Colombia Adoption

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Many children in Colombia are waiting for a loving, permanent family.

In Colombia, many older children, sibling groups and children with special needs are waiting to join an adoptive family. All children live in foster care or group homes while they wait, providing more nurturing, one-on-one care and helping them form healthy emotional bonds. Throughout your adoption from Colombia, Holt’s U.S. staff will work closely with you to ensure you feel informed and prepared every step of the way. We go above and beyond to provide all the resources, assistance and post-adoption support and services you need. For families considering older child adoption from Colombia, Holt also offers a unique opportunity to host an older child in your home.

learn more about the colombia program

Children in Colombia Who Need Families

All children waiting for families live in foster care or group homes and are 1-16 years old at the time of placement.
Families with at least one parent of Colombian heritage can be matched with a child between the ages of 1-6 (or older) with minor or no known medical or developmental needs.
Families without a parent of Colombian heritage may adopt a child of any age with moderate to involved special needs including developmental or psychological conditions, complicated birth circumstances or family history, or a child or sibling group over age 10 with minor needs. Learn more about Disabilities & Medical Conditions in Special Needs Adoption.
There is a strong need for families open to sibling groups of two children where the eldest is over age 10 and to sibling groups of three or more children.
Families who are interested in adopting a child or siblings over age 10 may be able to host-to-adopt while in process.
Most children have been removed from family care due to neglect, abuse, poverty or loss of a caregiver. Drug and alcohol exposures are common.

Meet the children waiting for a family

To preserve children’s confidentiality, you will be asked to log in or sign up before you access the waiting child photolisting.

Waiting Child Photolisting

smiling older girl with her hands on little brother's shoulders

Host a Child from Colombia!

The Colombia hosting program helps older children from Colombia join loving adoptive families in the U.S. It is designed for families who are considering older child adoption or are interested in advocating for older children who need families. You can host an older child for three or five weeks — giving them the chance to experience life with a family in the U.S.

Open your heart and home to an older child

Colombia Hosting program

Eligibility Requirements & Fees

Eligibility Requirements to Adopt from Colombia

Parent’s Age

Applicants should be married couples or singles who are 25 years of age or older.
Parents must be at least 15 years but no more than 45 years older than the child (50 if open to an older child or certain special needs). For example, a 25-year-old parent would be able to adopt a child age 10 or younger, and a 50-year-old parent would be able to adopt a child older than 5.
Parents over age 50 may adopt an older child or sibling group based on the age calculation stated above.

Length of Marriage

Two years of cohabitation is required.
Cohabitating couples intending to adopt together must be married or able to document legal equivalent — or one parent must qualify to adopt as a single applicant.

Divorce

Each applicant may have up to two divorces.

Children in Family

There is no regulation regarding the number of children in the home, but living space and financial stability are carefully considered with larger families.
Families adopting an older child may need a dedicated bedroom for the incoming child.

Single Applicant

Single men and women may apply.
Single applicants who are in a relationship and cohabitating are accepted on a case-by-case basis.
Single applicants can adopt children over 10 years of age, sibling groups or younger children with more involved special needs.

Travel

Both parents are required to travel and should expect to stay approximately 3.5-5 weeks in Colombia.
One of the parents can return home once the adoption is finalized (after a minimum of 2 weeks).

How Long It Takes

From application to placement, we anticipate the entire process will take 2-4 years on average. Most of the children in Colombia awaiting adoptive families are pre-teens and teens. Wait times are longer for those adopting younger children.
For older children, large sibling groups and children with certain special needs, application-to-placement time may be shorter — approximately 1 year.

Additional Information

Applicants with a criminal history related to drugs or violence, or with a current diagnosis of a life-threatening disease, severe mental illness or other condition that impairs their ability to parent and/or the quality of life of a child are ineligible to adopt.
A psychological evaluation is required for all applicants.
All medical or psychological conditions and any past arrests will require additional assessment.
At least one applicant must be a United States citizen.

Fees for Colombia Adoption

We are open and transparent about our fees and want you to be aware of all potential costs involved in an adoption, including third-party costs and travel.

Holt is a Christian, private, nonprofit, licensed and accredited child welfare and family service organization. Our adoption work is entirely financed through adoption fees and donations. It is not government subsidized. We believe that children are the highest priority, and we want as many children as possible to have families. To that end, we strive to keep our fees within a reasonable range. All fees are subject to change and are charged at the rate that is current at time of billing. Holt may increase fees if adoption expenses in the foreign country increase substantially after time of application. Families will be notified in writing of any fee increase. Holt International accepts the following for adoption fees: check, cashier’s check or money order. If you would like to pay by credit card, there will be a 3% convenience fee added to your total. Fees due upon invoice.

download colombia fees pdf

Financial Assistance for Adoption

Holt believes finances should not stop a child from having a loving family. Although many resources exist to help adoptive families offset the cost of adoption, it’s not always clear where to start looking or what opportunities are best suited for your family. To help you consider all your options, Holt provides an outline of financial assistance, as well as a list of resources categorized by type.

Financing Your Adoption

couple sitting at home viewing virtual adoption financing webinar on their laptop

Need help funding your adoption?

Families adopting through Holt receive free, professional guidance and support from a one-on-one finance coach throughout their adoption process. Even if you’re just considering adoption, email us to set up your first consultation today!

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