African Children Adoption

Over the last few years, the adoption of African children has been rising in countries such as Rwanda, Morocco and Nigeria. International adopters have historically favored countries like Russia, China and South America. However, Ethiopia was the country with the second-most orphan visas issued in 2010, according to the Bureau of Consular Affairs. China was No. 1.

African children are made available for adoption placement as a result of social and political unrest as well as diseases and viruses that may kill family members. Poverty levels also contribute greatly to both of these problems and due to the fragility of many countries in Africa, the adoption process is always at risk of being interrupted by social or political unrest that may not allow people to travel to the country or for adoptions to be processed. Rwanda has voluntarily suspended all adoption placements until it's Hague Convention certified, and Ethiopia has a law that limits the country to only finalizing a maximum of five adoptions a day.

African children are adopted with the same basic steps of other international adoptions. A couple must pass a home study, travel to the country, file pounds of paperwork and will need to spend time in the child's country of origin so as to have memories to share with the child if he or she is too young to remember at the time of adoption.