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About the Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic, sharing the island of Hispaniola with Haiti, was the first landmass of the Americas that Christopher Columbus landed on in 1492. Though originally settled by Spaniards, the Dominican Republic, or “DR,” is a multi-ethnic and multi-cultural nation with European, African and Taíno (indigenous tribe of people originating from South America) roots. There is also a large Haitian minority living in the DR. The majority of the population carries Hispanic characteristics, however, with the national language being Spanish.
Nearly 200,000 Dominican children are officially considered orphans. Only 5 Dominican children were adopted by American families in 2010, and it is our goal to help more of those thousands of children left behind find their forever families in the U.S. Improving child welfare remains a challenge that the government is working on, but due to economic inequality, poor education systems and lack of access to healthcare, there is still a long way to go.
The DR is party to the Hague Treaty on international adoptions. The Adoption Authority is the National Counsel for Children and Adolescents (CONANI), which handles the adoption process in conjunction with Dominican courts. Children of All Nations is directly accredited by CONANI and works with a reputable law firm to handle all adoption cases successfully in court.
If you would like more information about our program, our specialized adoption consultants are standing by to help! To have your questions answered, call us today at 512.615.1515 or email us at info@childrenofallnations.com.
Dominican Children Available for Adoption
Children available for adoption from the Dominican Republic range from young toddlers to teens, the average age being 2-4 years old. They are often abandoned or found working in the streets due to the poor economic situation of their parents. Dominican children are of Hispanic descent, or are often bi-racial as there is a large Haitian minority in the country. Most children will have brown eyes, light brown or dark brown skin, and black or brown hair. Some children may be of pure African or Haitian ethnicity.
When adopting from the Dominican Republic, consider you will be adopting the following:
- Boys and girls 10 months to 17 years old
- Children with special needs and older children
- Two or more siblings at one time
Families considering adopting a child will have access to child's background information before travel. In most cases, additional information is available upon request.
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Dominican Republic Adoption Eligibility Requirements
In addition to the USCIS eligibility requirements for prospective adoptive parent(s), the Dominican Republic has the following adoption eligibility requirements. If you feel you are not eligible to adopt from the Dominican Republic, or you are unsure, we may be able to work with you. Please contact us for a free case-by-case consultation regarding your DR adoption.
- Citizenship: One Adoptive parent must be a U.S. citizen.
- Age: Adoptive parents must be at least 30 years of age. Parents can be as old as 60, but must be at least 15 years older than the child they plan to adopt.
- Marriage Status: Married couples should be married at least 5 years. There are no prior divorce restrictions.
- Income: There is no minimum income required. However, you must meet the income requirements provided by USCIS for the child to immigrate.
- Medical: If you take prescription medicine or have a medical condition, please contact our adoption consultant to determine your eligibility.
- Children in Home: There is no limit to the number of children currently in the home.
Dominican Republic adoption eligibility requirements are subject to change per DR’s adoption laws. CAN updates these guidelines as necessary.
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Dominican Republic Adoption Timeline
The time frame to complete international adoption from the Dominican Republic is currently about 18 to 46 months, depending on the time families take to complete their dossier paperwork, their preferences for age and special needs, and country processes. Parents who wish to adopt a child under 2 years old will wait longer for a referral, thus you will fall closer to the end of the estimated timeline above. This time frame is subject to change; please consult CAN for the most current processing times for your adoption from the Dominican Republic.
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Dominican Republic Adoption Cost Overview
To give you a general understanding of adoption costs for the Dominican Republic, the following list outlines fees paid directly to CAN, fees paid for in-country adoption development and legal processes through CAN and fees paid for your Home Study and Post Adoption reports. All listed fees are a portion of your adoption costs and are subject to change without notice.
Our Dominican Republic adoption fees are among the lowest available. We strive to keep costs low so that we may help as many children as possible find their loving, forever family.
 |
Online Application Fee | $225 | |
| (Opens your file to review and determine eligibility for adoption from your preferred country) | |||
|
CAN Professional Service Fee | $6,375 | |
| (Provides families with personal consultation, instruction and support at every stage of the adoption process) | |||
|
Foreign Adoption Program Fee | $2,500 | |
| (Allows CAN to work with foreign governments for program development) | |||
|
Legal and In-country Fee | $8,100 | |
| (Covers legal representation, coordinate with government agency, and adoption related fees) | |||
|
Home Study Fee (Home Study Update is not included) | $1,500 | |
| (Assesses your readiness for international adoption. This amount is only for families residing in Texas. Fees for Home Studies conducted outside of Texas and Florida vary.) | |||
|
Post Adoption Fee (3-, 6- & 12-month reports) | $1,250 | |
| (Evaluates and reports how adopted child is doing with the family. This amount is only for families residing in Texas and Florida. Fees for Post Adoption Reports conducted outside of Texas and Florida vary.) | |||
Don't forget that the IRS offers a Tax Credit of up to $13,170 to adoptive families.
