Prospective parents can initiate an adoption from the Philippines through a Hague-accredited adoption services provider. The Philippine Central Adoption Authority, the Inter-Country Adoption Board (ICAB) maintains an annual quota for the number of new dossiers it will accept for non-special-needs adoptions. The limit does not apply to children in the country’s Waiting Child Program or to relative adoptions.
Parents adopting from the Philippines must submit bi-monthly post-placement reports for six months after taking custody of the child and returning to the U.S.
For more up-to-date information on how to adopt from the Philippines, visit the Philippines Adoption page on the U.S. State Department’s website. Get parent-to-parent advice and support in the Philippines Adoptive Families group in our online community, Adoptive Families Circle.
Philippines Adoption Fast Facts
- 2016 Adoptions: 156 children
- Hague Country: Yes
- Estimated Total Cost: $20,000 to $30,000
- Profile of Children: 72% of children are 5 years and older. 50% are girls (2014).
- Parent Ages: Parents must be at least 27 years old, and must be between 16 and 45 years older than the child.
- Family Status: Both singles and couples married for at least three years may adopt. Singles may adopt children in the Waiting Child Program between six and 15 years of age. Philippine law does not recognize same-sex marriage, but it does not expressly forbid LGBT individuals from adopting as single parents.
- Travel: Parents must travel to the Philippines for roughly a week.
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