Referral-based adoption in Ghana offers families the opportunity to be matched with a child through the intercountry adoption process, with Spence-Chapin providing guidance and support along the way.
Spence-Chapin is proud to announce the opening of our adoption program in Ghana! This program is for families who wish to be matched with a child in Ghana. If you already have a child identified that you hope to adopt, please explore our Kinship Adoption Program.
This beautiful country is known as having one of the most stable government systems in Africa. However, many children in Ghana await loving families who are willing to open their hearts and homes to children in need of adoption. While a new program for Spence-Chapin, Ghana has a long history of finding families for children in need of a loving home through intercountry adoption.
Spence-Chapin prides itself on transparency of fee disclosures. In any intercountry adoption process, families will incur professional service fees from their primary adoption service provider as well as third-party and travel costs. Spence-Chapin’s professional service fees reflect the work and support dedicated to your family. Spence-Chapin’s professional service fees are paid in installments as your case reaches new milestones.
| Local Families: | Non-Local Families | |
| Spence-Chapin Professional Services Fees | $16,115 | $16,615 |
| Home Study Fees | $2,500–$4,500 | $2,050–$5,000 |
| Post-Adoption Supervision Fees | $4,400 total ($550 × 8 visits) | $4,000–$4,600 total |
| Total Estimated Third-Party & Immigration Fees | $2,575–$4,625 | $2,575–$4,625 |
| Estimated Travel Expenses | $9,000-$16,000 | $9,000-$16,000 |
| Total Estimated Cost of Adoption Before the Federal Adoption Tax Credit* | $49,448–$61,098 | $49,098–$62,298 |
* The Federal Adoption Tax Credit is an income-dependent tax credit for qualified adoption expenses which can be taken as credit when you file taxes for the year of adoption finalization; in 2026 the maximum adoption tax credit is $17,280 per child. Read more here.
**Local families are families who live in New York or New Jersey, and within 100 miles of Spence-Chapin’s Manhattan office, for whom Spence-Chapin is providing home study and post-placement/post-adoption reporting services. See full fee disclosures here for Local Families.
***Non-local families are families who live more than 100 miles from Spence-Chapin’s Manhattan office, or who live outside of New York or New Jersey, who will have their home study and post-placement/post-adoption reporting services completed by an agency licensed in their jurisdiction. See full fee disclosures here for Networking Families.
Did you know that the Adoption Tax Credit Adoption Tax Credit is available to families adopting internationally? In 2026, the Adoption Tax Credit is up to $17,670 per child. This tremendously offsets the cost of adoption as most families are eligible.
Additionally, Spence-Chapin partners with the Adoption Finance Coach Adoption Finance Coach to provide our families with FREE access to experts, tools and content that can take the worry out of financing your adoption. Families who use the Adoption Finance Coach typically raise $5,000-$15,000 for their adoptions.
Our adoption programs help to facilitate the legal process of adopting a child whois known to you in Ghana, Jamaica, Antigua & Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent & the Grenadines, and Trinidad & Tobago. Every country is unique in the specific processes necessary to finalize an adoption. This is a high-level look at the process that applies to all of the countries we provide services to.
Attend our Introduction to Adoption from Ghana Webinar, then complete our application here.
All families must undergo a home study which is designed to prepare you for adoptive parenthood and assess your ability to parent an adopted child. For families living in New York, New Jersey, or Arizona, Spence-Chapin will complete your home study. For families living outside of that area, you will work with a local agency on your home study and Spence-Chapin will guide that agency to ensure that the home study they prepare meets all of the requirements of Ghana. The home study includes paperwork, clearances, interviews with a social worker, and at least one visit to your home.
For all families, Spence-Chapin will provide a pre-adoption training plan which will help you prepare for the unique considerations of adoptive parenthood. Our social workers facilitate training on trauma, attachment, bonding, transracial parenting, how to talk to your child about adoption, and more.
Once you’ve completed your home study, Spence-Chapin will guide you in obtaining all documents required to be submitted to Ghana as part of your “dossier.” Spence-Chapin submits your dossier to Ghana’s Central Adoption Authority (CAA). CAA will review your dossier. Once your dossier is approved by CAA, you are officially eligible to receive a referral!
The wait time to receive a referral is dependent upon the level of openness of the prospective adoptive parents. The typical wait time to receive a referral from Ghana can be 8-24 months after submission of your dossier. For families with more restrictive levels of openness, the timeframe may be longer. Our social workers are here to support you during the wait!
