• Home
• Adoption FAQ
• Adoption Glossary
• Adoption Resources
• Adoption Services
• Domestic Adoption
• International Adoption
  • Ghana Program
    • Ghana Costs
    • Ghana Process
    • Ghana Requirements
• Mission Statement
• News and Events
• About KAS
• Contact KAS
• Hague Disclosures
• Privacy Policy
• Search
• Site Map

Click to View Our Video

Your Donations

Click to Donate Today

The Steps to a Ghana Adoption

The adoption process from Ghana can appear overwhelming initially. However, it is a step-by-step process that is not all that difficult to accomplish.

The Home Study

The first step in adopting from Ghana is to have a home study conducted by a KAS approved agency licensed in your state of residence. The home study agency you choose should be familiar with International adoptions. Kentucky Adoption Services, Inc. will contact the agency that you have chosen to give them the specifics on what the home study should include and the number of pages that are recommended. KAS can provide home studies for Kentucky residents.

Immigration and Naturalization Paperwork

The second step, which can be done concurrently with your homestudy, is to file the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) paperwork, form I-600A.. This form is basically your application to Immigration to adopt a child, and in this case, specifically from Ghana.  After the I-600A has been sent to the USCIS office with jurisdiction over your location, you will receive an appointment to be fingerprinted.  Some USCIS offices allow families to hand carry their application and be fingerprinted the same day.  Your local service provider, the homestudy agency, should be able to tell you if this is the case in your state.  After USCIS receives your homestudy and your fingerprints have been filed, they typically render a decision within 60 - 90 days.  Provided you receive approval, called the 171-H, you are ready to submit your dossier.

The Process and Dossier

Once a family has an approved home study they will submit a Letter of Introduction/Request to The Department of Social Welfare in order to obtain the official application to adopt from Ghana.  Once a child is identified as being eligible for adoption by the Ghanaian Social Welfare and the adoptive family accepts the proposed match, the adoptive family submits a Dossier, which is a compilation of documents that require various seals at different levels of government.  These documents will be notarized (or certified from an appropriate state court or agency), and appostilled (by the Secretary of State from the state the document originated). KAS, Inc. will provide adopting families with exact direction about how to prepare their Dossier and an up-to-date Dossier document list when they have chosen to adopt from Ghana.  (KAS, Inc. can even manage dossier preparation and domestic and international mailing if you choose to utilize the optional KAS Dossier Authentication Service!)

Once the family’s dossier arrives in Ghana the Department of Social Welfare prepares a report on the child and family, obtains final permission from any biological family members and makes a recommendation to the court about the adoptive placement.  Once the case enters court it is a fairly short process to obtain court approval.  A KAS representative will assist with the court proceedings and with representing the adoptive family at the US Embassy to obtain a visa for the adoptive child.

The Referral

Because this is a new program it is difficult to predict the wait time for a referral.  We would expect that a referral will be provided within 4 months of a family submitting their application to the Department of Social Welfare.  Adoptions typically process within six to nine months.  Referral information includes as much detail as we receive from our overseas counterparts, including a photograph with medical and social history.  At minimum, families will receive test results for HIV, Hep. B and sickle cell.  The referred child will reside in a Children’s Home within Ghana until the adoption is completed.

Travel

KAS believes that it is advisable for adopting families to travel to their child’s country of origin.   However, escorts are available from Ghana.  If parents are traveling they should plan for two short trips, one trip of up to three weeks or possibly one short trip to pick up their child if they file their visa paperwork in the US.  Families who travel will most likely stay in a clean, secure and modestly priced guest house.  Ghana is an English speaking country known for its stability and progressive government.  Visa processing will occur at the US Embassy in Accra, Ghana.

Post Placement Visits

Reports following a child’s placement for adoption are required to be completed by a licensed adoption agency (typically the same one that conducted the home study) at 1, 3 and 6 months post-placement.  Families must also annually submit progress reports for the adoptive child until the child turns 18. All reports should be accompanied by 6 – 9 quality photographs.  These are sent by KAS to Ghana.