Etheopia, Cambodia…even Russia. Blame it on Hollywood, but those countries are among the most popular for adoptions. And as we all know, there are children in need of loving families all over the world. So, for my next few posts, I’ll be featuring those places which don’t get as much coverage as they should (thanks to Brangelina et al)
Adopting From The Philippines
More than 7,100 islands make up the Philippines archipelago between the Philippine Sea and the South China Sea, east of Vietnam. The third largest English speaking country in the world (behind the U.S. and the U.K.), the Philippines has a rich history combining Asian, European, and American influences.
Ceded by Spain to the U.S. in 1898 following the Spanish-American War, the Philippines attained their independence in 1946 after being occupied by the Japanese in World War II. Today, the population of the Philippines exceeds 76 million people.
Filipinos are a freedom-loving people, as evidenced by two recent peaceful, bloodless revolutions against what were perceived as corrupt governmental regimes.
In 2004, U.S. citizens only adopted approximately 196 children from the Philippines.
Children Available: Healthy children, between 11 and 20 months of age at the time of placement. Older and special needs children are also available for adoption from the Philippines.
Parent Requirements: Married couples, single men, and single women may adopt from the Philippines. Parents must be at least 27 years old and at least 16 years older than the child to be adopted.
Travel Requirements: One parent is required to travel, although both parents are strongly urged to make the trip. Trip length averages five to seven days.
Time Frame: From your initial application until the time your bring your child home takes an average of 18 months.
Additional Information: There are more boys available for adoption than girls in the Philippines, primarily because girls are responsible for taking care of aged parents in Filipino society. Some of the children available for adoption live in orphanages while others are in foster care.
Originally posted on August 30, 2006 @ 8:32 am