Archive for the ‘Adoption’ Category
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Attachment Disorders & Reactive Attachment Disorder
Symptoms, Treatment & Hope for Children with Insecure Attachment
If you are the parent of a child with an attachment disorder, such as reactive attachment disorder, you may be physically and emotionally exhausted from trying to connect with your child, only to be met with opposition, defiance, or, maybe hardest of all, indifference. A child with insecure attachment or an attachment disorder doesn’t have the skills necessary to build meaningful relationships. Although it is never too late to treat and repair attachment difficulties, the earlier attachment issues are recognized, the easier they are to resolve. With the right tools, and a healthy dose of time, effort, patience, and love, attachment repair can and does happen.
Understanding attachment problems and disorders
Children with attachment disorders or other attachment problems have difficulty connecting to others and managing their own emotions. This results in a lack of trust and self-worth, a fear of getting close to anyone, anger, and a need to be in control. A child with an attachment disorder feels unsafe and alone.
So why do some children develop attachment disorders while others don’t? The answer has to do with the attachment process, which relies on the interaction of both parent and child.
Attachment disorders are the result of negative experiences in this early relationship. If young children feel repeatedly abandoned, isolated, powerless, or uncared for—for whatever reason—they will learn that they can’t depend on others and the world is a dangerous and frightening place.
What causes reactive attachment disorder and other attachment problems?
Reactive attachment disorder and other attachment problems occur when children have been unable to consistently connect with a parent or primary caregiver. This can happen for many reasons:
- A baby cries and no one responds or offers comfort.
- A baby is hungry or wet, and they aren’t attended to for hours.
- No one looks at, talks to, or smiles at the baby, so the baby feels alone.
- A young child gets attention only by acting out or displaying other extreme behaviors.
- A young child or baby is mistreated or abused.
- Sometimes the child’s needs are met and sometimes they aren’t. The child never knows what to expect.
- The infant or young child is hospitalized or separated from his or her parents.
- A baby or young child is moved from one caregiver to another (can be the result of adoption, foster care, or the loss of a parent).
- The parent is emotionally unavailable because of depression, an illness, or a substance abuse problem.
As the examples show, sometimes the circumstances that cause the attachment problems are unavoidable. But the child is too young to understand what has happened and why. To a young child, it just feels like no one cares and they lose trust in others and the world becomes an unsafe place.
Early warning signs and symptoms of insecure attachment
Attachment problems fall on a spectrum, from mild problems that are easily addressed to the most serious form, known as reactive attachment disorder.
The earlier you spot the symptoms of insecure attachment and take steps to repair them, the better. With early detection, you can avoid a more serious problem. Caught in infancy, attachment problems are often easy to correct with the right help and support.
Signs and symptoms of insecure attachment in infants:
- Avoids eye contact
- Doesn’t smile
- Doesn’t reach out to be picked up
- Rejects your efforts to calm, soothe, and connect
- Doesn’t seem to notice or care when you leave them alone
- Cries inconsolably
- Doesn’t coo or make sounds
- Doesn’t follow you with his or her eyes
- Isn’t interested in playing interactive games or playing with toys
- Spend a lot of time rocking or comforting themselves
It’s important to note that the early symptoms of insecure attachment are similar to the early symptoms of other issues such as ADHD and autism. If you spot any of these warning signs, make an appointment with your pediatrician to determine what the problem may be.
Comforting a Crying Baby
It’s common to feel frustration, anxiety, and even anger when faced with a crying baby—especially if your baby wails for hours on end and won’t calm down. Equally frustrating is a baby who seems indifferent, who won’t cuddle or make eye contact with you. In these situations, you need to find ways to get your own stress into balance. When you’re calm and centered, you’ll be better able to figure out what’s going on with your child and soothe his or her cries.
Read: When Baby Won’t Stop Crying: How to Comfort and Soothe an Upset Baby
Signs and symptoms of reactive attachment disorder
Children with reactive attachment disorder have been so disrupted in early life that their future relationships are also impaired. They have difficulty relating to others and are often developmentally delayed. Reactive attachment disorder is common in children who have been abused, bounced around in foster care, lived in orphanages, or taken away from their primary caregiver after establishing a bond.