Please note that depending on how long you wait for referral, you may need to complete a home study update and update select documents – we will keep track of those timelines and guide you through the process should that be necessary.
CAA issues referrals in consideration of what characteristics your family is open to. When we receive a referral for your family, after careful review by our team, we will share all information provided with you. A referral will contain photographs of the child, medical information on the child, details of the child’s legal process by which he/she became eligible for international adoption, and any known social information on the child and biological family. You are welcomed and encouraged to ask any questions you have about the child and information provided before making a decision on whether to accept the referral.
Soon, after you accept your referral, you will be able to travel to Ghana to begin the required bonding period with your child. Spence-Chapin will provide you with specific training tailored to the known needs of your child to complete before travel. You will also begin the process of obtaining the necessary legal and immigration approvals necessary to complete your adoption. Spence-Chapin and our in-country team will ensure that all necessary approvals are obtained; the timeframes of these governmental approvals can vary and are subject to potential delays. We will guide you with all logistics for your adoption travel, so you feel confident and prepared for this life-changing experience.
The travel process for adoption from Ghana maintains a child-centered focus and places strong emphasis on bonding with the child. As a result, families spend a significant amount of time in-country. However, Ghana’s Central Adoption Authority offers flexibility in how travel is structured, while maintaining clear standard expectations for the process. The timeframe from initial placement of the child to bringing the child home can take 4-6 months to complete, but Ghana does offer flexibility in the number of trips the family takes to Ghana during this time, typically ranging from one to three trips. Families adopting a relative may have a shorter timeframe if particular requirements are waived by the courts.
Your child will be placed into your custody soon after your arrival to Ghana and you will begin caring for your child 24/7. This bonding period will last a minimum of one month and can last up to three months based in assessment of the child’s best interest by the CAA. This time will provide you a chance to experience Ghana and spend time bonding with your child and getting to know one another. Once you have completed the bonding period, you will finalize your adoption in a court in Ghana, accompanied by our in-country team.
After your adoption has been finalized, Spence-Chapin and our in-country team will walk with you through every step of obtaining your child’s new birth certificate, passport, and visa. Once you have obtained your child’s visa, you will be ready to fly home with your child!
Throughout your whole time in Ghana, Spence-Chapin and our in-country team are available to you. A member of Spence-Chapin’s in-country team will accompany you to all appointments and be available to your family to check-in and offer support.
Within the first 2-4 weeks of your arrival home, a post-adoption home visit will be scheduled by your social worker; this is designed to support your family during this significant transition and is a Spence-Chapin requirement. Additional post-adoption visits will be conducted at 6 months, 12 months, 18 months, 24 months, 36 months, 48 months, and 60 months post-adoption. These visits and resultant reports are required by the Ghanaian Central Authority (CAA).
Thousands of children in Ghana are living in institutional care (orphanages). Spence-Chapin is responding to this crisis through comprehensive services to children living in institutional care and by providing for the concrete needs of vulnerable children in Ghana. Spence-Chapin has the following services in place to serve children in Ghana:
Spence-Chapin’s Granny Program pairs children living in an institution in Accra with daily, individualized attention and care. Grannies are trained to meet the developmental needs of children deprived of consistent caregivers and provide the individual love and attention that all children deserve. For four hours each day and five days a week, each Granny focuses on the specific physical, cognitive, and emotional needs of a child they are match with through direct care, play, and skill building exercises that address speech and language development, motor skills enhancement, and attachment. Spence-Chapin founded the Granny Program in 1998 and established the Granny Program in Ghana in 2024.
Spence-Chapin brings birthday celebrations to every child living in an institution in Accra. Birthdays are rarely celebrated in institutions, and Spence-Chapin is changing that for these children.
In 2020, Spence-Chapin secured funding for and oversaw a large-scale renovation at Chosen Children’s Center in Accra; this project built a safe and dignified residential building for children living in protection who previously lacked basic facilities such as designated bedroom spaces and appropriate kitchen facilities.
Ghana and the United States are both parties to the Hague Convention on the Protection of Children and Cooperation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption. This ensures that safeguards are in place throughout every step of the adoption process to ensure that ethical, transparent practices are followed, and the best interests of children are preserved. Spence-Chapin is Hague-accredited and has maintained that certification since the onset of such accreditation processes.
