Who Can Adopt from Jamaica

Jamaican boy.
Source: flickr.com.

In addition to U.S. immigration requirements, you must also meet the following requirements in order to adopt a child from Jamaica:

Residency

Prospective adoptive parents seeking an Adoption License can generally expect to travel to Jamaica at least twice, once to meet with the Child Development Agency (CDA) and again to apply for a visa. However, they are not required to reside in Jamaica, nor are they required to attend the court hearing, though the judge can request their presence. Prospective adoptive parents seeking an Adoption Order are required by Jamaican law to reside with the child under the supervision of a local social worker for at least three months before the court will approve the full adoption. The court may waive the pre-adoption placement requirement if the prospective adoptive parents are Jamaican nationals adopting a relative.

Age of Adopting Parents

Prospective adoptive parents who are not related to the potential adopted child must be 25 years of age or older. If the child is a brother, sister, niece, or nephew of the prospective adoptive parent(s), at least one parent must be 18 years of age or older. There are no laws establishing a required age difference between the adoptee and the prospective adoptive parent when they are related.

Marriage

Both single individuals and married couples can adopt, though Jamaica does not recognize same-sex marriage. As such, a Jamaican court may not issue an Adoption Order or License to a same-sex couple.

Income

While there are no specific income requirements, prospective adoptive parents will have to provide documents relaying their financial status.

Other

Each potential adoption is evaluated on a case-by-case basis by the CDA and the Jamaican Adoption Board. Under Jamaican law, the CDA and the Jamaican Adoption Board have the authority to take prospective adoptive parents’ medical conditions into consideration when evaluating their eligibility to adopt. In practice, however, it is extremely rare for a prospective parent to be denied eligibility due to an existing medical condition.

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