With delays in China and Russia, Ethiopia has been growing in prominence as an adoption destination. More than 3,200 children have been adopted from this African nation by American families, 1,255 of them in 2007 alone.

As more and more U.S. adoption agencies seek to become licensed in Ethiopia, prospective American adoptive parents will be faced with choosing between those that have more established Ethiopia programs and those that are just beginning their work in the country. As with all inter-country adoptions, parents should thoroughly interview their agency choices and make sure they understand the scope of their operations and full-time staff in Ethiopia.

The Laws
Ethiopia's adoption authority is part of the Children and Youth Affairs Office of the Ministry of Women’s Affairs. MOWA, as the latter is known, also accredits foreign adoption agencies to work in the country. While private adoptions are possible in Ethiopia, prospective adoptive parents are generally cautioned to work only with an accredited agency because of the need to prove that a child is legally free for adoption. In fact, the U.S. State Department openly warns that "Americans who enter into private adoptions that bypass the CYAO, or that follow local rather than international adoption procedures, will not be able to take the child out of Ethiopia, and will not be able to obtain a U.S. immigrant visa for the child."

A detailed account of the rules for Ethiopian adoptions can be found on the U.S. State Department's Web site.

Ethiopia is not a party to the Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption, the international treaty that has been implemented by many countries around the world. So even though the Convention became effective in the United States on April 1, 2008, there will be no changes to inter-country adoption procedures between the two countries.

Parental Health And Marital Status
Married couples are preferred in Ethiopian adoptions, although they must have been married for at least two years, and preferably five. Single people over the age of 25 are also considered. The U.S. State Department cautions that the Ethiopian government does not welcome openly gay or lesbian individuals or couples. The Ethiopian government does not bar older parents, but prefers that prospective adoptive parents are no more than 40 years older than the child they are looking to adopt.

How Ethiopia Cares For Adoptable Children
It has been estimated that Ethiopia, which has a population of 75 million, has 4.3 million orphans. They live in both government-run and private orphanages, some of which are so-called transitional homes operated by the adoption agencies licensed to work in Ethiopia. The country generally requires that children live in an orphanage for three months before they can be considered for adoption.

Both boys and girls are available for adoption in Ethiopia, and adoption agencies report a strong need to place sibling groups.

Time Frame For A Ethiopian Adoption
Unlike the lengthy delays now facing families looking to adopt from China, Ethiopia's adoption process is fairly swift. Most adoptions are completed less than 24 months. Referrals from Ethiopia generally include not only a photo of the child, but also some medical history. This is in sharp contrast to countries like Russia, which is increasingly requiring prospective adoptive parents to travel "blind". Ethiopia, however, requires post-placement reports not only in the early months after the adoptive family returns home, but every year until the child turns 18.

Travel Requirements For Ethiopia
Only one trip is required for an adoption from Ethiopia, and it generally lasts just one week. Some agencies make it possible for parents to not travel and instead have their child escorted to the United States. This, however, can add $2,000 to $3,000 to the cost of an Ethiopian adoption.

Cost Of A Ethiopian Adoption
Ethiopian adoptions generally cost between $10,000 and $15,000.

Key Resources
U.S. State Department profile

U.S. Embassy in Addis Ababa

CIA Factbook profile

World Health Organization profile

U.S. Immigrant Visas Issued, by country