Uganda Adoption

Uganda Adoption

Uganda Adoption

Agape Adoptions is honored to advocate for the children of Uganda. Uganda is a beautiful country located in the Nile basin in East Africa. Uganda is the second most populous landlocked country in Africa, home to 33.5 million people, including more than 2 million orphans. A formerly colonized country, Uganda gained its independence in 1962. Most Ugandans speak English. In the last three decades, Uganda has experienced tragic losses because of poverty and HIV/AIDS. Agape Adoptions works with several different children’s homes in the Kampala area, and most of the children available for adoption have been affected by extreme poverty or the death of one or both parents to HIV/AIDS.

Agape Adoptions keeps the Uganda program small so that we can offer extraordinary care to each of our families. Because Uganda operates no central adoption authority, adopting from this country is a difficult, unpredictable process, requiring an intense partnership between our agency and our families. The only predictable thing about the Uganda adoption process is its unpredictability. Agape Adoptions maintains close watch on developments in Uganda so that we can provide our families with the most up-to-date, accurate information on their adoption proceedings. We always count it a great joy to see families arrive home with their new child; our hard work together has paid off!

Eligibility Requirements

1. •Parents must be at least 25 years old and at least 21 years older than the child.
   

2. •Both single female applicants and married couples are eligible.
   

3. •Families must be financially stable.

About the Children

1. •Agape Adoptions places children who are already living in an orphanage or children’s home, therefore all children
   are already identified.
   

2. •The children who are available for adoption have diagnosed medical needs or have been abandoned or relinquished by impoverished birth parents.
   

3. •Children are eligible for adoption due to having lost one or both parents from HIV/AIDS and/or having no other
   living relative.
   

4. •Boys, girls and siblings groups are available.
   

5. •Agape Adoptions primarily advocates for Ugandan children over the age of 6 who do not have an identified
   special need.
   

6. •Uganda does not allow the adoption of two unrelated children at the same time.

Adopting from Uganda

1. •Complete adoption application for preliminary approval by Agape Adoptions.
   

2. •Begin adoption home study report (generally about 3-4 months to complete).
   

3. •Assemble, notarize, and submit dossier documents to Agape Adoptions.
   

4. •Submit and file immigration documents with the USCIS office.
   

5. •Upon completion, Agape Adoptions will send the dossier to our lawyer.

Travel Requirements
Travel most often occurs 4-6 months after being matched with your child. Most families stay in a guest house, which provides private rooms and breakfast. Some guest houses offer private bathrooms and up to three meals per day. Families may also choose to stay in a hotel. Small grocery items and restaurants are readily available. The country requires a $50 per person visa upon entry. Families adopting from Uganda must commit to a one or two-trip process to complete their adoption.

1. Option 1: One Trip Process
   A one-trip process includes a 2-3 month stay in Uganda to complete your adoption. In our experience, families have found extended stays in-country to be extremely difficult. While we know that a one-trip process is best for transitioning children, it often comes at a great emotional and psychological cost for families. Therefore, we recommend that families intending to travel do so using the two-trip process.
   

2. Option 2: Two Trip Process
   A two-trip process consists of two (2) two-week trips, spaced approximately two months apart. Both parents (in a two parent home) must travel for the first trip; only one parent need travel for the second trip. An in-country representative of Agape Adoptions continues to process paperwork on parents’ behalf between their two trips.

Post Adoption

In most cases, families are granted legal guardianship. Families must comply with finalizing the adoption according to Ugandan law. In most cases, families can finalize the adoption in the U.S. courts; however it is possible that the judge may require that families return to Uganda after a period of three years to finalize the adoption in Uganda.

Three post placement reports are due within the first year. These reports must be completed by a social worker – 3, 6 and 12 months after arrival. These reports are sent to Agape Adoptions for processing and submission to the children’s home in Uganda.

Families may be required to provide two post placement reports twice yearly until the child is 18 years old, depending on the Ugandan court ruling.

Costs

The total estimated cost for an adoption from Uganda is $22,000 to $27,000. This fee includes home study, immigration and travel fees. Please contact us for more specific information on fees associated with adopting a child from Uganda.

*   The children pictured on our website are not available for adoption/placement. Use of photos is granted with the permission of the
legal guardian/parent.

Uganda Africa Map
Uganda Africa
Uganda Agriculture
Uganda airlines
Uganda airport
Uganda Idi Amin
Uganda Animals
Uganda Anthem
Ugandan Army

All Ugandan Facts