The Children of The Congo

The poorest Country in the world is The Democratic Republic of The Congo. Congo is the largest country in the world that has French as it’s offical language. The country has been devastated by war. A war that has already killed 5.4 million people. It is thought that as many as 45,000 people per month die in the Congo. Congo is also believed to be the worst place in the world to be a women. The locals belive that sleeping with a virgin girl will cure AIDS. The Democratic Republic of the Congo is just beginning to open their doors to international adoption. The Congo is a non-Hague country. The Children: Children are available from infancy to early teens, but most children who are available for adoption are between 6 and 14 years of age. Sibling groups are not common. However, adopting two unrelated children at the same time is possible. All children are tested for HIV and sometimes tested for Sickle Cell Anemia, Hepatitis B and C. Older children are also screened for TB. Malnutrition and upper respiratory illnesses are common among these children.. Parent Qualifications: Both married couples and singles may adopt from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. There are currently no upper age restrictions for adoptive parents. Families are encouraged to have no more than 2 children currently living at home, though exceptions in family-size are made. Travel: Children may no longer be escorted to the US. Parents must now travel and the trip will last approximately 8 days. (I just read this new information, and you may read that you can have your child escorted). Timeline: A family must complete a homestudy before being matched with a child. The referral of a child is made prior to the full dossier being submitted to the court. A family will be given adequate time to review a child's medical information before accepting the referral of the child. Once the dossier is submitted for a specific child, the legal process can be as short as 5 months. As a new program, families should understand that this timeline can fluctuate and is only approximate. Here are some agencys that now work in the congo (just click on the agency's name, I posted the link to their website). The Family Network Inc, Lifeline Childrens Services, Wide Horizons for Children, Little Miracles International, Inc, Hands Across The Water Inc, One World Adoption Services, Great Wall China Adoption & Children of All Nations, Wasatch Adoptions, All Blessings International