition of an orphan under U.S. law. Learn more.


4. Adopt the Child (or Gain Legal Custody) in Barbados


The process for finalizing the adoption (or gaining legal custody) in Barbados generally includes the following:


  • ROLE OF THE ADOPTION AUTHORITY: The laws that govern adoptions in Barbados are the Child Care Act and the Adoption Act. The Child Care Board administers these laws. Upon being notified of a prospective parent's intent to adopt, the Child Care Board will contract a social welfare agency abroad to do a home study. The home study conducted for U.S. immigration procedures (form I-600A) is acceptable. Upon completion of the home study, the adoptive parents should submit it to the Child Care Board for review. After the Child Care Board approves the home study, the Child Care Board will identify a child based on the adoptive parents' requests.
  • ROLE OF THE COURT: The adoptive parents (using an attorney) will need to obtain an order from a Barbadian court authorizing the care and custody of the minor after they have been matched with a child by the Child Care Board. The adoptive parents are required to come to Barbados to attend the High Court hearing for the license and to receive the child into their care.
  • TIME FRAME: It will typically take non-Barbadians, including U.S. citizens, between six months and a year to adopt a Barbadian child, but it can take longer due to sometimes-lengthy Barbadian court procedures.
  • ADOPTION FEES: The U.S. Embassy in Barbados discourages the payment of any fees that are not properly receipted, "donations," or "expediting" fees, that may be requested from prospective adoptive parents. Such fees have the appearance of "buying" a baby and put all future adoptions in Barbados at risk. Average adoption attorney fees in Barbados are approximately U.S. $3000, which includes court fees. However, fees may vary depending on the attorney. It is necessary for the applicants to use an attorney in Barbados who will apply for the license on their behalf. There are no fees for filing adoption paperwork with the Child Care Board.
  • DOCUMENTS REQUIRED: A completed home study and supporting documents:
1. Birth certificate of each prospective adoptive parent;
2. Marriage certificate and divorce documents (if applicable);
3. Medical report of each prospective adoptive parent, to be conducted in the parent's country of residence;
4. Police reference;
5. Three (3) personal references known for a period of at least five (5) years and not family members;
6. Statement of applicant(s) income.


NOTE: Additional documents may be requested.


5. Apply for the Child to be Found Eligible for Adoption


After you finalize the adoption (or gain legal custody) in Barbados, the U.S Government, Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) MUST determine whether the child is eligible under U.S. law to be adopted (Form I-600). Learn how.


6. Bring Your Child Home


Now that your adoption is complete (or you have obtained legal custody of the child), there are a few more steps to take before you can head home. Specifically, you need to apply for several documents for your child before he or she can travel to the United States:


1. Birth Certificate

You will first need to apply for a new birth certificate for your child, so that you can later apply for a passport. Your name will be added to the new birth certificate.

If the adoption is completed in Barbados, the adoptive parents should apply to the Office of the Registrar for a new birth certificate. If the adoption is to take place in the adoptive parents' country of residence, the child must have a passport issued by Barbados Immigration in order to apply for an immigrant visa.


2. Barbados Passport

Your child is not yet a U.S. citizen, so he/she will need a travel document or Passport from Barbados.


3. U.S. Immigrant Visa

After you obtain the new birth certificate and passport for your child, you also need to apply for an U.S. visa from the United States Embassy for your child. After the adoption (or custody for purpose of adoption) is granted, visit the U.S. Embassy for final review and approval of the child's I-600 petition and to obtain a visa for the child. This immigrant visa allows your child to travel home with you. As part of this process, the Consular Officer must be provided the "Panel Physician's" medical report on the child if it was not provided during the provisional approval stage.


Prospective adoptive parents should contact the U.S. Embassy in Barbados as soon as they receive their approved I-600A or I-600 from the Department of Homeland Security's division of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).


Upon receipt of the approved I-600A or I-600 cable or fax approval from the Department of Homeland Security, the U.S. Embassy will send the petitioner instructions on how to apply for the immigrant visa. After the petitioner returns the completed forms, DS-260 Part 1 and DS-2001, the U.S. Embassy will schedule the visa appointment and mail the appointment letter to the petitioner. The petitioner can also call the Embassy at: 246-431-0225 and request an appointment to coincide with their visit to the island when they complete the adoption. The petitioner must present the following documents at the visa interview:


  1. Certified adoption certificate;
  2. Court documents;
  3. Release documents from the birth parent(s)
  4. Child's valid passport;
  5. (4) full face color photographs of the child (2 x 2 on white background);
  6. Copy of the child's medical examination (instructions will be given to the adoptive parents); and
  7. The immigrant visa fee.


If the U.S. Embassy is does not have the approved I-600, the petitioner must present a copy of their home study and evidence of support. If the petitioner has all the required documents and the applicant does not have any ineligibility, the visa can be issued the same day as the application.


NOTE: Visa issuance after the final interview now generally takes at least 24 hours and it will not normally be possible to provide the visa to adoptive parents on the day of the interview. Adoptive parents should verify current processing times at the appropriate consulate or embassy before making final travel arrangements.


Child Citizenship Act


For adoptions finalized abroad: The Child Citizenship Act of 2000 allows your new child to acquire American citizenship automatically when he or she enters the United States as lawful permanent residents.

For adoptions finalized in the United States: The Child Citizenship Act of 2000 allows your new child to acquire American citizenship automatically when the court in the United States issues the final adoption decree.


Please be aware that if your child did not qualify to become a citizen upon entry to the United States, it is very important that you take the steps necessary so that your child does qualify as soon as possible. Failure to obtain citizenship for your child can impact many areas of his/her life including family travel, eligibility for education and education grants, and voting.


Learn more about the [https://www.uscis.gov/laws-and-policy/legislation/immigration-and-nationality-act Child Citizenship Act].

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