| Children Available for DRC Adoption | DRC Adoption Requirements | DRC Adoption Timeline |
| DRC Adoption Cost Overview | DRC Adoption Process | DRC Adoption Resources |
Request your Free Outreach Guide to learn more about DRC Adoption today!
About DRC
The Democratic Republic of Congo is located in Central Africa and was known as Zaire until 1997. It also goes by the names DR Congo or Kinshasa-Congo, after its capital city, which is the third largest city in Africa. The Democratic Republic of Congo, or DRC, is the third largest and fourth most populous country in Africa, with over 68 million people. The DRC is bordered by the Central African Republic, Sudan, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Zambia, Angola and the Republic of Congo. Some of the country also borders the Atlantic Ocean, and its capital, Kinshasa, is located on the Congo River.
The DRC, despite being the second-poorest country in the world, is rich in natural resources. However, much of the country’s economic potential still remains to be unlocked.
CAN staff members traveled to DRC to visit orphanages and meet with our DRC team in preparation for opening this program. (Please read below for a personal story about the children from our staff!) We feel an urgent need to help the children of one of the world's poorest countries and are confident that our DRC team will provide families with a safe, enjoyable experience when they travel to pick up their adoptive son or daughter. Our DRC team consists of caring, devoted humanitarian aid workers that have dedicated their lives to improving the lives of children in need in the DR Congo.
The Children of the Congo in Need
Our staff members visited orphanages in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in November, 2010, and witnessed first-hand the heart-melting stories of the country's countless orphans. We traveled with CAN's DRC in-country team down unpaved roads to an impoverished area of town, and were met by children playing soccer barefoot in the road outside the orphanage.
After announcing our arrival to the orphanage director, we were warmly greeted by the orphanage staff members and a swarm of young, bright-eyed children who were patiently awaiting a small lunch of rice and tomato sauce prepared by some of the older children. One of the staff members walked up with his arms full of a set of adorable fraternal twin infants, a boy and a girl, who had just been abandoned only a week earlier. The newest members of this orphanage's large family of children stole our hearts, and from there we realized this was the place we could support, and from which our future adoptive families could be matched with their new Congolese sons and daughters.
As we played with the children, one of the DRC in-country team members began passing out handfuls of trail mix we had in our backpacks to the children anxiously awaiting their lunch. It was then that we saw generosity in its purest form straight from the hearts of the children. Since we had unfortunately come up short on snacks for the larger than expected number of children, those who were given the handful of trail mix began passing out one nut or dried cranberry to each child holding out their hand, so that each one would have at least one bite of our trail mix delicacy. We discovered through our visit that these children need our help, and we have plans underway to provide donations for these children who have shown us their beautiful hearts for others.
Governance of DRC Adoptions
The DRC is not party to the Hague convention. Adoption in the DRC is facilitated under the Ministry of Justice, with individual cases being handled by the Tribunal de Paix in the region where the child is from. Children of All Nations’ expert lawyer is experienced in the adoption process of the DRC. This special relationship allows CAN to offer families excellent service in every step of the adoption process.
Congolese Children Available
Famine and disease, including AIDS, are leading causes of death in the DRC, leaving thousands of children without parents. It is estimated that 15% of children under the age of 18 are orphans in this country of 68 million people. Many children cannot afford to attend school due to poverty, thus are left to the streets or orphanages if they have no living relatives. Food is coveted, and luxuries are non-existent for Congolese children, as poverty is rampant in the country.
Children available for adoption from the DRC are range from infants to 16 years old. Sibling groups are also available for adoption. Congolese children are of African decent. When selecting a child(ren), consider you may adopt the following:
- Boys and girls 6 months and older
- Two to three siblings or unrelated children at one time
If a family is adopting two children, we must receive both referrals within 6 months of each to be able to travel at one time to pick up the children. If the referrals come more than 6 months apart, you must travel twice or move forward with one.
Democratic Republic of Congo Adoption Eligibility Requirements
In addition to the USCIS eligibility requirements for prospective adoptive parent(s), the DRC has the following adoption eligibility requirements. If you feel you are not eligible to adopt from DRC, or you are unsure, we may still be able to work with you. Please contact us for a free case-by-case consultation regarding your Democratic Republic of Congo adoption.
- Citizenship: One Adoptive parent must be a U.S. citizen.
- Age: Applicants must be at least 25 years old and 15 years older than the child they plan to adopt.
- Marriage Status: Married couples are eligible to adopt. Married couples need to be married at least 5 years. There are no prior divorce restrictions. Single men and women can adopt children of the same sex.
- Previous Children: Families cannot have more than 2 children, and cannot adopt more than 3 children at once.
- Income: There is no minimum income required. However, you must meet the income requirements provided by USCIS for the child to immigrate.
- Criminal History: Applicants with a criminal history of child abuse, violence or domestic violence are not eligible to adopt.
DRC adoption eligibility requirements are subject to change per DRC's adoption laws. CAN updates these guidelines as necessary.
Compare with other Children of All Nations country programs
Democratic Republic of Congo Cost Overview
To give you a general understanding of adoption costs for DRC, 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 DRC 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.
 |
Application Fee | $250 |
| (Opens your file to review and determine eligibility for adoption from your preferred country) | ||
|
CAN Professional Service Fee | $5,500 |
| (Provides families with personal consultation, instruction and support at every stage of the adoption process) | ||
|
Foreign Adoption Program Fee | $6,000 |
| (Allows CAN to work with foreign governments for program development) | ||
|
Legal and Facilitation Fee (Complies with foreign country document translation and legalization requirements) | $2,000 |
|
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 vary.) | ||
|
Post Adoption Fee | $600 |
| (Evaluates and reports how adopted child is doing with the family. This amount is only for families residing in Texas. Fees for Post Adoption Reports conducted outside of Texas vary.) | ||
Don't forget that the IRS offers a Tax Credit of up to $13,170 to adoptive families.
