Nightlight opened an international adoption program in Nigeria in 2016. We continue our successful partnership with Morgan Hill Children Foundation. Morgan Hill is currently the only organization licensed by the Ministry of Youth and Development to provide adoption services in Lagos, Nigeria. They are a non-profit organization that is dedicated to humanitarian and children’s advocacy work. There are many states in Nigeria and each state has its own adoption laws. Our adoption program operates exclusively in Lagos, the only state that will allow non-Nigerian citizens to adopt. Sometimes we are able to assist families who have completed “out of order” adoptions in other states on a case by case basis.
Nigeria is a successful adoption program but it can be difficult due to lengthy timelines, times of civil unrest, and travel requirements. Though it is not an easy program, we still have many dedicated families who persist through the long wait times, and bring home their children. We currently have 23 families in this program in various stages of the process.
ELIGIBILITY
Nigeria is not overly strict with their requirements for adopting parents. Here are some requirements in this program:
- Adoptive parents must be at least 25 years old in a couple adoption. Single women may adopt and must be at least 35 years old. Our agency requires adoptive parents to be no more than 45 years older than the adoptive child.
- Our partner agency prefers that families follow birth order. There can be exceptions made if it is in the best interest of the child.
- Nigeria can be strict when it comes to mental health issues in the birth family. Please check with the program coordinator to see if you would qualify if you are taking medication or receiving treatment for a mental health condition.
- Couples must be married for a minimum of 2 years. Cohabiting couples are not permitted.
- The Ministry requires a one year wait time from application to match, but exceptions may be made if adopting a child with special needs.
CHILDREN AVAILABLE
Nigeria has both younger and older children available for adoption. If a family would like to adopt a child under the age of five, they must be open to a child with special needs. Many special needs in Nigeria are minor or manageable, such as HIV, tuberculosis that has been treated, heart conditions, and more. There are also children with more significant needs who need families. If you are willing to adopt a child over the age of five, it is possible to adopt a child who does not have any identified special needs. It is important to note that all children adopted internationally would be expected to have some developmental delays from their time in an orphanage. It should also be noted that all children adopted internationally have experienced loss and will have trauma from this. Nigeria has waiting children who are declared abandoned and available for adoption. These children’s profiles are featured on Adoption Bridge. Families may also choose to be matched by the Ministry with a child. Nigeria does allow relative adoptions.
PROCESS
At this time, due to the lengthy immigration approval process, the time frame to adopt from Nigeria is expected to take 3-4 years from start to finish. This may be shortened if adopting a waiting child or a child with more significant special needs. The first step is to fill out the application with Nightlight. Once approved, you will complete an orientation call with our program coordinator. After the orientation is complete, you will submit your application letter to the Ministry of Youth and Social Development in Nigeria. You will begin to work on your home study and once that is completed, you will submit your dossier and file your I-600A. Then you will wait for a match from Morgan Hill.
Once a child becomes available, we will present his or her file to your family for consideration. If you decide to move forward with this referral, you will write a letter of intent to the ministry stating you would like to adopt that specific child. Once you are approved, and we have verified all referral documents are received, you will complete referral review with one of our social services managers at Nightlight. Once that is completed, Morgan Hill will work on obtaining a court date for the custody hearing so you can begin to plan your first trip. You will also use this time to obtain your Nigerian visas if necessary.
Once you have your visa and your court date, you will make your first trip to Nigeria. Nigeria requires two trips. The first trip is approximately 4-5 weeks and the second trip is 2-3 weeks. Many unforeseen delays can happen in the process that could delay you in country. While there, you will complete a bonding period, finalize your adoption, obtain necessary legal documents, and apply for your child’s passport. After this is complete, you may return home and your child will reside at the orphanage or with family while you return to the United States to file your I-600. When you file the I-600, the Nigerian Consulate in Lagos will be responsible for completing the I-604 investigation to verify that your child meets the legal definition of an orphan. Once this is approved, USCIS should approve your I-600 application. This process can take 1-2 years. Once this approval is received, you are able to return to Nigeria to pick up your child and complete the visa process. This final trip is about 2-3 weeks in length.
IS THIS PROGRAM A GOOD FIT FOR ME?
The greatest hurdle for the Nigeria program is the time. If you feel like this is something that would be possible, it is likely this program could be a good fit for your family. We do have several waiting children available in Nigeria that can be viewed on the Adoption Bridge website. If you are interested in learning more about the program and determining if this would be a good fit for your family, please contact Lynn Main by phone at (636) 797-4100 or by email at Lynn@nightlight.org.