Adopt International is excited to present our Marshall Islands Adoption Program. By partnering with attorneys based in the Marshall Islands who are deeply rooted in the culture and community AI is able to offer a program that focuses on being respectful of the birth families as well as the birth culture of the children. The law in the Marshall Islands requires all adoptions be open – adoptive families remain in contact with birth families via Skype, Facebook, sending hard copies of photos and updates, and phone several times a year.
Adopt International is also currently accepting applications from American families residing abroad interested in adopting from the Marshall Islands. Unlike families residing within the US, expats are able to gain immigration benefit for their adopted child under Section 101(b)(1)(E) of the Immigration and Nationality Act.
Please contact Jeanetta at jeanetta@adoptinter.org for more information and next steps in the process.
Children available
The children being placed for adoption are most often less than 1 year old, and usually infants. On occasion there are also older children available.
The children are usually healthy and of Micronesian background.
Criteria for Adoptive Parents
A consultation is required prior to applying to this program.
The following requirements are set forth by the Republic of the Marshall Islands
- Singles (women and men) are allowed to adopt.
- Adoptive parents must be a minimum of 15 years older than the child being adopted.
- Couples must be married (no domestic partnership is allowed)
Process
The approximate timeframe from dossier submission in the Marshall Islands to receiving a referral of a child under 12 months of age is between 12 and 24 months.
A 4-6 week stay in the Marshall Islands is required.
The placement and country fees to adopt from The Marshall Islands is approximately $34,000. This estimate includes fees for Adopt International, attorney fees, and USCIS fees. Travel and lodging are not included in this estimate.