CAN offers our families a Dossier Preparation 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 U.S. (a 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, request our CAN Outreach Guide.
Compare with other Children of All Nations country programs
Democratic Republic of Congo Timeline
The timeframe to complete international adoption from the DRC is currently about 12 to 18 months, depending on the time families take to complete their dossier paperwork, their preferences for age and gender, and country processes. This time frame is subject to change, so please consult CAN for the most current processing times for your adoption from DRC.
Compare with other Children of All Nations country programs
Democratic Republic of Congo 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 review your eligibility to adopt from DRC based on the guidelines of DRC's adoption eligibility requirements once we have received your application. If approved, we will provide you with our agency contract that outlines our fees, services and important information regarding the international adoption process. Upon receipt of your signed contract, CAN will start to provide you with placement services for a child(ren) from DRC.
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 DRC 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 certification, as well as authentication by the Congolese Embassy in the U.S. Your dossier will be reviewed and assembled at our headquarters in Austin, TX, before being sent to the DRC adoption authorities for approval. CAN offers a complete Elite Dossier Service to ease your international adoption process 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 DRC.
3. Identifying a Child(ren)
Prospective parents will work with CAN's experienced attorney and an accredited Congolese orphanage. It is customary for Congolese lawyers to carry out all adoption proceedings. When parents submit their dossier, a consent to adopt letter is sent to the Tribunal de Paix. CAN's lawyer can make the request on behalf of the parents in the region where the child resides. You will then be matched with a child based on your preferences, and will receive photos and information on your child. You then have two options to accept your referral:
- You may notify CAN staff in Austin of your acceptance of your referral, and CAN's lawyer will submit the consent to adopt act for your child. No travel to the DRC is required.
- You may choose to travel to DRC to meet your child, and then accept the referral in-country. Then you would submit the consent to adopt letter in person. Time spent in DRC if this option is chosen would be approximately 1 week or less.
4. Picking Up Your Child(ren)
You will be required to travel to DRC for a short trip to pick up your child and apply for their visa. First, a hearing will occur after all consent for the adoption has been given at the Tribunal de Paix in the region where the prospective adoptive child resides. Paperwork is submitted to the court. You do not need to be present for the court hearing. They can be represented by Children of All Nation's experienced attorney during all the adoption process in Congo. If a family is adopting two children, we must receive both referrals within 6 months of each to be able to travel at one time to pick up the children. If the referrals come more than 6 months apart, you must travel twice or move forward with one.
Following this hearing an investigation is ordered to make certain that all conditions for final adoption have been met. Once this entire process is completed the judge issues an adoption decree. Parents or CAN's lawyer will then complete paperwork for their child's immigration visa from U.S. Embassy in Kinshasa. Once the visa appointment is set, parents will appear in person to request their child's visa, and then obtain exit permission from the Congolese government, and accompany their child home. Your stay will be 1-3 weeks in the DRC when you pick up your child.
5. Post-Adoption Requirements
Congolese law does not require any post-adoption reports, but the orphanage where the child comes from requires two post-adoption reports at 6 and 12 months. These reports demonstrate to the DRC government and the child's orphanage the benefits of international adoption for their children.
Democratic Republic of Congo Adoption Resources
Hague Adoption Glossary
Click here to review important terms related to adoption and The Hague Convention.
Books for Parents
DRC History and Culture
- Democratic Republic of the Congo (Enchantment of the World. Second Series) by Terri Willis
- Education in the Democratic Republic of Congo: Priorities and Options for Regeneration (World Bank Country Study)
- The Congo: From Leopold to Kabila: A People's History by Georges Nzongola-Ntalaja
- The Congo Wars: Conflict, Myth and Reality by Thomas Turner
Raising a Transracial Child
- Black Baby White Hands: A View from the Crib
by Jaiya John (Soul Water Rising 2005) - In Their Own Voices: Transracial Adoptees Tell Their Stories
by Professor Rita J. Simon, Professor Rhonda M. Roorda (Columbia University Press 2000 - Parenting Your Internationally Adopted Child: From Your First Hours Together Through the Teen Years
by Patty Cogen (Harvard Common Press 2008) - The Connected Child: Bring Hope and Healing to Your Adoptive Family
by Karyn Purvis, David Cross, Wendy Sunshine (McGraw-Hill 2007)
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
Stories from Peru
- Tintin Au Congo (French Edition) by Herge
- The Okapi: Mysterious Animal of Congo-Zaire by Susan Lyndaker Lindsey (author), Mary Neel Green (author), Cynthia L. Bennett (author), Mary Neel Green (illustrator) and Jane Goodall (foreward)
- Africa Is Not A Country by Margy Burns Knight
- 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
Travel
Government & News
Culture
Official State websites
- U.S. Embassy in Kinshasa, DRC - Official Embassy news and updates on services for U.S. citizens
United States Citizen and Immigration Services - U.S. requirements for permanent citizenship for adoptees
Health and Wellness
- The Orphan Doctor - Highlights common ailments of adopted children
Support and Education
