Samoa is an island nation located in the Polynesian region of the Pacific Ocean, south of the equator, about halfway between Hawaii and New Zealand. Samoa consists of the two large islands of Upolu (where the capitol of Apia is located) and Savai'i and eight small islets. Temperatures are the same year round in Samoa, generally in the 80’s F.
Due to its remoteness, many people have not heard of it and locating it on a map may be difficult. Despite its small population, approximately 200,000, there continues to be a need for adoptive families to open their homes to a child in need.
Samoa, just like many countries across the globe, have a population of orphaned children in need of forever families. Children are orphaned in Samoa for a variety of reasons including poverty-stricken parents unable to provide for them, death or incarceration of birth parents or children removed due to an abusive home environment. Because of its small size and limited resources, international adoption is often the only option for children in Samoa who cannot be raised by their birth parents.
Here are five reasons to consider adopting from Samoa:
- Singles can adopt from Samoa. The international adoption options for singles seem to narrow each year, yet adopting from Samoa is still an option for single parent families.
- Wide range of ages of children, and siblings groups are available. The children who can be adopted from Samoa range in age from of 0 – 15 years old. However, adoptive families wanting to adopt younger children (4 and younger) will wait a longer time.
- An ethical legal process. Samoa has implemented a transparent and ethical legal process that utilizes three levels of its government to ensure all adoptions happen in the best interest of the child.
- Samoa Victim Support Group. Children matched with waiting families are cared for by Samoa Victim Support Group (SVSG). The organization provides assistance to those victimized by domestic violence, abuse and neglect, and provides a safe haven not only for children, but for adult victims as well. SVSG ensures children receive loving care, counseling and medical treatment when needed. SVSG is well known in Samoa as well as several other island nations, for the good work that they do!
- Low risk travel. Traveling to Samoa only requires one trip. Travel to Samoa is generally less risky than travel to other international adoption destinations such as places in Africa or to conflict zones. The Samoan people are generally very friendly and laid back! For U.S. families a trip to Auckland, New Zealand is also required.
Since opening the program in 2012, we have welcomed 34 children home to the U.S. to their forever families. We currently have three families who have been matched with children in various stages of their adoption process in Samoa. The timelines that the most recent adoptive families experienced are listed below:
|
A sibling group of eight and seven year old girls
| Family waited 3 years months to be matched | Children have no special needs |
| A sibling group of ten, seven and seven year old girls
| Family waited 1 Year to be matched | Children have no special needs |
| Seven years old boy
| Family waited 6 years to be matched | Child has no special needs |
| One year, 9 month old boy
| Family waited 4 years to be matched | Child has no special needs |
| One year old boy | Family waited 6 Years 9 months to be matched
| Child has no special needs |
| Ten years old girl
| Family waited 1 year to be matched | Child has no special needs |
If you are interested in learning more about the Samoa program or the waiting child program, please contact our Samoa program coordinator, Viktoriia Serediuk-Buz, by emailing viktoriia@nightlight.org.