International Adoption Programs

Nightlight Christian Adoptions supports families and helps children in Africa, Eastern Europe, and Asia find loving homes through adoption. We currently have active programs in China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Taiwan, Uganda and Ukraine. Nightlight conducts its Russia and China programs in partnership with other agencies. We provide consulting services for Cambodia adoptions, and have also successfully worked in Belarus and Bulgaria.

Nightlight Christian Adoptions has conducted more than 1,600 international adoptions since 1992. Our primary goal has always been to serve the best interest of orphans, so in addition to conducting international adoptions, we have also provided humanitarian aid to assist orphans — even when they are unavailable for international adoption.

Is Nightlight Christian Adoptions a non-profit agency?

Yes, Nightlight is a 501(c)(3) non-profit agency. Fees paid by adoptive parents as well as any fundraising efforts throughout the year cover agency expenses.

Is Nightlight Hague Accredited? State Licensed?

Yes and yes! We are fully Hague accredited by COA. Additionally, Nightlight Christian Adoptions has been licensed by the California State Department of Social Services since 1959 and is also licensed by the state of South Carolina. Nightligt provides Post-Adoption and Birthparent counseling services, as well as Adoption Home Studies in South Carolina and Southern California (counties of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego and Ventura).

Does Nightlight assist with out-of-state adoptions?

Yes, we can assist you in completing an International, Embryo or an Interstate domestic adoption either to or from California or South Carolina. You would just need to work with an agency licensed in your state to provide Home study and Post-Adoption Services. If you are adopting internationally, your adoption homestudy agency must have a Supervised Provider Contract on file with our office and must be in the process of obtaining their Hague accreditation.

What if we are not Christians?

The "Christian" in our name explains who we are. We work with families from all religious backgrounds.

What are the different countries you work with?

We currently have active programs in China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Taiwan and Ukraine. Our China and Russia programs are conducted in partnership with other agencies. We provide adoption consulting services for families pursuing an adoption from Cambodia.

What is the adoption process?

(Please refer to the individual country descriptions for more detailed information on the adoption process in each country.)

  • Adoption Homestudy: The home study is an evaluation and education process required by the State to determine your preparedness to parent through adoption. A home study consists of three components: paperwork, education and interviews with a social worker.
    Nightlight requires that any family adopting through one of our international programs have their home study completed by a Hague accredited agency, even if the adoption is from a non-Hague country. If there is no Hague accredited agency in your area, please contact Nightlight to discuss your options. We recognize that there are many quality agencies who have chosen not to seek Hague accreditation, however we believe a home study is such an important part of the adoption process that every effort should be made to obtain home study services from agencies who have had to meet the higher standards of the Hague.
  • Dossier: The documents required by the foreign government to allow you to adopt a child from the country. These documents typically must be notarized and apostilled.
  • Referral: Based on the information you submit in your dossier, the foreign government will issue you an official referral of a child(ren) for adoption. Depending upon the country you are adopting from, you will either travel to the country to receive the referral and meet the child or you will receive information on the child including pictures and medicals prior to travel.
  • Post-Adoption: You will register your child's passport with the embassy and provide Post-Adoption reports completed by your social worker along with pictures of your child for a period of time after your adoption, as specified by each individual country.

How much does it cost to adopt?

Each country program has its own fee schedule, and this is all outlined in our International Adoption Programs Booklet (contact us to request a copy).

Nightlight has established a special scholarship program for those seeking to adopt a child with special needs or an older child. Please contact us to find out more about how about financial resources and how we can help reduce the cost of your adoption.

What other services does Nightlight provide for families adopting internationally?

We provide pre-adoption education and post-adoption services. In the event of a disruption or dissolution of an adoption, we will help you in making the best choice for your family and the child. The policy regarding this situation is in our International Adoption Programs Booklet (contact us to request a copy).

What if we have not decided which country we will adopt from?

Many families who truly seek to make a difference in the life of an orphan find it challenging to decide on a country program. Some of the questions you need to ask yourself are the following:

  • From what programs are we qualified to adopt?
  • Age of child desired?
  • Race/ethnicity of child considered?
  • Other factors we are considering? (e.g., special needs, orphan status of child)
  • Financing an adoption: What can we afford?
  • Timeframe to adopt?
  • Support systems and resources we have?

Please talk to us and download the educational resources we provide to get more information to make the best decision. If you are seeking a very young child and want to adopt within the next year or so, then you will want to consider China special needs, Kazakhstan, or Russia. If you are looking to adopt a child over two years old, you will also want to consider Taiwan or Ukraine. Of course, older children are available from all of our country programs.