Common signs and symptoms of reactive attachment disorder
- An aversion to touch and physical affection. Children with reactive attachment disorder often flinch, laugh, or even say “Ouch” when touched. Rather than producing positive feelings, touch and affection are perceived as a threat.
- Control issues. Most children with reactive attachment disorder go to great lengths to prevent feeling helpless and remain in control. They are often disobedient, defiant, and argumentative.
- Anger problems. Anger may be expressed directly, in tantrums or acting out, or through manipulative, passive-aggressive behavior. Children with reactive attachment disorder may hide their anger in socially acceptable actions, like giving a high five that hurts or hugging someone too hard.
- Difficulty showing genuine care and affection. For example, children with reactive attachment disorder may act inappropriately affectionate with strangers while displaying little or no affection towards their parents.
- An underdeveloped conscience. Children with reactive attachment disorder may act like they don’t have a conscience and fail to show guilt, regret, or remorse after behaving badly.
Inhibited reactive attachment disorder vs. disinhibited reactive attachment disorder
As children with reactive attachment disorder grow older, they often develop either an inhibited or a disinhibited pattern of symptoms:
- Inhibited symptoms of reactive attachment disorder. The child is extremely withdrawn, emotionally detached, and resistant to comforting. The child is aware of what’s going on around him or her—hypervigilant even—but doesn’t react or respond. He or she may push others away, ignore them, or even act out in aggression when others try to get close.
- Disinhibited symptoms of reactive attachment disorder. The child doesn’t seem to prefer his or her parents over other people, even strangers. The child seeks comfort and attention from virtually anyone, without distinction. He or she is extremely dependent, acts much younger than his or her age, and may appear chronically anxious.
Parenting a child with an attachment disorder: What you need to know
Parenting a child with insecure attachment or reactive attachment disorder can be exhausting, frustrating, and emotionally trying. It is hard to put your best parenting foot forward without the reassurance of a loving connection with your child. Sometimes you may wonder if your efforts are worth it, but be assured that they are. With time, patience, and concerted effort, attachment disorders can be repaired. The key is to remain calm, yet firm as you interact with your child. This will teach your child that he or she is safe and can trust you.
- Have realistic expectations. Helping your child with an attachment disorder may be a long road. Focus on making small steps forward and celebrate every sign of success.
- Patience is essential. The process may not be as rapid as you like, and you can expect bumps along the way. But by remaining patient and focusing on small improvements, you create an atmosphere of safety for your child.
- Foster a sense of humor and joy. Joy and humor go a long way toward repairing attachment problems and energizing you even in the midst of hard work. Find at least a couple of people or activities that help you laugh and feel good.
- Take care of yourself and manage stress. Reduce other demands on your time and make time for yourself. Rest, good nutrition, and parenting breaks help you relax and recharge your batteries so you can give your attention to your child.
- Find support and ask for help. Rely on friends, family, community resources, and respite care (if available). Try to ask for help before you really need it to avoid getting stressed to a breaking point. You may also want to consider joining a support group for parents.
- Stay positive and hopeful. Be sensitive to the fact that children pick up on feelings. If they sense you’re discouraged, it will be discouraging to them. When you are feeling down, turn to others for reassurance.
A note to parents of adopted or foster care children with reactive attachment disorder
If you have adopted a child, you may not have been aware of reactive attachment disorder. Anger or unresponsiveness from your new child can be heartbreaking and difficult to understand. Try to remember that your adopted child isn’t acting out because of lack of love for you. Their experience hasn’t prepared them to bond with you, and they can’t yet recognize you as a source of love and comfort. Your efforts to love them will have an impact—it just may take some time.