CAN offers our families a Elite Dossier Service to ease their adoption paper chase and to give assurance that their dossiers are correctly assembled for submission. CAN also provides Online Hague Parent Education Courses to help adoptive parents meet the minimum credit hours required by the Hague Convention. These services, along with the other amenities available to CAN families, are designed to make your international adoption process as effortless and enjoyable as possible. These fees are not included in any item listed above.
The international adoption process requires proper document preparation, filing and approval with the USCIS. Adoptive families are responsible for paying the set fees associated with each step. International adoption also involves traveling to the foreign country from which you are adopting. Travel costs include airfare, accommodations, meals and ground transportation, in addition to the requirements for your child(ren)’s entry into the US (visa and its required medical exam, as well as airfare). All fees are set by and are paid to third parties and may vary from case to case. These fees are not listed above.
For more details on the adoption process and estimated costs, you may request our CAN Outreach Guide.
Exclusive savings are available to current Great Wall China Adoption clients in the process of adopting from China and to previous clients who have completed their adoption. Please contact your Adoption Consultant at CAN for details.
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Dominican Republic Adoption Process
1. Application and Approval
To adopt a child(ren), please complete our agency application. For your convenience, you may access the application online here to apply. If you have any concerns about eligibility requirements, please contact us before filling out this application. We will promptly review your eligibility to adopt from the Dominican Republic once we receive your application. If approved, we will provide you with our agency contract that outlines our fees, services and important information regarding the Dominican Republic adoption process. Upon receipt of your signed contract, CAN will start to provide you placement services for a child from the Dominican Republic.
2. The Paper Chase
Once your agency contract is in place, it is time to start assembling your dossier. This will include a home study, which will assess your readiness for international adoption from the Dominican Republic and help prepare you for adoptive parenthood, filing with USCIS for international adoption approval, and gathering your dossier documents. These dossier documents must go through the appropriate notarization and authentication processes. Your dossier will be reviewed and assembled at our headquarters in Austin, TX before being sent to the Dominican adoption authorities for approval. CAN offers a complete Dossier Preparation Service to ease your international adoption and give you peace of mind.
To ensure that prospective adoptive parents are prepared for their international adoption journey, our agency requires that parents complete 10 hours of adoption training as mandated by the Hague Convention. To satisfy these hours, we have developed an online parent training program that we are proud to include in CAN’s service plan. For an overview of the program, please click here. Please contact us for more information regarding adoption from Dominican Republic.
3. Identifying a Child(ren)
Your dossier will be sent to CONANI, the adoption authority of the Dominican Republic, first being translated and legalized by our in-country lawyers and staff. Although timelines are hard to predict, you can generally expect a referral 1-2 years after your dossier has been turned in to CONANI, depending on the age of the child you wish to adopt, whether they have special needs, etc. However, if you want to adopt a healthy child under 2, be prepared to wait twice as long.
4. Picking up Your Child(ren)
After you are matched with a child or sibling group, within 6 weeks you should be prepared to travel to and live in the Dominican Republic for a co-habitation and bonding period of 60 days if you are adopting a child 12 and under, and 30 days if you are adopting a child over 12. Both parents must participate in this co-habitation period to bond with the child. Once this process is complete, there are additional paperwork and court processes that must be completed. At least one parent must stay in the Dominican Republic during the finalization process.
5. Post Adoption Requirements
The Dominican Republic requires 5 post-adoption reports once a year for the first 5 years after the adoption is finalized. These reports demonstrate to the Dominican government the benefits of international adoption for their children.
Dominican Republic Adoption Resources
Click here to review important terms related to adoption and The Hague Convention.
Books for Parents
Adoption in the Classroom
- Adoption and the Schools: A Resource Guide for Parents and Teachers by Lansing Wood, Nancy Ng (Families Adopting in Response)
- Adoption Parenting: Creating a Toolbox, Building Connections by Jean MacLeod, Sheena Macrae (EMK Press 2006)
Issues in Adoption
- Twenty Things Adopted Kids Wish Their Adoptive Parents Knew by Sherrie Eldridge (Delta 1999)
- Parenting the Hurt Child: Helping Adoptive Families Heal and Grow by Gregory C. Keck, Regina M. Kupecky, Lynda Gianforte Mansfield (Pinion Press 2002)
Children's Books
- I Wished for You: an Adoption Story (Mom's Choice Award Recipient, Book of the Year Award, Creative Child Magazine) by Marianne R. Richmond (Marianne Richmond Studios 2008)
- A Blessing from Above (Little Golden Book) by Patti Henderson, Elizabeth Edge (Golden Books 2004)
- A Mother for Choco (Paperstar) by Keiko Kasza (Putnam Juvenile 1996)
- Horace by Holly Keller (HarperCollins 1991)
Articles
- Adoptive Families, the online adoption and parenting guide, has provided trusted adoption information and inspiration to families for over 30 years.
- How to Be an Adoption Advocate
- Nature & Nurture: A New Look at How Families Work
- Helping Classmates Understand Adoption
Websites
- US Embassy in Santo Domingo - Official Embassy news and updates on services for US citizens
- United States Citizen and Immigration Services - US requirements for permanent citizenship for adoptees
- The Orphan Doctor - Highlights common ailments of adopted children
Official State websites
Health and Wellness
Support and Education