Approximately how long does it usually take to adopt internationally?

It depends on the country you choose to adopt from as well as the time it takes you to complete your home study and dossier, but typically an international adoption will take about 8-24 months from the start of the home study to finalization. Please refer to the country descriptions for more detailed information.

Will Nightlight allow us to pursue a domestic and international adoption simultaneously?

We recognize that sometimes it is difficult to decide what type of adoption you are being called to pursue in building your family. If you feel that you are open to a domestic adoption while pursuing an international adoption, please let us know. While you are in the initial phase of an international adoption, you could be presented to a birthmother. If you are considering this option, you will complete an international adoption homestudy as well as a domestic homestudy. It is a relatively simple process to convert an international homestudy into a domestic homestudy.

This option is usually for those who may be waiting a longer time for a referral of a child. Such a situation may include a family who is gathering their paperwork for Ukraine while having their portfolio shown to birthmothers.

The further along you are in the international adoption process, the less practical and more emotionally and financially difficult it is to be matched with a birthmother. Of course, once you receive a referral of your child from overseas, we cannot allow you to be matched with a birthmother, as we want you to have plenty of time to bond with the child you are adopting.

If you are client in one of our international programs, for a fee of $2,000, we can assist you in having your current international homestudy formatted to a domestic homestudy, provide you with domestic adoption education, guide you in completing a portfolio to show to a birthmother, and place your profile on our domestic website. We cannot guarantee that you will be matched with a birthmother, but you can know that while you are working on the paperwork and awaiting a referral of a child, you could possibly be matched with a birthmother. Of course, if you are matched with a birthmother, your file in the other country will need to be put on hold.

Can we be undergoing fertility treatments while in the adoption process?

No. To be healthy adoptive parents, you need to have completed all your infertility treatments and given yourself the time necessary to grieve for the biological children you have dreamed of. Only after this important step can you be truly ready to begin the adoption process. Please talk to your social worker if you have any concerns about this requirement.

What if we become pregnant during the adoption process?

If you become pregnant, please let us know immediately. We can put your file on hold if you will be adopting in the next year or so. Of course, if you already are matched with a child and have been emotionally connected to that child, we are not going to stop the adoption. Our goal is that every child be in a fully functional family in which the family has the resources to care for each child. If you do become pregnant and you do not have a referral of a child, please contact us after the birth of your child and we can discuss your adoption plans. We believe it is best if each child enters the family at least one year after the other.

What do you recommend we do to help prepare ourselves for an international adoption?

Learn your child's language (or at least a few basic words and phrases) to make your child's transition into your family easier and help you communicate with your child during the first few months after your adoption as he/she is learning English. Learn about your child's country and culture so that you can ensure they do not lose their rich cultural heritage. Attend support groups and events either through the agency or in your area and talk with other families who have adopted children internationally. You may also want to begin your child's Lifebook; please refer to our Seminars & Events page for information on upcoming classes in Southern California.

What type of information on number of placements and children waiting is available to us?

Nightlight Christian Adoptions makes available the following information, upon request by clients or prospective clients:

  • The number of international adoptive placements by Nightlight Christian Adoptions, listed by country for each of the prior three calendar years; and the number of those adoptions which have been disrupted or dissolved.
  • The number of families who applied to adopt internationally through Nightlight Christian Adoptions for each of the three prior calendar years.
  • The number of children eligible for adoption and awaiting an adoptive placement referral through Nightlight Christian Adoptions.

In accordance with Hague Standard 96.36 (a), Nightlight Christian Adoptions confirms that it prohibits its employees and agency from giving money or other consideration, directly or indirectly to a child’s parent(s), other individual(s) or an entity as payment for the child or as an inducement to release the child. If permitted or required by the child’s country of origin, an agency may remit reasonable payments for activities related to the adoption proceedings, pre-birth and birth medical costs, the care of the child, the care of the birth mother while pregnant and immediately following birth of the child, or the provision of child welfare and child protection services generally. Permitted or required contributions shall not be remitted as payment for the child or as an inducement to release the child. (Read more at the State Department's website.)

Adoption Services Menu

Nightlight Christian Adoptions is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) adoption agency, licensed by the states of California and South Carolina to provide adoption services, and is Hague Accredited through COA. Nightlight can perform adoption homestudies for residents of South Carolina and Southern California (Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, and Ventura counties).