Review the January 16, 2025 announcement from the State Department regarding Ethiopia: Adoptions by Parents of Ethiopian Origin
ACI as your Primary Provider – Ethiopia
Adoption Center of Illinois (registered as Family Resource Center) may be able to serve as the Primary Provider for your international adoption in the cases of parent-initiated and relative adoptions by parents of Ethiopian origin. ACI has been Hague-accredited since 2008. This accreditation allows us to act as an accredited Adoption Service Provider (ASP) for international adoptions.
We do not have an Ethiopian adoption program. Our services support families that have finalized an adoption and require the services of a Primary Provider to oversee the home study and immigration process.
Immigration Process
The immigration process to bring your adopted child to the US from Ethiopia is outlined on the State Department website. The How to Adopt section provides a step-by-step process. If you choose our agency as your Primary Provider, we will work with you and support you through the process. We cannot, however, guarantee that a visa for your child will be issued. The ultimate decision is made by the US Consulate in Addis Ababa.
International Home Study
In addition to requiring a Primary Provider, families must also work with a qualified Home Study Agency in their state to complete the international home study. ACI can support you in finding a qualified agency in your area. Illinois residents may utilize ACI’s Primary Provider services and our International Home Study Services. These two services are independent and separate from one another and require separate fees.
Fees
The fee for ACI’s Primary Provider Service for the adoption of ONE child is $6,450. This includes a $815 Monitoring and Oversight (M&O) fee paid directly to CEAS, the accrediting entity. Families who adopt more than one child will pay an additional $1, 350 fee per child which includes the CEAS fee.
Next Steps
Please review all of the following documents:
- Documents for Primary Provider Checklist: To serve as Primary Provider it is essential we have all the available information about your process in Ethiopia and the child being adopted. Additionally, copies of all receipts and fee documentation must be sent to our agency. If you have not saved receipts, you will be asked to recall all money spent, with fee description, amount and approximate date. If you are still in communication with the party that was paid, please ask for a receipt.
- Agreement: SAMPLE ONLY. Do not complete.
After reviewing all of the above information, please email Jane Turner jturner@adoptillinois.org and Pam Brown pbrown@adoptillinois.org with the following information:
- Have you previously submitted an I600A or I600 application to immigration?
- What date was your adoption finalized?
- Were one or both adoptive parents present in court for the adoption proceeding?
- Is the child from an orphanage or a relative?
- If relative, what happened to both child’s biological parents?
- How old is the child (date of birth)?
- Tell us about your child’s health
- Have you identified an agency in your state that will conduct the International Home Study?
- Your contact information (full names and phone numbers)
Once we receive your answers to the questions above, we will notify you if we are able to proceed to the next step of reviewing your documents.
Document Review
We will request a $250 per child (non-refundable fee) and you will need to email clear scanned copies of ALL your adoption documents, preferably in PDF format. Documents for Primary Provider Checklist linked above. If your documents appear to be in good order, we will then ask you to submit an application for our Primary Provider Services and pay the Phase 1 fee.
NOTE: If the document review stage has not progressed within 12 months from date of first contact due to lack of communication or not submitting required documentation, we will close your file. You can then restart the process at any time with newly scanned documentation and an additional $250 review fee per child.