Spence-Chapin’s Colombia Heritage Adoption Program connects families of Colombian descent across the United States with children in need of adoption in Colombia. It’s a beautiful, unique opportunity for families who would like to share this cultural connection with their future child.
Heritage Program
Spence-Chapin’s Colombia Heritage Program is designed for families of Colombian descent living across the United States who wish to adopt from Colombia. The Colombian child welfare system prioritizes the placement of children into Colombian families, including Colombian-American families. When a child is declared in need of adoption, Colombian families (including Colombian-American families) are the first considered option. Therefore, children referred to Colombian Heritage families have profiles with less complex special needs than children traditionally referred through intercountry adoption programs. To explore our Heritage Program or other adoption pathways in Colombia, we invite you to join an upcoming webinar.
Children In Need Of Adoption
Gender: Boys and girls are equally represented in the Colombian child welfare system. Therefore, the right-fit family for adoption from Colombia is one that is open to a child of either sex; this ensures that children have equal access to adoption irrespective of their sex.
Race/Ethnicity: Colombia is a beautifully diverse country. Children represent a wide-range of racial and ethnic backgrounds with disproportionate representation of Afro-Colombian children in the protection and adoption systems. Families should be prepared to parent a child of any race or ethnic background.
Ages: Families must minimally be open to the adoption of a child ages 0 through 5 years old at the time of referral.
Special Characteristics: While families in the Colombia Heritage program are eligible to adopt children without severe special medical needs, we still expect that all children eligible for adoption will have experienced some of the following common characteristics which might impact individual children differently.
- History of abuse or neglect: It is common that children in Colombia enter protection due to having experienced abuse or neglect which can include physical abuse, emotional abuse, sexual abuse and physical or emotional neglect
- Birth family background: In Colombia, typically birth family is known, therefore we commonly know that children have experienced in-utero substance exposure and are at risk of heritable mental health conditions
- Global developmental delays
- Behavioral & learning disorders which in protective care are often managed with medication
You will have an opportunity to further evaluate the specific needs and abilities of the child referred to your family.
Adoptive Parent Eligibility
Applicants applying to this program must have a Colombian Cedula, Colombian passport and Colombian birth certificate; if you’re eligible for these documents but don’t have them, we can assist you in obtaining them. For married applicants, only one applicant must have Colombian nationality.
Age: Families 25-50 years must be open to a minimum specified age range of 0-5 years old at the time of referral, or a sibling group of two, 0-6 years old. Families 51-54 years old are eligible to adopt one child ages 6-9 years old at the time of referral, or a sibling group of two where the oldest child is 7-9 years old. For Heritage families – Colombia requires that there is no more than a 45-year age gap between the age of the child and the age of the eldest prospective adoptive parent.
Marital Status: Colombia encourages applications from single men, single women, married couples, heterosexual and LGBTQ+ parents living throughout the United States.
Citizenship: Single applicants must hold U.S. citizenship. For married applicants, only one applicant must hold U.S. citizenship and the spouse must have lawful status in the U.S.
Medical: Identified medical conditions, including mental health diagnosis, will be considered on a case-by-case basis by the country’s Central Authority, Instituto Colombiano de Bienestar Familiar.
Wait Time & Travel
Predicted wait time to be matched with a child: Approximately 12-24 months after approval of the dossier*. Please note that in all international adoption programs, wait times are estimates and can change.
Travel: In order to complete the adoption process, families will be required to make one trip to Colombia of approximately 4-6 weeks in length. Couples must both travel to country and be present for finalization in court. You’ll be accompanied by a bilingual companion to all appointments and will have support from Spence-Chapin’s staff and our in-country partner throughout your full time in Colombia.
Fees
Spence-Chapin prides itself on transparency of fee disclosures. In any intercountry adoption process, families will incur professional services fees from their primary adoption service provider as well as third-party and travel costs. Spence-Chapin’s professional services fees reflect the work and support dedicated to your family. Spence-Chapin’s professional services fees are paid in installments as your case reaches new milestones.
Local Families** | Non-Local Families*** | |
Spence-Chapin Professional Services Fees | $13,865 | $14,365 |
Home Study Fees | $2,500 (home study) | $2,050-$5,000 |
Post-Adoption Supervision Fees | $550/visit | $2,500-$2,875 |
Total Estimated Third-Party & Immigration Fees | $9,875-$19,805 | $9,875-$19,805 |
Estimated Travel Expenses | $6,000-$10,000 | $6,000-$10,000 |
Total Estimated Cost of Adoption Before the Federal Adoption Tax Credit* | $34,990-$50,920 | $34,790-$52,045 |
* 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 2024 the maximum adoption tax credit is $16,810 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.
We offer resources to help you finance your adoption. We partner with the experts at Your 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. This service is available at no additional cost to families. Please contact us to learn more.
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Upcoming Colombia Adoption Events
Jan
14
07:00pm – 08:00pm
Colombia Host-to-Adopt Program Info Session
Jan
15
06:30pm – 08:30pm
Next-Gen Queer Families: Pathways & Community for Today’s LGBTQ+ Families
Jan
28
05:00pm – 06:00pm
Introduction to Adoption from Colombia
Feb
19
01:00pm – 02:00pm
Introduction to Adoption from Colombia
Mar
25
05:00pm – 06:00pm
Introduction to Adoption from Colombia
Apr
23
01:00pm – 02:00pm
Introduction to Adoption from Colombia
All Families Program
Host-To-Adopt
Waiting Children
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