1. Application and Approval
To adopt a child(ren), please complete our agency application. For your convenience, you may access the application online. Click here to apply. We will promptly review your eligibility to adopt from Latvia 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 Latvia adoption process. Upon receipt of your signed contract, CAN will start to provide you placement services for children from Latvia.
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 Latvia and help prepare you for adoptive parenthood, filing with USCIS for international adoption approval, and gathering your dossier documents. All dossier documents must go through the appropriate notarization, certification and authentication processes before being sent to Latvia. We offer a complete Dossier Preparation 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 Latvia.
3. Identifying a Child(ren)
Once your dossier is approved by the Latvian government, a child(ren) is identified based on your preferences for gender, age and health status. You will receive a description of the child, including the child’s history, medical test results and photos with your referral.
4. Picking up Your Child(ren)
Travel typically occurs 2 to 4 months after you receive a referral. You will be required to make two to three trips to complete the adoption process. However, you will be able to bring your child home after your first trip. The first trip is typically 10-14 days. During this trip, you will meet your child and have an orphan court hearing. After the court hearing, there will be a 2-month waiting period while a regional court hearing is set. You will then return to Latvia to complete paperwork and attend the regional court hearing. This trip could last about 3 weeks, but parents on a tight work schedule can break this visit down to two short trips. After the court hearing, there will be a 20-day waiting period before the adoption is complete. CAN will assist you with your travel preparations, scheduling your flights and arranging accommodations. We will also ensure that while you are in Latvia, an experienced guide will be with you every step of the way on your adoption process.
5. Post Adoption Requirements
Post adoption reports must be submitted the first two years after your international adoption from Latvia is complete. These 12- and 24-month reports demonstrate to the Latvian government the benefits of international adoption for their children.