Repairing reactive attachment disorder: Tips for making your child feel safe and secure
Safety is the core issue for children with reactive attachment disorder and other attachment problems. They are distant and distrustful because they feel unsafe in the world. They keep their guard up to protect themselves, but it also prevents them from accepting love and support. So before anything else, it is essential to build up your child’s sense of security. You can accomplish this by establishing clear expectations and rules of behavior, and by responding consistently so your child knows what to expect when he or she acts a certain way and—even more importantly—knows that no matter what happens, you can be counted on.
- Set limits and boundaries. Consistent, loving boundaries make the world seem more predictable and less scary to children with attachment problems such as reactive attachment disorder. It’s important that they understand what behavior is expected of them, what is and isn’t acceptable, and what the consequences will be if they disregard the rules. This also teaches them that they have more control over what happens to them than they think.
- Take charge, yet remain calm when your child is upset or misbehaving. Remember that “bad” behavior means that your child doesn’t know how to handle what he or she is feeling and needs your help. By staying calm, you show your child that the feeling is manageable. If he or she is being purposefully defiant, follow through with the pre-established consequences in a cool, matter-of-fact manner. But never discipline a child with an attachment disorder when you’re in an emotionally-charged state. This makes the child feel more unsafe and may even reinforce the bad behavior, since it’s clear it pushes your buttons.
- Be immediately available to reconnect following a conflict. For children with insecure attachment and attachment disorders, conflict can be especially disturbing. After a conflict or tantrum where you’ve had to discipline your child, be ready to reconnect as soon as he or she is ready. This reinforces your consistency and love, and will help your child develop a trust that you’ll be there through thick and thin.
- Own up to mistakes and initiate repair. When you let frustration or anger get the best of you or you do something you realize is insensitive, quickly address the mistake. Your willingness to take responsibility and make amends can strengthen the attachment bond. Children with reactive attachment disorder or other attachment problems need to learn that although you may not be perfect, they will be loved, no matter what.
- Try to maintain predictable routines and schedules. A child with an attachment disorder won’t instinctively rely on loved ones, and may feel threatened by transition and inconsistency—for example when traveling or during school vacations. A familiar routine or schedule can provide comfort during times of change.
WACAP Placed Families Update – June 2010
Dear Placed Families,
Summer is here! If your vacation plans are bringing you to the Pacific Northwest, we hope you’ll stop by our office and pay us a visit!
WACAP News
Have you ever been to the Success Stories page of the WACAP Web site? This page showcases adoptive families’ success stories in their own words to demonstrate the power of adoption to prospective parents. We know you’ve got great adoption stories to tell, and we hope you’ll share them with others! If you’re interested in appearing on the Success Stories page, submit your story here. Also, don’t forget to join our WACAP families Facebook group!
As a reminder, if you’ll be in the Seattle area on Saturday, August 14, we hope you’ll join us for our annual Kids Day event! This celebration full of fun and family at Woodland Park hosts about 500 guests and is sponsored by Wizards of the Coast. Keep an eye on our Web site for a registration form, coming soon.
Tips From the WACAP Social Services Department
Are you wondering if you’ll ever get a good night’s sleep again? Sleep issues are often adoptive parents’ number-one concern, especially in the first few months after their child comes home. Here are some tips that may help you get some shut eye.
Classes and Seminars
Heart of the Matter Seminars is offering a new online adoption webinar entitled “A Different Kind of Discipline.” The course focuses on why traditional discipline techniques don’t work on internationally adopted children and helps parents identify techniques that will be more effective. The course is offered on July 7 at 7 p.m. CDT, and the cost is $15.
Resources
The BG Center Online School is a collection of post-adoption learning materials compiled and offered by professionals who work with internationally adopted children on a daily basis as psychologists, researchers, therapists and speech/language pathologists. This fantastic resource features online courses and a rich library of adoption-related articles, among other things. We encourage you to check it out!
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Today we are going to celebrate Anna’s 10th birthday! I am making homemade barbecued ribs for lunch with all the trimmings, as she requested. It will be a great family gathering, and the weather is excellent for eating outside.
