Ethiopian Adoption Program
Our agency operates three of the most beautiful transition homes in all of Addis Ababa (2 infant homes, and 1 toddler’s home). Our homes continue to flourish with 65 of the most loving and committed care staff who have the awesome privilege of nurturing your children daily. Our homes embrace a North American standard of quality and care that is unmatched in the area.
The love that each caregiver holds for our children is very beautiful. When you arrive at our homes to bring your child back to Canada, it will become evident to you very quickly that your child has been loved beyond measure.
Walking through our infant homes you will hear the miraculous sounds of babies cooing, smell the softness of baby lotion, and hear gentle Precious Moments instrumental lullabies playing in the background. This is a place where caregivers sing the babies to sleep while rocking them tenderly.
Our toddler's home is filled with laughter and singing. All of the children are happy and energetic. Each day has a structured schedule where the kids learn to speak and write English. They have a time of learning, singing, story time and indoor/outdoor play time. Our toddler home teachers prepare the children for their transition to Canada very nicely.
As our Faith Village project moves ahead in conjunction with "Global Reach Children's Fund" a brand new baby's home and toddler's house are being built on 100 acres of the most beautiful and picturesque land. In a nationally televised ground-breaking ceremony on January 22nd, 2008, the Mayor shared with our team the excitement that he holds for our work in the days and weeks ahead.
Our new baby's home will provide the ultimate in amenities. Each family will begin their time of bonding with their child in our "
rocking chair room"which is to be built into the side of a hill overlooking the mountains - where the birds sing and where a trickling waterfall can be heard just outside the window, next to the pond. Walking trails through the lush gardens within the grounds will provide total intimacy in bonding. Our on site guest houses will be built around the pond in a tranquil and retreat style setting. Our desire is to provide you and your family with the most powerful and memorable experience.
Our Ethiopian adoption program is one of excellence. We, as an agency, understand that the process involves much more than bringing a family and a child together -we recognize the global need within developing countries and we feel compelled to respond. Through the Faith Village project we have taken the opportunity to reach out to our world in need by providing meals, education and medical care to 500 precious community children every day who will never be adopted.
Adoptive Applicants can be either married couples or single women between the ages of 25 – 50 years old.
Once your Canadian dossier has been prepared and approved, your authenticated file will be forwarded to our representative in Ethiopia for translation and presentation.
Upon the adoptive applicants approving a child proposal they will prepare for travel to Ethiopia. Only one trip is required. The length of stay in Ethiopia is approximately 1 week. A visitor’s visa is required to enter the country. This can be obtained from the Ethiopian Embassy in Ottawa. Time required to issue a visa is 1-3 working days. Be sure that your passport is not near expiry. It must be valid for at least 6 months prior to traveling. If you do not have a passport, please apply for one at the beginning of your adoption journey so that you will be ready to travel.
Our representative will pick adoptive applicants up from the airport in Addis Ababa and assist you in arranging your accommodations at a hotel or local guest house. You will be given a full day of sight-seeing which will assist you in learning about your child's heritage and birth place. It is important to take the time to learn about the culture and history of your child's birth place as this will enable you to better teach your child of their heritage as they grow and mature.
Ethiopia requires that follow up reports be filed 2 months following your return home with your child, as well as 12 & 15 months following court decision. These first 3 reports must be written by your homestudy or social worker. Annual reports thereafter are required annually until the child turns 18.
Country ProfileThe capital of Ethiopia is Addis Ababa. Ethiopia is a country that is situated in the Horn of Africa. It is bordered by Eritrea to the north, Djibouti to the northeast, Somalia to the east, Kenya to the south, and Sudan to the west. It has one of the most extensive known histories as an independent nation on the continent, or indeed the world. The population of Ethiopia is 77,431,000.
Within Ethiopia is a massive highland complex of mountains and dissected plateaus divided by the Great Rift Valley, which runs generally southwest to northeast and is surrounded by lowlands, steppes, or semidesert. The great diversity of terrain determines wide variations in climate, soils, natural vegetation, and settlement patterns.
Temperatures range from 81 degrees to 122 degrees F.
Ethiopia's population is highly diverse. Most of its people speak a Semitic or Cushitic language. The Oromo, Amhara and Tigrayans make up more than three-fourths of the population, but there are more than 80 different ethnic groups within Ethiopia.Ethioipia remains one of Africa's poorest nations; many Ethiopians rely on food aid from abroad