Dear Prospective Adoptive Family,

Transcription

1 Dear Prospective Adoptive Family, Thank you for your interest in Generations Adoptions! We are honored that you are considering Generations Adoptions as you prayerfully begin your adoption journey. Generations is a nonprofit child placing agency licensed by the State of Texas. We are privileged to work with families across the U.S., and abroad, that are seeking to grow their family through international adoption. Many families feel called to adopt from a specific country while others are seeking God s heart and direction for their family. Generations can provide you with a variety of international adoption options through our own programs, as well as those of partner agencies in the National Christian Adoption Fellowship. Generations also offers home study services, post placement, and post adoption services for families residing in Texas. Our mission is to provide permanent Christian adoptive families for children in need; counseling and support services for women throughout their pregnancy; and Christian families for orphans from around the globe. We offer both domestic and international adoption programs. Generations Adoptions is a Hague accredited agency through the Council on Accreditation. We have six International Adoption opportunities for you to choose from. We offer programs in Uganda and Cameroon. We also work in partnerships with two other agencies to offer additional international opportunities. One partnership is with Nightlight to provide adoption of children with special needs from China and Hong Kong. The second is with International Child Foundation (ICF) to offer adoptions from Mexico and Burundi. Please prayerfully consider these opportunities for your international adoption journey. For our Mexico and Burundi partnership with ICF, we take families through the beginning of the process through an Orientation, Home Study (for families in Texas), and help to prepare your Dossier. After the completion of your dossier, you will transfer to work with the caseworker at ICF for the remainder of your in-country process, and then we will conduct your post-adoption visits after your bring your child(ren) home. ICF is the agency approved in both Mexico and Burundi and will act as your Primary Provider for your adoption process, while we assist to support you as a local agency during your process. After prayerful consideration, if it is your joint opinion that you qualify as an adoptive couple with Generations Adoptions and would like to further pursue adoption through our agency, please submit the attached application, and other included forms, to our office. We pray that we will be able to assist you as God leads you to adopt internationally. Do not hesitate to call or us with questions. Heather McAnear, our International Adoption Supervisor, can be reached at heather@generationsadoptions.org. Our toll free number is HOPE. We look forward to hearing from you. Together in Christ, Cathy Sones, Executive Director

2 Eligibility Requirements Mexico Generations Adoptions 1. The Adoptive couple must be a legally married husband and wife who have a stable marriage. The adoptive couple must be married a minimum of three years. Exceptions can be made for qualified applicants in their second year of marriage. 2. The adoptive couple needs to each be professing Christians and members of the same church affiliation within the limits of traditional Christianity. Generations is Christian organization and our main criteria is to place children into Christian families. 3. When adopting from Mexico, the adoptive parents must be at least 25 years old and 17 years older than the child they are adopting. 4. The adoptive couple must commit to and acknowledge the importance of one parent being a stay at home parent to the extent reasonably possible, particularly during the initial 6 months of the child being home. This stay at home parent may work up to 20 hours per week outside the home if necessary. 5. The adoptive couple must submit a proof of employment and have a good employment record. 6. The adoptive couple must be in good physical, mental, and emotional health. If health problems exist, the applicant must be under the care of a physician or mental health professional who can attest to their ability to adopt. 7. The adoptive couple needs to be financially secure. 8. The adoptive couple must complete the adoption application. This is used as a screening tool to ensure that the couple meets our criteria. The admissions committee makes the final decision on whether or not a couple is a good fit for our agency. 10. The adoptive couple must complete all required adoptive parent training during the home study stage. 11. They must successfully complete an adoptive home study in accordance with the laws of their state of residence, US Citizenship and Immigration Service, and Department of State. Home visits will be scheduled during normal business hours. All family members are required to be present. 12. Each couple must consent to a search and for the agency to review the results of a Criminal History, Central Registry Background Check, and FBI fingerprint check. Adoptive applicants cannot have a criminal record to adopt from Mexico or Burundi. 13. The adoptive couple must be able to allow the child to receive generally accepted medical care and treatment (including life saving and invasive procedures) as recommended by competent licensed medical care providers. 14. The Board reserves the right to accept or reject any applicant based upon what the Board determines is in the best interest of the mission of this agency.