Then it will be off to family therapy for a few of us downtown at 4:15. Yes, I will admit that some of us are in family therapy to try to learn to cope with some negative issues adversely affecting our family. No, we are not the perfect family; however, as a child and family advocate, I do work to seek professional help to try and improve our family situation. One thing I can say is that children who have been abused and neglected do come with problems, perhaps even life-long problems.
I always thought that if you gave a child love, support, and security, you would be able to overcome all prior history of abuse and neglect. Through experience as a parent of 11 adopted children, I can tell you that some children can learn to cope with their abusive backgrounds, but sometimes they do not. I am having a personal struggle with one of my children, and continue to seek counseling and therapy for us.
Please keep all troubled children in your prayers and your hearts. None of them deserve to be born into a hostile environment. Also, please pray for their parents, as it is a difficult road to travel.
Take care,
Karen
Adopting a Child from Ethiopia, Part Three
ADOPTION PROCEDURES: MOLSA identifies orphans in need of a permanent family placement through international adoption. In general, Ethiopian orphans identified for intercountry adoption have been abandoned by their parents or have lost their parents to disease or other misfortune. MOLSA places abandoned or orphaned children in orphanages or foster homes, pending adoption. When a child is abandoned, by law it comes into the custody of the government. When a child is found to have two HIV/AIDS-infected parents, or one living HIV/AIDS-infected parent, the government routinely declares that the child is an orphan and assumes legal guardianship of the child. Many AIDS-orphaned children adopted by Americans come from the HIV/AIDS hospice run by the Missionaries of Charity in Addis Ababa.
Please be aware that it is common practice for the Government of Ethiopia to require that a child be resident in an orphanage for three months before they can be adopted.
MOLSA has responsibility for all activities regarding children in the country, including welfare, fosterage, in-country and international adoption, and investigation of neglect and abuse. When an orphaned or abandoned child comes into the custody of the government, the police and MOLSA create the child’s dossier.
Note – An adoption agency’s U.S. and Ethiopian-based staff manages the adoption process in Ethiopia. American citizens who are adopting privately must complete all of these steps unaided by adoption professionals.
Step One – Prospective adoptive parents must take or send all of the required documents (see document list below), already certified and authenticated, to the Ethiopian Embassy in Washington, D.C. for additional authentication. Once the Embassy has completed its authentication, the completed packet is returned to the adoptive parents. Then the prospective adoptive parents forward the documents to:
The Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs
Children and Youth Affairs Office, Adoption Team
P.O. Box 2056
Addis Ababa
Ethiopia
www.molsa.gov.et
MOLSA reviews the documents for completeness and creates a dossier on the adoptive parent(s).
- Note on private adoptions – Parents who have received MOLSA permission to adopt privately must come to Ethiopia to complete adoption requirements. Only one parent has to appear, but, if married, must bring a power of attorney from the other parent. If these parents plan to file the I-600 at the Embassy in Addis Ababa, they need to make sure that the parent who comes to finalize the adoption is an American citizen.
- Note on relative adoptions – Ethiopian-Americans who are adopting orphaned relatives do not have to come to Ethiopia to process their adoptions. They can have a representative with a power of attorney represent them in court. Married adoptive parents need to make sure that both parents have given the representative a power of attorney so that both parents’ names appear on the adoption decree.
Step Two – The parents’ dossier is taken to the Claims and Authentication Section of the Protocol Office at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Ethiopia to be authenticated. There is a fee for authentication stamps; the stamps are affixed to the dossier. The fee is 300 Ethiopian birr per document.
Step Three – The parents’ dossier is returned to CYAO. CYAO will then affix a summary sheet, on which will be noted items such as court decisions, background data on the adopted child or children, and the names of Adoption Committee members who will complete the form at a later date (see below). At this point, for private adoptions only, MOLSA usually asks the U.S. Embassy to provide a letter of support for the adoptive parents. These letters are provided, free of charge, only after the U.S. Embassy has received directly from USCIS a notice of I-600A or I-600 petition approval for the adoptive parent(s).
