Processing Time
From application until arriving home with your child is approximately 18 – 30 months. The largest determining factor affecting timeframe is the adoptive family’s child age request. Families requesting a child age 3-5 can expect a longer wait than families adopting children 5+ years of age.
Children Available
The children available for adoption will be ages 0 – 12 years at time of referral. Very few children under the age of four are placed with non-Indian parents. Both boys and girls are available. There are a limited number of sibling groups available. Families may request to adopt a child with a special need.
Parent's Ages
Adoptive parents should be between 25 and 55 years of age. Adoptive parents should be a minimum of 25 years older than the child that is adopted. The combined age of parents should be no more than 90 years greater than the age of the child that is adopted, and no individual parent should be more than 50 years older than the child adopted. Parents adopting a child over the age of three may not have a combined age above 105, with no individual parent being 55 years or more older than the child adopted.
Marriage Status
Couples should be married for a minimum of 2 years. Couples with one divorce in the past must be married a minimum of five years. Single women may adopt.
Divorce
Couples with more than one divorce are not permitted to adopt from India.
Children in Home
Families with more than 3 children in the home are considered on a case by case basis.
Income
There is no minimum income requirement, however a family’s full financial situation, including all debt, is taken into consideration for eligibility. Families must be able to show that they earn above 125% of the national poverty guidelines.
Criminal History
All criminal history will be reviewed on a case by case basis. Any felonies or crimes against children will disqualify families from eligibility.
Medical History
Adoptive applicants must show that they are physically and mentally fit to parent a child by adoption. An examination by a physician is required as part of the Dossier building process.
Travel to Country
Families will be in India between 1 – 2 weeks. This includes traveling to the city where the child’s orphanage is located as well as working with the U.S. Consulate in New Delhi.
**Please refer to America World's
Agency Adoption Requirements for a complete list of requirements.