3 International Child Foundation Hague Accredited, Licensed, Non-Profit Adoption Agency & Humanitarian Organization Toll Free ~ Phoenix ~ Tucson Efax ~ info@childfound.org ~ MEXICO ADOPTION MEXICO ADOPTION Overview Welcome to Mexico adoption! International Child Foundation (ICF) began the Mexico adoption program with Lic. Ricardo Gallego, and was the second US adoption agency authorized by Mexico to provide adoption services. In Mexico, adoption is processed through the SRE (Secretaria de Relaciones Exteriores) and the National DIF, in conjunction with state DIF offices. Lic. Gallego is an expert Mexican adoption attorney and, in addition to assisting our families, he trains US and Mexico adoption service providers in Hague Convention adoption procedures. He has presented for many organizations, including the National Council for Adoption. Children Referred for Adoption Children age five and older are in the greatest need of adoptive families and Mexico has made their placement a priority. Older adoptable children are often part of a sibling group that need to be adopted together. Families adopting from Mexico need to factor this into their expectations and preparation. Mexico also needs families for special needs children of all ages. US families may request children age 5 and older, sibling groups or children with special needs. Sibling groups may include children younger and older than age 5; however, most are over age 5. Children with special needs may be of any age. All referrals of children to adoptive families are made through the DIF. Families adopting related children (nieces, nephews, siblings) are obliged to follow the same procedures as those adopting unrelated children. Family Eligibility to Adopt Families entering into a Mexico adoption must have an approved home study and approval from USCIS to adopt from Mexico. Married couples or single women may adopt. Parents must be at least 25 year old and at least 17 years older than the child. If married, both spouses must express their desire to adopt from Mexico in the home study. ICF Mexico Adoption Guide Rev. & Eff. 1/1/2015

4 Adoptive families must complete at least ten hours of pre-adoption education in accordance with the Hague Convention on Intercountry adoption. Most families use on-line adoption education courses. This is typically completed while the home study is in progress. Families should continue to read books on adoptive parenting throughout the process. There are several books and resources recommended on the ICF website Timeframe and Steps in the Process Adopting from Mexico will generally take a minimum of one year. The first steps are engaging the agency, providing a home study, applying to USCIS and the preparation of the dossier documents for Mexico. The dossier includes the home study and USCIS I-800A approval. The dossier travels first to Mexico City, to the SRE and the National DIF, and then is sent on to the state DIF. After the state DIF reviews the family s dossier, children available for adoption are considered by the DIF for matching. The time the DIF takes to offer a referral varies, depending upon the request of the adoptive family and whether children that suit the request are legally free for adoption. After the family receives a referral and they travel to Mexico to spend time with the child. The time requirement varies with the age of the child. Generally families will need to plan on 3+ weeks of visitations. At the conclusion of the visit or visits, the director of the DIF, family (and child, if age appropriate) agree to move forward with the placement. After the family is in agreement about accepting a referral, the DIF issues the formal referral, the Article 16 and Article 17 reports, with the child s legal, social and medical history. The referral documents are translated and submitted to USCIS with the family s I-800 form and other required documents. USCIS replies within two weeks. After the I-800 is provisionally approved by USCIS, the file is transferred to the US Embassy in Mexico City. The US Embassy initiates the visa application process with a Consular Officer, which requires additional documents from the family, including the DS 260. If the Consular Officer determines the child appears eligible to immigrate to the US, the SRE/National DIF will be notified, and this notification is called the Article 5 letter. Prospective adoptive parents CANNOT move forward in the adoption process until the Article 5 letter is issued. At this juncture the judicial process begins. This may take one to six months. As the Central Authority, the DIF is responsible for initiating this step in the process. The Court issues the adoption decree, which provides for the child to receive a new birth certificate, which allows the child to apply for a passport. The final steps include court documents and approval from the state DIF are sent with the new birth certificate and other documents as may be requested to the US Embassy and the SRE in Mexico City. The US Consular Officer reviews and sends documents to the SRE which in turn reviews them and, when approved, the SRE issues the Article 23 certificate of Hague adoption. The family and child are then eligible to travel to Mexico City to meet with the US Embassy and, pending a medical exam and lab reports for the child, will be issued a visa for the child to enter the US. This will require at least one week in Mexico City. When the child s visa is issued the case is completed. The family may return to the US with their child. ICF Mexico Adoption Guide Rev. & Eff. 1/1/2015