Step Four – CYAO submits the parents’ dossier to the Adoption Committee for review and approval to adopt. The Adoption Committee meets periodically, sometimes as often as every week, to review cases. The Committee either approves or rejects the prospective adoptive parent(s), based on Ethiopian guidelines for international adoptions. Given the volume of work before the Committee, it can take weeks before the Committee reviews a dossier. Further investigation into the parents’ qualifications is done if deemed necessary, and a recommendation is made. Only if all the members of the committee agree, and sign the recommendation, is the request approved.
Step Five – Once the Committee has approved the parents’ dossier, a child is selected and referred to the prospective parents to adopt, according to the parents’ preferences for age and sex. The child selected must have its own dossier at MOLSA. That dossier describes the child, the child’s history, how the child came to be an orphan, and who has legal guardianship of the child. Once a referral is made, the prospective adoptive parent may accept or refuse the referral.
Step Six – Upon acceptance of the referral, a Contract of Adoption is signed between the child’s legal guardian and the adoptive parent(s), or the agency representative. If the legal guardian is also the agency that is processing the adoption, another licensed orphanage can sign on behalf of the child. This contract is the basis for the issuance of the adoption decree, which shows that the guardian or the orphanage has relinquished their parental or guardian right in regard to the adopted child. The contract must be taken to the Inland Revenue Administration office to be stamped. There is a nominal fee.
Step Seven – CYAO opens a file at the Federal First Instance Court to apply for an appointment date for the adoption hearing. The court date could be one to two months from the date of filing. The Court generally is closed between three and twelve weeks between July and October. The dates change every year.
Step Eight – A notice seeking any other claimants to the child is published in the local press stating the child’s name and the name of the adopting parents. Anyone opposed to the adoption is requested to appear at MOLSA by a certain date and time.
Step Nine – When the appointed court date arrives, the prospective parents or their agency’s local representative will be asked to appear in court. Final decisions can be handed down quickly, but delays of weeks are not uncommon. Adoptive parents must obtain at least two originals of the court decree. One will be retained by MOLSA and one must be submitted to the U.S. Embassy for the visa application. The original submitted to the Embassy will be returned to the parents.
- Note – Adoptions are final. All Ethiopian adoptions are full and final and irrevocable under Ethiopian law.
- Note – Legal guardianship versus adoption. Ethiopian-American orphan adopters should note that the court decrees one receives for adoption are very similar to those granting legal guardianship. In order to receive an orphan visa, adoptive parents must ensure that the decree is one of adoption and not simply the granting of legal guardianship.
- Note – Effective date of the adoption. Usually, the adoption decree confirms the adoption contract; thus, under Ethiopian law, the effective date of adoption is usually the date the adoption contract was signed. However, under U.S. immigration law, legal custody begins at the date of the official court decree (this point is important for petitioners attempting to show two years of legal custody, not for typical intercountry adoptions).
Step Ten – After the adoption is complete, MOLSA prepares a request to the city of Addis Ababa for the issuance of a new birth certificate, and a request to the Office of Security, Immigration and Refugee Affairs for an Ethiopian passport for the child in its new name. Both of these are best facilitated if the requests are hand-carried to the relevant offices. The U.S. Embassy needs both the new birth certificate and the passport to complete the child’s U.S. immigrant visa application process.
Step Eleven – The court decree must be translated into English. The original and the translation are submitted to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) for authentication. The authentication stamp, seals and signature are placed on the back of the translation. If the adoption contract was made in Amharic, it too must be translated into English and the original translation authenticated by MOFA.
DOCUMENTS REQUIRED FOR ADOPTION IN ETHIOPIA: Prospective Adoptive Parents must provide the following to MOLSA:
- A written statement from the adoptive parents explaining why an Ethiopian child is preferred, with an original translation into Amharic.
- Original birth certificate(s) of the prospective adoptive parent (s), each with an original translation into Amharic.
