Nightlight Christian Adoptions is happy to announce we are licensed to work in Ecuador and are currently accepting applications for families looking to adopt internationally! Most children available are over the age of 6 and there are many sibling groups available. There are some younger children available with medical needs. Children in Ecuador are of Hispanic descent. We receive files of children periodically that are waiting and these are sent to all agencies licensed to work in Ecuador. We are able to match waiting families with these children or advocate for them on AdoptionBridge.org.
In order to adopt from Ecuador, you will want to consider the following eligibility criteria:
- You should be between the ages of 25 to 51 years old. There should be no more than 45 years age difference between the youngest parent and the child to be adopted.
- Couples must be married for 3 years. Single women are allowed to adopt as well.
- They expect that parents will know some basic Spanish skills. If you do not, you will be expected to take a language course and receive a certificate.
If you are interested in adopting from Ecuador, the first step is to inquire with Nightlight to determine if you are eligible. If it is determined that the program is a good fit for you, you will follow these steps.
- Fill out and application with Nightlight Christian Adoptions.
- Complete an orientation with your program coordinator.
- Begin a home study for an international adoption. If you live in one of the 10 states where Nightlight is licensed, you will be required to use us for the home study process. If you live outside of our licensed area, we will let you know which agency is preferred for your home study.
- File your I-800A application with United States Citizenship and Immigration Services.
- Complete your dossier for Ecuador.
- Once your dossier is registered with the central authority in Ecuador, they will begin looking for an appropriate match. They have regular meetings where a committee looks at the families that are waiting and matches them with the children available. The wait time for a match will vary depending on your openness to age, gender, sibling groups, and special needs.
- After you have been matched, you will complete a referral review with Nightlight’s social services team to ensure you are prepared for the placement.
- You will then file your I-800 with United States Citizenship and Immigration Services.
- When you travel to Ecuador, you must prepare to be in country for 8-10 weeks. There will be a 1-week bonding period prior to the adoption finalization. You will complete the legalization process and with the help of our attorney, you will obtain the birth certificate, ID card, and passport for the child.
- After you arrive home, you will be required to complete post adoption reports at 1 month, 4 months, 8 months, 12 months, 18 months, and 24 months after the finalization date. A social worker will come to your home to complete these reports.
We would love to talk with you more about adoption from Ecuador if this sounds like a program that would be right for you! Our Ecuador program coordinator is Rebecca Tolson. You can contact her by email at Rebecca@nightlight.org, by phone at (859)263-9964, or you can fill out our Online Inquiry Form and indicate your interest in Ecuador and she will contact you.
