The Adoption Guide: Getting Started in Democratic Republic of the Congo Adoption

Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) Adoption
DRC Fast Facts: 2012 Adoptions: 240 children Hague Accredited: No Estimated Total Cost: $25,000 to $40,000 Profile of Children: 68% are two years old or younger (2011). Parent Ages: Parents must be at least 15 years older than the adopted child. There is no upper-age limit. Family Status: Couples should be married for at least five years. Singles must adopt a child of the same sex unless granted an exemption by the court. Couples may not adopt more than three children, and cannot have more than two children when they adopt (except in the case of siblings or biological children). Gays and lesbians may not adopt. Travel: Parents must travel at least once to register the judgment of adoption and pick up their child. This trip lasts roughly a week. Timeline: Generally between one and two years. DRC Adoption Directory Find an adoption agency placing children from DRC in your state:
	In April 2013, the Congolese government temporarily prohibited Congolese children from leaving the country with their adoptive parents as part of an investigation into an illegal adoption. Before that, there were reports that several children had been removed from orphanages by a birth parent or relative after being adopted, and of orphanages failing to release adoptive children. For more information, visit www.adoption.state.gov. View photos and get parent-to-parent advice in our online community, www.adoptivefamilies circle.com.
Helpful Articles from Adoptive Families Magazine AF interviews Melissa Fay Greene The author of There Is No Me Without You: One Woman's Odyssey to Rescue Africa's Children talks about the AIDS scourge in Africa, and more. On the Outside, Looking In Phil Bertelson, an award-winning filmmaker and transracial adoptee, explores issues of racism and transracial adoption in an interview with AF. Cornrows, French Braids, and Life As a white mom learns about her black child's hair, both come of age.
Helpful Books for DRC Adopters There Is No Me Without You: One Woman's Odyssey to Rescue Africa's Children, by Melissa Fay Greene I'm Chocolate, You're Vanilla: Raising Healthy Black and Biracial Children in a Race-Conscious World, by Marguerite A. Wright
Helpful Web Resources for DRC Adopters U.S. State Department Adoption Information for DRC

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