- Original marriage license/certificate, if applicable, with an original translation into Amharic. Note – If originals are not available, certified copies must be authenticated by the Department of State. That authentication must be accompanied by an original translation into Amharic.
- An original Ethiopian police clearance for each of the adoptive parents (including those residing in Ethiopia).
- A medical certificate/clearance for each of the adoptive parents, with an original translation into Amharic.
- The original home study prepared by a qualified social worker, which specifies the following: personal and family status; character and personal qualities; educational background; duration and stability of marriage; financial and medical situations; present address and U.S. address; condition of home in country of residence; address and names of family of origin (i.e., parents; and the agency’s recommendation regarding your suitability as an adoptive parent with an original translation into Amharic.) Note – The agency that conducts the home study and issues the recommendation must have approval in the parents’ state of residence to do so.
- Evidence of economic status, which must include a letter from employer showing salary, date of employment, position in the organization and a bank statement. Proof of life and health insurance, other proof of income or assets may also be submitted. Each document must be accompanied by an original translation into Amharic.
- Three letters of reference from friends, relatives, church or other sources qualified to assess your character, the stability of your marriage, and your ability to parent, with original translations into Amharic.
- Two passport-size photographs of the prospective adoptive parent(s).
- If the adoptive parents do not come to Ethiopia together to oversee this entire process, then they must execute a power of attorney for their adoption agency, or if only one parent will travel to Ethiopia, the other parent must execute a power of attorney for him/her. That power of attorney must be authenticated by the Ethiopian embassy in Washington, D.C., and be submitted with an original translation into Amharic.
- “Obligation of Adoption or Social Welfare Agency” signed by the adoption agency handling the adoption, or for private adopters, from the organization that provided the home study, or by the parents’ employer, in which the parents agree to allow follow-up visits by a social worker, and to submit a regular progress report to CYAO on the child’s (or children’s) adjustment to/development in the adoptive home. These visits should be scheduled at 3 months, 6 months and 1 year after the adoption and annually thereafter until the child reaches the age of 18. This form must be forwarded together with the psychosocial study/home study and with an original translation into Amharic, by either the parents or the adoption agency.
- Verification by the adoption agency or home study organization on the child’s qualification for naturalization under the parents’ state laws, with an original translation into Amharic.
AUTHENTICATING U.S. DOCUMENTS TO BE USED ABROAD: The language describing the process of authenticating U.S. documents to be used abroad is currently under review. Please click on the following link for more information until the new language is finalized: http://www.state.gov/m/a/auth/.
Ethiopia EMBASSY IN THE UNITED STATES:
3506 International Dr. NW
Washington DC 20008
Phone: 202-364-1200
Fax: 202-587-0195
info@ethiopianembassy.org
http://www.ethiopianembassy.org/contact.shtml
U.S. IMMIGRATION REQUIREMENTS
Prospective adoptive parents are strongly encouraged to consult USCIS publication M-249, The Immigration of Adopted and Prospective Adopting Children, as well as the Department of State publication, International Adoptions. The U.S. CIS publication is available at the U.S. CIS Web site. The Department of State publication International Adoptions can be found on the Bureau of Consular Affairs Web site, http://travel.state.gov, under “International Adoptions.”
Before completing an adoption abroad, prospective adoptive parents are strongly encouraged to read the requirements for filing Form I-600 Petition to Classify Orphan as an Immediate Relative. Please see the flyer “ How Can Adopted Children Come to the United States”.
APPLYING FOR A VISA FOR YOUR CHILD AT THE U.S. EMBASSY IN ETHIOPIA: In addition to the documents and procedures outlined in How Can Adopted Children Come to the United States, the following procedures must be followed at the U.S. Embassy in Addis Ababa.
After the I-600 petition is approved by USCIS, adoptive parents may contact the Consular Section at (011-251-11) 124-24-24 Monday to Thursday afternoon to schedule an interview (please be aware that the Embassy has designated interview dates for agencies; please consult with your agency for more information). Parents should not make final, non-refundable travel plans to depart Ethiopia until they have their child’s immigrant visa in hand. A consular officer is required to review each adoption case carefully and make an independent determination of the child’s eligibility for a visa. This includes another review of the orphan status of the child and a review of the child’s medical information.
