Fall 2017 Colombia Host to Adopt Program

Our Fall 2017 Colombia Host-to-Adopt Program is currently accepting applications!

Spence-Chapin and the Foundation for the Assistance of Abandoned Children (FANA) in Colombia are partnering to present this year’s Host-to-Adopt Program. The program is an opportunity for New York City area families to host a child or children in their home for three weeks before finalizing the adoption. Participating children are boys and girls (including sibling groups) ages 11-14, who have expressed an interest in international adoption. Additionally, they've received extensive preparation and support services prior to the hosting period.

School-age children are the most overly represented population in orphanages worldwide. Currently, close to 8,000 children in Colombia, ages 10 and older, are waiting for a family. The goal of this host-adopt program is simple: to join those older children and sibling groups in need of parents with families who are ready to adopt.

Our hosting program offers the child not only a voice in their future, but also a choice. The adoption is a process of mutual selection – the family commits to the child, and the child commits to the family. Because of this, the host-to-adopt program has been very effective at making adoptions happen for the children waiting for families!

Colombia Fall 2017 Host to Adopt Program Timeline:

May 15, 2017: Adoption applications are due

May – August, 2017: Begin home study and adoption trainings
August 2017: Home study must be completed, due at this time to Colombia’s child welfare Central Authority.
August – October 2017: Learning about the child or children family is matched with, continuing to prepare for hosting and adoption-related paperwork. Hosting dates will be decided by Colombia and announced during this time.
Fall (October or November 2017): Hosting time is 2-3 weeks, supported by bilingual psychologist from adoption house FANA and Spence-Chapin staff
December 2017 – June 2018: After hosting period, complete adoption paperwork to move forward with finalizing the adoption, estimate of 6 months though times will vary for families.
Summer 2018: Travel to Colombia for approximately 4-6 weeks to finalize the adoption

Interested in learning more? Our adoption team is here to answer your questions. Contact us at info@spence-chapin.org or at 212-400-8150.

Spence-Chapin Adoption Services

Spence-Chapin brings over 100 years of experience to providing adoption and adoption-related services of the highest quality. Our mission is driven by the simple belief that every child deserves a family. We have placed over 20,000 children in loving, permanent families since 1908.

We have domestic and international adoption programs in the United States, Bulgaria, Colombia, and South Africa. We are thrilled to be one of only two American agencies approved for adoption by the South African Central Authority. We have offices located in New York and New Jersey and easily work with adoptive parents living across the United States.

We work with all types of families: married couples, unmarried couples, LGBTQ parents, single women and single men, families who are already parenting, families who are transitioning out of fertility treatments, and families of all ages, income levels, ethnicities, and religions.

Spence-Chapin focuses on educating families about who the kids in need of adoption are and preparing families to meet their needs. We guide parents with lifelong support and education through our Modern Family Center, and advocate for all types of families who want to become parents. We will share with you what we know about adoption and how you as parents can best support your child through their lifelong journey of understanding his or her unique story.