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Adoption From Colombia

Colombia Fast Facts:

  • 2009 adoptions: 238 children
  • Age/Gender: 57% female; 29% under 1, 29% 1 to 4 years of age in 2008.
  • Estimated Total Cost: $12,000 to $20,000
  • Profile: Both boys and girls, infants through school age, and sibling groups are available.
  • Parent Ages: Parents must be at least 25 years old, and older parents are generally referred older children.
  • Family Status: Although the Colombian government prefers to place children with married couples, single men and women may adopt older children.
  • Travel: Both parents must travel to appear before a judge, and at least one parent must be prepared to remain in Colombia for the duration of the 4-week in-country adoption process.
  • Timeline: Approximately 18 to 30 months, with longer timeframes for younger infants.

Colombia Adoption Directory

Find an adoption agency placing children from Colombia in your state:

Colombia, a full member of the Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoption, processes adoptions through the Colombian Family Welfare Institute (ICBF). The country doesn’t allow any private adoptions, and parents must travel and appear before a family judge in Colombia to complete an adoption. The waiting children in Colombia range in age from three months to 15 years. Sibling groups and older children are also available. Waiting children in Colombia are well cared for in private or government-run orphanages or foster homes. Detailed medical and developmental information is often available.

ICBF matches the child and family, and selects older children for older parents: Parents 25 to 28 qualify for a child younger than three; parents 39 to 41 may adopt a three- to four-year-old; parents 42 to 44 qualify for a five- to six-year-old; and parents 45 to 55 may adopt a child older than seven. Learn more about adoption from Colombia at the U.S. Department of State's Colombia page.

Helpful articles for Colombia adopters

  • Our Proud Heritage
    by Rosemary Barbera, Ph.D.
    "As Latino parents, we know firsthand the discrimination our children will face."
  • At Home in Two Worlds
    by Leceta Chisholm Guibault
    "From an early age, my children needed to know where they belonged—and where they came from."
  • Saying No to Racism
    by Gloria G. Rodriguez, Ph.D.
    You can offer your children support—and the tools they need to fight back.
  • Habla Espanol?
    by Laurie R. Weaver, Ed.D.
    Learning spanish can help your child explore her birth culture and identity.

Best websites for Colombia adopters