5 Note: 1) Documents in English for presentation in Mexico must be translated to Spanish. All documents in Spanish re the child and adoption must be translated to English. This adds expense and time to the adoption process. 2) Families are obligated to provide post adoption reports per the requirements of the DIF and/or their state law or agency. A minimum of three reports is required. These are legal obligations; a compliance deposit may be required. Special Note All ICF adoption services in Mexico are provided under the direction of Lic. Ricardo Gallego. ICF does not work with other attorneys unless they meet the standards set by Lic. Gallego, which include appropriate credentials and training in Hague Convention procedures and working under his supervision. Families who may have entered into adoptions with other attorneys are required to work with Lic. Gallego. If you believe the attorney you have worked with is expert in Hague Convention adoption you may consult with Lic. Gallego about this and there will be a consultation fee for his time. Generally we have discovered that many adoption attorneys are unfamiliar with the requirements and regulations of the Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoption. We wish to draw the attention of families seeking to adopt relatives from Mexico to the message from the US Department of State, as the adoption process has changed since the Convention went into force: The Mexican Central Authority is comprised of two entities: the Secretary of Exterior Relations, or Secretaria de Relaciones Exteriores (SRE), which issues key Hague Adoption Convention documentation including the Article 23 Certificate, and the National System for the Full Development of the Family, or Sistema Nacional para el Desarollo Integral de la Familia (DIF), which implements national policy for child and family welfare, including processing of domestic and intercountry adoption cases. Both of these entities are federal and are based in Mexico City. In addition to federal authorities, Mexico adoptions also involve regional authorities and law. The civil code in each state may vary, so prospective adoptive parents need to be aware of and abide by the applicable laws of the state from which they plan to adopt. Adoptions may also involve one of the 31 state DIF offices, one in each Mexican state, and a regional DIF office. Though state and regional DIF offices play an important role in intercountry adoption cases, all processing of intercountry adoptions must be done in coordination with the federal DIF office and the SRE, which are the entities with the authority to certify Hague Convention compliance for intercountry adoptions. Prospective adoptive parents who are dual Mexican and U.S. nationals are cautioned that only plenary or plena adoptions are considered valid for intercountry adoption. The Mexican legal framework provides for two adoption processes: simple (simple) adoption and plenary (plena) adoption. Under Mexican law, Mexican nationals and permanent residents of Mexico may complete a simple adoption, which involves a faster and simpler legal process than the longer and sometimes more difficult plena process. However, simple adoptions do not meet the requirements of the Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoption. It is only possible to issue a U.S. Hague adoption visa to children adopted via a plena adoption. NOTE: Special transition provisions apply to adoptions initiated before April 1, For more information, visit ICF Mexico Adoption Guide Rev. & Eff. 1/1/2015

