Ecuador is a country located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in South America. It also includes the Galapagos Islands. It is considered one of 17 megadiverse countries in the world. It is a representative democratic republic and a developing country. Ecuador has a tropical temperate climate with little seasonal variation. The Hispanic culture is warm and friendly. There is a domestic adoption program available to Ecuadorian citizens – these families generally get preference in child placement before foreign adopters.
Ecuador is party to The Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption (Hague Adoption Convention). Therefore, all intercountry adoptions between Ecuador and the United States must meet the requirements of the Convention and U.S. law implementing the Convention. Ecuadorian adoptions are conducted through a collaborative effort of a Hague accredited adoption agency in the U.S. and by the Ecuadorian Central Adoption Authority (Autoridad Central de Adopciones Internacionales del Ecuador).
Only 1 trip is required for adoption from Ecuador. Once you are in country, you will meet your child and he/she will be with you for the duration of your stay. The first week with your child will be a bonding period. Then the adoption will be finalized while you are in country. A new birth certificate and passport will be issued. After an exit interview with the US Embassy you will be able to leave the country with your child(ren). You can estimate that you will be in country for about 8-10 weeks.
Within 30 days of your arrival home, you must have a home visit by your home study provider. Your home study provider will prepare post-adoption reports and submit them to Nightlight. The rest of your reports are due at 4, 8, 12, 18, and 24 months after your adoption finalization date. These reports include your child’s developmental progress and pictures. This is a very serious commitment. Compliance with post adoption reports is also required by The Hague Convention. Therefore, Nightlight charges a fee to monitor and process these post placement reports and also requires families to pay for the cost of the post placement report in advance.
To learn more about adopting from Ecuador, you may contact Gracie by email at Gracie@nightlight.org or call us at (502)423-5780
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