Adopt a Ghana child or infant. Ghana adoption, adopting program.

	Ghana	Travel Album

Our Ghana adoption program has helped children since September 2008. For a Ghana infant or child adopting, we take joy in sharing that approximately 13 families have completed or are completing the adoption of their children. Families interested in this program must be comfortable in knowing that we are reacting daily to the changes in process as they occur and the timing and process may be subject to change without notice. In the adopt Ghana (infants and children) program, unexpected delays may occur, and families should remain open to changes in the process as they move through it.

Adopting from Ghana: Child age mainly available

The children available for adoption from Ghana are generally aged 2.5 and up. Occasionally babies do become available. Sibling sets and older children are also in need of forever families. This is not an appropriate program for families who are only open to parenting an infant.

Eligible Applicants

Married couples may adopt from Ghana. The country does not permit adoption by single parents. Parents must be between the ages of 25 and 50 and at least 21 years older than the child/children they wish to adopt.

Program and Process

Once the family has initiated their home study and placement process with Hopscotch Adoptions Inc they must apply to USCIS for approval to bring an orphan into the United States and begin compiling their dossier for Ghana. Ghana is a non-Hague convention Country and therefore, a family will file the I-600A. At this time, the Hopscotch Adoption’s in-country team will be notified that a family is preparing to adopt from Ghana. When the in-country teams receive the completed dossier they request a child referral from the Ministry of Social Welfare. Upon the families acceptance of the referral the in-country team prepares the court paperwork that is required to complete the adoption. This can take between 1-3 months. The court is then scheduled and both parents should prepare to arrive to Ghana for a short stay of around 5 days. Once the court process is complete one or both parents may stay in Accra for another 3-4 weeks (or longer) or return home and await the appointment to return and finalized the process, enabling the family to bring the child home. In some cases, the family may not have to personally file the I-600 with the US embassy and this can be done via proxy. Families should know that, on occasion, a child will be issued an IR-4 visa and the adoption is only considered full and final after a two year custody period. The decision to issue a full and final adoption decree rests with the judge appointed to hear your case. In the event the Judge grants a full and final adoption decree, the child will receive an IR3 visa and will enter the US recognized as a US citizen. Adoption from Ghana can be completed in one trip of approximately 4-6 weeks or two short trips of 1 week and later an approximate stay of 2 weeks. Hosting is organized on your behalf and accommodations are English speaking proprietors.

* In the unlikely event the adoption court issues an interim adoption decree, the family will be required to return to Ghana or if permitted retain an attorney to appear on their behalf after a two year period to obtain a full and final adoption decree.

The Country

The ancient and historically significant country of Ghana is one of the five African nations along the northern coastline of the Gulf of Guinea. It is bordered on the west by Cote d'Ivoire, on the north by Burkina Faso, and on the east by Togo. The country consists mostly of low-lying savannah regions, with a central belt of forest.

Ghana's rich history centers on the once-great Ashanti Empire, which rose to power during the late 17th century and continued to prosper as a center of the 18th century slave trade. The Ashanti capital, Kumasi, was one of the finest and most advanced cities in Africa, and the Ashanti state even employed significant numbers of Europeans as advisors and administrators. The European presence in Ghana is also marked by the multitude of colonial forts that dot its coastline--strongholds that anchored the European trade in gold, ivory, and slaves. Although Ghana, then known as the Gold Coast, was largely considered a British territory by the latter half of the 19th century, it wasn't until 1900 that the British succeeded in defeating the Ashanti and the area's other strong kingdoms.

If Ghana was late in coming under European control, it was also the first African nation to win back its independence, in 1957. However, corruption and internal military strife proved to be apparently intractable problems, and Ghana went through an extended period of instability in the 1960s and 1970s marked by military rule. The country has since then been moving steadily toward political and economic stability and is currently one of the most peaceful nations in Africa. Unfortunately, Ghana’s economy is currently struggling and many of its people live in abject poverty. Numerous Ghanaian children have been orphaned by the conditions that their families live under, with parents who are unable to feed or clothe their children.

Fees

Contact Hopscotch Adoptions, Inc to request a fee schedule at info@hopscotchadoptions.org .

In the unlikely event the adoption court issues an interim adoption decree, the family will be required to return to Ghana or if permitted retain an attorney to appear on their behalf after a two year period to obtain a full and final adoption decree.

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