The Adoption Guide: Getting Started in Lesotho Adoption

Lesotho Adoption
Lesotho Fast Facts: 2011 adoptions: 10 children Hague Accredited: No Estimated Total Cost: $15,000 to $30,000 Profile of Children: All children adopted in 2010 were over the age of one year. Parent Ages: Parents must be 25 years or older, with one parent at least 21 years older than the child. Family Status: Married couples and singles can adopt. Cohabiting couples can't adopt jointly, but one partner may adopt singly. Single men and gay couples can't adopt. If adoptive parents have any children over nine years of age, they must consent to the adoption. Travel: Parents are required to travel to Lesotho for lengthy stay. Parents and child must also appear at consulate in Johannesburg, South Africa, for visa. Timeline: 12 to 24 months from dossier submission to final placement. Lesotho Adoption Directory Find an adoption agency placing children from Lesotho in your state:
	Completely surrounded by the Republic of South Africa, Lesotho is a small, landlocked country and enclave in southern Africa. Since 2009, Americans for African Adoptions, Inc., has been the only agency though which the U.S. adoptions from Lesotho can be processed. Custody laws can vary by region, which may complicate the adoption process. Processing time may become longer, owing to changes in Lesotho's adoption policies, which were announced in February 2011. 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 Lesotho 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 Websites for Lesotho Adopters U.S. State Department Adoption Information for Lesotho

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