6 International Child Foundation, Inc. MEXICO ADOPTION FEES & ESTIM ATED EXPENSES Please review, sign and attach the following pages to the Adoption Services Agreement Please note: Fees are not refundable except as may be noted in the adoption services agreement. Fees are not waived or reduced except for relative adoption as noted. Agency fees do not increase if clients are adopting siblings; Central Authority, court and translation fees do. Agency fees are subject to change in the event of extra non-customary work. Clients will be informed in advance of additional fees or costs, such as for extra translation or changes in other fee schedules outside the control of the agency, or if the representative or attorney is required to travel to represent your case more often than anticipated. Any additional fees or costs in excess of $1000 require specific consent by the adoptive parents. Fees are due and payable as noted. Fee or Estimate Please note all fees are non-refundable Amount Subtotal Due when: Application Phase Application Information; preliminary review; file set up $300 Application Home Study $1550 if provided by ICF; $1550 or Due with HS Agency Adoption Svs Administration Fee Foreign Fee & Program Dev. I $350 review fee if provided by other agency Includes agency administration, operations, communications, marketing, general program development and oversight, US licensing and accreditation, data collection Includes foreign program administration, maintenance of in-country program; agency and personnel credentials and authorization $350 Agreement $3750 With International Adoption Agreement $1500 Due with Adoption Agreement Phase I Total Excluding Application and Home Study fee $5250 Home Study Phase Agency Case Management Fee Includes case and file management, database technology, case communication, staff training $3000 or $1500 if Hum. Aid & Development and professional education General support for social welfare programs, clinics, shelters, schools or orphan ministry (waived if adopting related children) relative $500 or waived if relative Due with Home Study Due with Home Study Phase II Total For relative adoptions: Phase II $1500 $3500 Dossier Phase Foreign Fee & Includes dossier review and coordination, $3500 With dossier Program Dev. II communication with Central Authority NDIF Translation Translation/certification/shipping of Dossier $1450 With dossier Post Adoption Administration General agency administration of post adoption reports for country/file archival $1250 With dossier Phase III Total $6200 Referral Phase Foreign Fee & Program Dev. III Includes communication with state DIF for Article 16 and 17 referral documents, tracking Article 5 letter, submission of court documents, witness supervision, obtaining adoption decree, assistance with application for Mexico $3850 Due with referral upon agency receipt of referral Article 16 & 17 ICF Mexico Adoption Guide Rev. & Eff. 1/1/2015

7 visa ($270 paid separately to Mexican Consulate), new birth certificate, copies and passport for child or children (approx. $450 paid separately); in-country assistance for Mexico City and Juarez appointments ($350 included in fee) reports from DIF and family acceptance Translation Referral Documents/Article 16 & 17 $450 With referral Translation Court/Adoption Decree, Birth Certificate $850 With referral Translation Translation/handling post-adoption reports $750 With referral Phase IV Total $5900 Subtotal Agency Fees & Humanitarian Aid $8500 Foreign Program Development Fees $8850 TOTAL Agency & Hum. Aid & Foreign Program Fees $17,350 Plus Translations Total (Third Party Expense) $3500 TOTAL $20,850 If Related Child $1500 Case fee discount + $500 Aid waiver $18,850 Note: All Fees are paid to ICF. Agency fees are $8000 plus $500 aid donation = $8500. If adopting related children, fees are $2000 less, as the case management fee is reduced and donation is waived. Foreign fee and program development total $8500 plus $350 for in-country assistance during exit process in Mexico City and Ciudad Juarez. Post adoption report fees are not included in total. Fees and Expenses paid to third parties or for separate services Subtotal Due as follows Home Study ICF International home study fee is $1550; varies with other providers. $1550 Due upon service USCIS I-800A & Biometrics Paid to US Dept of Homeland Security; application $720 & Biometrics $85 per adult $890 With Application Psych Eval. Psychological evaluation by Psychologist $500+/- Upon service Documents Apostilles and document certifications (AZ) $60 Sec of State Adoption Ed Online Vendor meeting Hague requirements $135 Home Study Representative travel costs for case advocacy Travel costs for representative for Mexico trips to advocate for case airfare, lodging, meals; typically shared with other families $350 At time of travel (this is a reimbursement) Translations Document translation/above in fee schedule In fees See above Mexico visa Required by Mexico for adoptive parents $270 After referral Child s Docs Mexico birth certificate, copies & passport $450 After referral Medicals/lab For child by US Embassy approved clinic $325 In-country Child visa Obtained at US Embassy in Mexico City $325 In-country ESTIMATE $4855 TOTAL FEES & ESTIMATED EXPENSES without Travel: $25,705 Travel to meet child & DIF Travel to bring child home Travel to State to visit with child for 5-7 days (two adults, airfare, lodging, meals, misc.); may make trip more than once to visit child Travel to Mexico City & Juarez for one trip for 10+/- days (two adults airfare, child airfare, $2000 $5200 Subtotal lodging, food, miscellaneous expense) ESTMATE $7200 TOTAL FEES & ESTIMATED EXPENSES WITH TRAVEL ESTIMATE: $32,905 ICF Mexico Adoption Guide Rev. & Eff. 1/1/2015

