In the past, families were encouraged to travel to Rwanda to select a child or children to welcome into their homes. We have recently received word that this has changed. In anticipation of becoming party to the Hague Convention, which established international laws to protect adoptive families, the Rwandan government has modeled its international adoption process after that of other Hague countries. It has established a central authority that oversees the placement process. A matching committee reviews all dossiers and selects children to be placed through international adoption based on families’ child preferences. At this point, families can expect to receive a referral in a matter of months from the time of dossier review.
As always, both parents are required to travel to Rwanda after they receive their referral. This trip allows parents to pick up their child or children and finalize the adoption process. The duration of the stay in Rwanda can range from 10 days to three weeks. After picking up their children in Kigali, Rwanda, families fly to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to complete the U.S. visa process for each child. CAN ensures that while families are in Rwanda and Ethiopia, an experienced CAN Guide will accompany every step of the way.
