LONG-STANDING PROGRAM OF BOTH CHILDREN’S HOME AND LSS
THE COLOMBIA PROGRAM
Colombia is a Hague country. Our Colombia program offers three tracks: Traditional, Waiting Child and Heritage.
Watch an On-Demand Webinar About This Program NowCHILDREN IN COLOMBIA
Children may have been relinquished, abandoned or have had a termination of parental rights due to abuse or neglect. Children are generally between the ages of 3 months and 15 years at the time of referral. Families in our Heritage Track are eligible to adopt young children with no known needs. Please see our eligibility section below for additional details. 
Families in our Traditional and Waiting Child Tracks must be open to school-age children, sibling groups or children with identified needs. Colombia’s central authority, Colombian Institute of Family Welfare (ICBF), determines a child’s eligibility for international adoption. The greatest need is for families in all tracks to be open to school-age children, siblings groups and children with identified needs that range from minor/correctable to lifelong.
THE CARE IN COLOMBIA
Children in Colombia are cared for in government-run orphanages, foster care or private adoption homes. Children receive medical care, adequate nutrition and education. As numerous studies have demonstrated, institutional care is not conducive to optimal development, therefore children may experience orphanage-related delays.
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS
Like most international adoption programs, Colombia has its own unique eligibility requirements for adoptive parents. The basic requirements indicate applicants should be between the ages of 25-55 and have no serious physical or mental health concerns. Couples should be married a minimum of two years at the time of home study approval. Single men and women are eligible to adopt through the Traditional, Heritage or Waiting Child Tracks. Single men may adopt older boys and boys who have identified needs. Single women may adopt older girls and boys, or children who have identified needs. Gay and Lesbian applicants welcome. There can be no more than a 45-year age difference between the oldest adoptive parent and the youngest child (additional age restrictions are outlined below). Applicants must be able to travel to Colombia per the requirements of the process. Basic Spanish language skills are required by time of travel.
For Colombia’s Heritage Track, at least one parent must be of Colombian heritage and able to provide a Colombian birth certificate, passport and ID card (cedula). In the Heritage Track, couples and individuals who are 25-45 years old are eligible to adopt a single child age 0 through 59 months, or a sibling group in which the oldest child is age 0 through 6 years 11 months. Couples and individuals who are 46-50 years old are eligible to adopt a single child age 5 years and up, or sibling groups in which the oldest child is age 7 years and up. Parents’ ages are considered at the time of child referral.
In the Traditional Track, couples who are 25-50 years old are eligible to adopt a single child age 0 through 59 months, or a sibling group in which the oldest child is age 0 through 6 years 11 months. Couples who are 46-55 years old are eligible to adopt a single child age 5 years and up, or sibling groups in which the oldest child is age 7 years and up. Single adopters who are over 45-55 years old are eligible to adopt children over the age of 10. Parents’ ages are considered at the time of child referral.
Additional flexibility regarding age criteria may be available to families adopting a child age 10+ years or sibling groups of 3 or more. Please contact us to discuss your individual eligibility.
THE PROCESS
The first step for the Traditional Track is to apply and begin the home study process. If you live in MN, Western WI, MD or VA, Children’s Home and LSS can complete your home study. Then, we will guide you to apply for USCIS approval and compile a dossier that is sent to our representative in Colombia. After dossier approval, we anticipate the wait for referral to be 6-18 months for the Heritage Track and 6-12 months for the Traditional Track. Recently, families have traveled to Colombia approximately 5-9 weeks after official referral acceptance. Applicants need to travel to Colombia; at least one parent must stay for the duration of the 3-8 week trip. Post-placement reporting is required 3, 9, 15 and 21 months after the adoption date (as indicated on adoption decree/resolution/sentencia).
Families following the Waiting Child Track will bypass the wait for referral, but are required to complete all other steps in the process.
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