8 ICF & Mexico require adoptive families to provide a minimum of five post adoption reports at 3 mo, 6 mo, 1 year, 1-1/2 years and 2 years after placement. In addition, Mexico may require annual reports until the child reaches adulthood or at age 16 or age 18. The cost of reports will vary between providers. Typically your home study provider will also prepare the post adoption reports. ICF post adoption reports are $350 for one child or $400 for two children. A post adoption report deposit may be required. If your child does not arrive into the US on an IR-3 or IH-3 visa conferring automatic citizenship, families must also finalize their adoption in their home state and additional fees for this process will be incurred. Costs will vary between states per state regulations. Adoptions take many months. Fees and costs are subject to change during the course of an adoption. Ask your tax preparer about the adoption tax credit. Parent agrees to make payments as outlined above. Parent understands that cost for travel estimates are separate from agency fees, and airfare and lodging costs vary. Fees paid to US CIS and out-of-state home study providers are also separate. Post adoption reports are required and family agrees to provide reports in compliance with the agency and laws of the state and foreign country. Fees are subject to change. International Child Foundation is a non-sectarian adoption agency, and welcomes families of every faith as prospective adoptive parents. In the event that a foreign government imposes specific requirements of families, or restrictions governing eligibility to adopt, International Child Foundation will, to the best of its ability, inform prospective parents as to the expectations of the foreign country. Families understand that all parties are acting in good faith toward a successful adoption but that the outcome of the adoption process cannot be guaranteed, and that fees are paid for services rendered and for the maintenance of adoption programs, whether or not a child is placed with the adoptive family. Parent Date Parent Date ICF Representative Date Please note: All referrals of children for adoption are made through Central or government authorities with jurisdiction over child welfare. While we welcome donations for our aid programs, donations have no effect on an adoption process or referrals. Donations are for the general aid fund and cannot be directed toward or benefit a particular person or entity. ICF Mexico Adoption Guide Rev. & Eff. 1/1/2015

9 Procedures for Families Adopting from ICF Partnership Program 1. Review Generations introductory Parent Packet from the website or request through the mail. This includes the information packet for the program with ICF. Call the Program Manager at Generations with questions. 2. Complete Generations online application ( and print, sign, and submit online the Child Care Commitment & Action Plan and Statement of Faith and Christian Faith Questionnaire included in this packet. 3. Receive ICF Application and submit to ICF along with Application Fee and signed Fee Agreement. 4. Attend an Orientation call conducted by ICF Mexico program director and Generations Adoptions program manager. 5. Complete Adoption Service Agreement with ICF and submit to their office with fees from Phase I. 6. Complete ten (10) hours of Adoptive Parent Training and meet with International Program Manager for additional training. 7. Once training is complete and references have been received by the agency, obtain a home study conducted by this agency with Criminal and Child Abuse background checks. Home Study Fee of $1, (plus mileage if over 30 miles; plus lodging and meals if over 60 miles) is payable at first home study visit. 8. Final approval or disapproval from admissions committee (Director, Child Placing Management Supervisor, and Program Manager). 9. Submit home study and required documentation to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and await approval. Get fingerprints done when USCIS requests. 10. Receive I-171H home study approval from USCIS. 11. Collect documentation for dossier and send to ICF program director once approved by USCIS. 12. Begin process to adopt in Mexico with guidance from ICF program director. Generations Adoptions program manager will stay in contact with you during this time to provide additional assistance and support. 13. After you return to the US with your child, Generations Adoptions will conduct the required post-adoption supervision visits and reports. Post-adoption services fee of $ is payable at each time of service. 14. Complete re-adoption process in U.S. courts within 12 months of returning to U.S.

