Overview
The Philippines has an established, small, and ethical intercountry adoption program.
Many children are eligible for adoption through a Special Home Finding process if they have a moderate or severe special need (examples include positive for Hepatitis B, partial hearing, global developmental delay, limb deformity, sight in one eye, heart defect), or are age 7 or older, or are members of a sibling group with at least one child age 7 or older.
Children Available for Adoption from the Philippines:
- Boys and girls as young as age 1 and usually no older than age 8 are typically matched through this program.
- Applicants must be open to a child of either gender.
- Qualified applicants may ask to be matched with two or more siblings.
- Children are cared for in orphanages or foster homes. They are usually placed into care due to the death of one or both parents, poverty, abandonment, abuse, neglect, social stigma or the presence of special needs. Specialized services are provided to children who qualify while in care.
- Each child is matched with a family by the Intercountry Adoption Board (ICAB) and staff persons who have actually cared for the child. This results in a highly personalized process. For example, a family may be chosen for a particular child based on religious practice, a physical similarity or talent the child shares with the adoptive parents.
Parent Qualifications:
- Couples married three years or more may apply;
- Singles may apply for children age 9 or older.
- The minimum parent age is 27.
- Parents may not be more than 45 years older than the child to be adopted
- Up to 4 children in the family
- As a part of the adoption process, ICAB requires adoptive families to submit a letter of recommendation from a Christian church or organization. The letter must verify that the adoptive family has participated actively with the organization for at least the past five years.
Travel: Travel usually occurs about 4-6 months after acceptance of the referral. It is preferable for both parents to travel, though one may travel alone with permission from the Philippines. All paperwork and processes are completed before arriving in the Philippines. Total travel time is usually 7 days (one trip only.)
Timeline: Application to placement: Families open to adopting a child age 5 or over, sibling groups, or a child with a medical condition can expect the full process to take approximately 12-14 months. Families wishing to adopt single children under age 5 will have a longer adoption process.
Philippines Adoption Resources
Agencies Working With Philippines Adoption
International Adoption Agency
International Adoption Agency
International Adoption Agency
International Adoption Agency