Immigrant visa applications are adjudicated based upon and approved I-600. If the I-600 is to be presented at the Embassy by one or both adoptive parents, the I-600 adjudication, the I-604 investigation and the immigrant visa application adjudication are done at the same time.
The child must be present at the Embassy for the immigrant visa interview.
Note – The U.S. Embassy in Ethiopia will conduct the investigation and complete an I-604 only if the child appears in person at the Embassy. Children that have been taken to the United States or other countries, and adopted there, must return to Ethiopia in order for the I-604 to be completed. Adoptive parents should note that USCIS will not permit the adjustment of status in the United States of an adopted orphan.
- U.S. Visa Application Fees and Fees for Required Documents;
- For information on current immigrant visa petition fees, the visa application and processing fee, and security surcharge, please see the Fees for Visa Services Website;
- Photos for the visa application cost about $2-3;
- The medical exam for the visa application is about $35. If the child is 16 or older, a police certificate is required. This will cost about $1.50.
- If DNA testing is suggested to support any other relationship claim, that cost is determined by the lab in the U.S. that conducts the testing.
- If the parent is using one of the approved adoption agencies, please ask the DHS/USCIS office to include the name of the agency in the notification. Upon receipt of such notification, the U.S. Embassy will contact the adoption agency and advise that the approval has been received.
- If the U.S. Embassy receives notification of an approved I-600A that does not list an adoption agency, the Embassy waits for the adoption agency to contact the Embassy. Once the adoptive parents are ready to start the immigrant visa application process, they or their agency should pick up the necessary forms from the Embassy.
- All non-English documents submitted to the Embassy must be accompanied by a translation into English. We understand translation services in Ethiopia run about $1 per page.
- Photocopies of all original documents, including the biographic pages of the passport, must be submitted to the Embassy. Cost runs about two to five cents per page.
- For parents who will file the I-600 with DHS in the U.S., the U.S. Embassy will certify copies of all adoption documents, birth certificates, etc. Cost for certification is $30 per grommeted package, or single document. Simply placing a “seen and compared” stamp on documents that the Embassy will retain for the child’s permanent record is free.
Note: Visas can generally be collected the morning following the day of interview.
After The Visa Is Issued
For the child to exit Ethiopia, an exit visa is required. Ethiopian Immigration will place an exit visa in the child’s Ethiopian passport. The fee for this service is about $8.
If the child will transit Germany en route to the U.S., a German visa is required. A German visa may be obtained by applying at the German Embassy in Addis Ababa. German visas cost about $15.
If the child will transit the U.K. en route to the U.S., and disembarks, a U.K. visa will be required. A visa to the U.K. may be obtained by applying at the British Embassy in Addis Ababa. A UK visa costs about $56.
Taxicabs charge foreigners about $4 to come up the hill to the U.S. Embassy from downtown or one of the major hotels.
U.S. Embassy In Ethiopia : Americans living or traveling abroad are encouraged to register with the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate through the State Department’s travel registration website, https://travelregistration.state.gov/, and to obtain updated information on travel and security within the country of travel. Americans without Internet access may register directly with the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate. By registering, American citizens make it easier for the Embassy or Consulate to contact them in case of emergency. The Consular Section is located at:
American Embassy
Entoto Road
Addis Ababa
The Consular Section’s telephone number is (251-11) 124-24-24. The fax number is (251-11) 124-35-35. The e-mail address is consaddis@state.gov. American citizens can walk in from 8:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m., Monday through Friday and 1:00 pm – 4:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday.
ACQUIRING U.S. CITIZENSHIP: The language describing the acquisition of U.S. citizenship for adopted children is currently under review. Until the new language is finalized, please click on the following link for further information: http://travel.state.gov/family/adoption/info/info_457.html
Source: Adoption.com
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