10 Who We Are As An Agency As a non-denominational Christian ministry serving Christian families, Generations Adoptions desires that families know and understand the foundation that this ministry is established upon. Generations is committed to placing children with married Christian couples who have an active and vibrant Christian faith. Generations seeks families that have a firm commitment to live according to God's Word and to teach their child(ren) who Jesus is so that they, too, can come to have a personal relationship with Him. We want you to consider carefully if we are the right agency for your family, taking into account our values as a Christian ministry. We recognize there are many wonderful adoption agencies, with different requirements that may better meet your needs as you expand your family. We believe it is our responsibility as an agency to understand each applicant s Christian faith, and consider it crucial to our fulfillment of the very foundation of our ministry to evaluate if we are the right agency for you as well. In an effort to help us understand your beliefs and practices, we ask that you read the following Statement of Faith carefully and determine if you both are in complete agreement. In addition we ask that you each complete the Christian Faith Experience questions completely, describing your beliefs and practices. Please return your responses with the pre-application. Generations Adoptions Statement of Faith (Adapted from the National Association of Evangelicals Statement of Faith) 1. We believe the Bible to be the inspired, the only infallible, authoritative Word of God. 2. We believe that there is one God, eternally existent in three persons; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. 3. We believe in the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ, in His virgin birth, in His sinless life, in His miracles, in His vicarious and atoning death through His shed blood, in His bodily resurrection, in His ascension to the right hand of the Father, and in His personal return in power and glory. 4. We believe that for the salvation of lost and sinful men, regeneration by the Holy Spirit is absolutely essential, and that this salvation is received through faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord and not as a result of good works. 5. We believe in the present ministry of the Holy Spirit by whose indwelling the Christian is enabled to live a godly life and to perform good works. 6. We believe in the resurrection of both the saved and the lost; they that are saved unto the resurrection of life and they that are lost unto the resurrection of damnation. 7. We believe in the spiritual unity of believers in our Lord Jesus Christ. We are in complete agreement with the above Statement of Faith. Signature of Prospective Adoptive Father Signature of Prospective Adoptive Mother Date Date

11 Husband s/wife s Christian Faith Experience Both husband and wife must answer each of the following questions on separate sheets of paper. Please make sure your answers are typed and include the numbers below with each response. Include your signature and date at the end of your responses. Read ALL of the questions first before answering. 1. Please describe what the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ means to you personally. 2. How does one become a Christian? 3. Briefly describe how you became a Christian. 4. Describe your spiritual growth and experience since becoming a Christian. 5. How do you address sin in your life? 6. How does your personal relationship with Jesus Christ affect your daily life? 7. How do you know that you have complete assurance that you are going to Heaven? What Bible verses can you name that give you this assurance?

12 Child Care Commitment and Action Plan Eligibility Requirement: The adoptive couple must commit to and acknowledge the importance of one parent being a stay at home parent to the extent reasonably possible, particularly during the initial 6 months of the child being home. This stay at home parent may work up to 20 hours per week outside the home if necessary. Description of Action Plan for Implementing Eligibility Requirement: We commit to implementing the above plan to care for our prospective adoptive child. If any changes need to be made to the plan, we will submit such changes in writing to Generations for approval before implementing any modifications of the plan. Prospective Adoptive Father Signature Date Prospective Adoptive Mother Signature Date