These intake eligibility requirements are a combination of agency, foreign country
and immigration requirements and are used to help us determine potential eligibility
for an adoption in a foreign country.
- Prospective adoptive families and orphans must meet eligibility requirements of
the country from which they are adopting, Citizenship and Immigration Services (CIS)
and their respective state laws.
- One parent must be at least 25 yrs. old to be accepted. If they are applying to
China, they may not begin the paper chase until both spouses are at least 29 and 1/2.
- Prospective parents can not have more than two (2) divorces per person. Two (2)
will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
- Prospective parents must be married for one (1) year before applying to AWAA. Single
applicants who become engaged while in process will be required to suspend their
adoption and reapply as a married couple one year after the marriage.
- Single males are not permitted to adopt through AWAA.
- Chronic illnesses, history of cancer, and other health concerns are reviewed on a
case by case basis and in conjunction with country specific requirements.
- Applications will not be accepted for prospective applicants who are pregnant or
whose youngest child is less than 6 months old.
- Families who are in the process of adopting who become pregnant or desire to start a concurrent
adopt will be considered on a case by case basis. Approval is based on the country
requirements of both the family’s current country and the country of interest, a social workers
recommendation and agency approval.
- One or both prospective parents must agree and initial America World's
Statement of Faith.
- A prospective adoptive family, who has previously adopted, may apply for a subsequent adoption.
The requirements of the application are dependent upon the family’s post adoptive stage.
Families who have finalized an adoption in under six months will be required to submit a
Concurrent Family Building Application along with their full application. Acceptance into
the program is dependent upon the social worker’s recommendation and America World’s approval.
Families who have been home for six months or more may apply without submitting the
Concurrent Family Building Application once a favorable six month Post Adoption report
has been received, reviewed and approved.
- If prospective parents are applying for a subsequent adoption with AWAA, timeliness
of post placement reports and the behavior of the family during the previous adoption(s)
will be taken into consideration in determination of eligibility.
- Families desiring to adopt from China, who have a history of chronic illness will
be asked by China to accept a special needs child.
- Neither prospective adoptive parent may have felonies on their police records. Multiple
misdemeanor offenses will be considered on a case by case basis and in conjunction
with the country’s requirements.
- Any illegal drug usage must be at least 15 years old in order to be considered to
adopt from Russia or Ukraine; China will not accept any drug usage except marijuana
usage that is at least 15 years old.
- Families being treated for mental health conditions including depression and anxiety
will be evaluated on a case by case basis. We encourage families to check the specific
requirements of the particular program(s) of their interest for further details.
- At the discretion of the Executive Director of Programs or Designee, additional
information may be required to determine eligibility. Failure to disclose important
information may affect client’s eligibility.
- America World requires that a single parent’s income be at least $30,000.
- America World provides home studies and other social services ONLY for the
following purposes: international adoption, hosting, domestic adoption (where permitted
by local licensing standards), foster care (where permitted by local licensing standards),
and post adoption reports. America World is not equipped to conduct home studies for
purposes of child custody disputes or other legal matters not related to aforementioned
purposes. Individuals seeking these services should contact their local Domestic Relations
Court for more information.
Note: Applicants are expected to disclose any issues regarding health, criminal
background, history of physical and sexual abuse, bankruptcy, financial stability,
disabilities and special needs. Nondisclosure will impair America World’s ability
to serve your needs and may result in termination. Please call the office if you
have questions or concerns about these items affecting your eligibility.
Note: Families who are eligible for multiple discounts (i.e. second time adopters, who
are associates or a pastor adopting a special needs child) will receive the highest
discount for which they are eligible but the discounts are not cumulative.