Our podcast, Adoption Talk by Spence-Chapin, brings you stories and conversations on all topics related to adoption. Check out our episodes that are focused on international adoption today!
Explore special needs resources for an adoption from Ghana.
It is estimated that 2.5-5 million children in South Africa have been orphaned. Spence-Chapin is responding to this crisis through comprehensive services to children living in institutional care, and by providing for the concrete needs of vulnerable children in South Africa. Spence-Chapin has the following services in place to serve children in South Africa.
Spence-Chapin’s Granny Program, pairs children living in institutions with “Grannies” who provide them with daily, individualized attention and care. Grannies are trained to meet the developmental needs of children deprived of consistent caregivers and provide the individual love and attention that all children deserve. For four hours each day and five days a week, each Granny focuses on the specific physical, cognitive, and emotional needs of a child they are matched with through direct care, play and skill building exercises that address speech and language development, motor skills enhancement, and attachment. Spence-Chapin founded the Granny Program in South Africa in 2011 at Othandweni Children’s Home and has now brought the Granny Program to four institutions in South Africa, ensuring that all children living in those homes receive the dedicated care of a Granny.
Within four Children’s Homes, Spence-Chapin provides funding for every child to receive a birthday gift and birthday celebration. This means over 200 children each year who are living in institutional care are being recognized and celebrated on their special day. We love receiving photos of each birthday celebration and seeing each child’s face light up!
In 2020, Spence-Chapin secured funding for and oversaw large-scale renovation and refurbishment at Othandweni Children’s Home. Othandweni, which means “Place of Love,” houses 90 children between infancy and age 18. Children come to Othandweni while a permanency plan is made for them; some children will be safely reunified with their biological family, some children will be adopted domestically within South Africa, some children will be adopted internationally, and sadly some children will age-out into independent living. All of these children deserve a safe living environment. The renovations included:
Spence-Chapin sends recuring care packages to ensure that children living in institutional care throughout the greater Johannesburg area have sufficient food, clothing, and hygiene products. As the COVID-19 pandemic persists, we continue to send personal protective equipment and sanitation supplies to the children’s homes.
Spence-Chapin believes that in order to care for the most vulnerable children, we must care for the communities in which they reside. Spence-Chapin has therefore provided funding for services to survivors of family violence within Johannesburg, funding for job skills training for community members and for family counseling centers for families facing crises in the community.
Elizabeth L. Smith, LMSW (she/her) is a compassionate, trauma-informed, and adoption-competent therapist. In her Adoptee Support Sessions, she provides non-clinical support services to adopted people. Her clinical training, narrative work, and living experience as an adopted person inform her perspective and practice. Elizabeth possesses deep awareness, empathy, and understanding of the shifting complexities of adoption, reunion, search, and the importance of being together in community.
Waiting Children Profiles
Thank you for your interest in adopting through Spence-Chapin! We are able to share the profiles of children who are considered to be the most in need and are waiting internationally to be matched with an adoptive family. The children featured on this page have been waiting for the longest to find families and consist of children who are older, part of a sibling group, or children with a diagnosed medical condition. In order to respect the privacy of these children, this page has been password protected.
Spence-Chapin takes the privacy rights of the children that we are seeking to place very seriously, and share the profile with you under the following conditions:
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF PASSWORD ACCESS
That you acknowledge and understand that
1. Misuse of the content, and/or linking to any sites that reflect practices that involve the sale, abduction, exploitation, or trafficking of children is strictly prohibited.
2. You have been given limited access to confidential information in the form of images that you will not disclose to any person or in any manner that is inconsistent with applicable policies and procedures of Spence-Chapin Services to Families and Children.
3. The confidentiality obligation shall continue indefinitely, including at all times after my association with Spence-Chapin Services to Families and Children.
4. You are not permitted to release, copy, distribute, or sell any of these images to third parties in any form.
5. Impermissible disclosure of the images may result in legal actions being taken against you, by or on behalf of that person.
6. You are doing this freely, voluntarily and with a full understanding of what you are agreeing to by entering/accessing this blog.
7. Thank you for your interest in providing a loving home for a waiting child! We look forward to connecting with you soon to continue discussing adoption paths at Spence-Chapin. We hope that you like us on Facebook, follow us on twitter, and keep up with our families through our adoption blog!
Warm regards,
The Adoption Team at Spence-Chapin
Phone: 212-400-8150
Email: [email protected]
