| Parental Age | 21 to 60 |
| Length of Marriage | No country requirements, but agency may have limits. |
| Divorce | No country requirements, but agency may have limits. |
| Children in Family | No restrictions. |
| Single Applicant | Single women allowed. |
| Sexual Orientation | Does not knowingly place with homosexuals. |
| Children Available | Infants to teens. Healthy babies and toddlers up to age 4 are rare. Majority of kids being referred are part of siblings groups. |
| Race/Ethnicity | Black |
| Gender | Boys and girls; parents may request gender |
| Adopting more than one unrelated child at same time | Allowed |
| Travel in Country | One trip of 3-7 days; only one parent must travel; parents do not travel in groups; child can be escorted and some agencies prefer that child be escorted. |
| Referral Method | Standard; orphanage director or agency matches referral to families |
| Wait for referral (after dossier submitted) | For infant -12+ months Age 4 + 1-3 months |
| Wait after referral | 3-6 months |
| Approximate Cost | $7,000- $14,000 + travel or escort fee |
| Adequacy of medical reports | Not enough placements to get a consensus from IA doctors interviewed, but agencies report that little information on health or background is included in the report. |
| Youngest Age Upon Arrival Home | Not many babies; average age 5+ |
| Orphanage/Foster Care | Privately run orphanage or large foster homes |
| How children enter government care | Relinquishment of rights due to poverty, war, and single motherhood |
| Prevalence of FAS | Not enough placements to get a consensus from IA doctors interviewed, but historically drinking by pregnant women is not common. |
| Program Stability | Variable |
| Number of children placed in the US 2004- 2006 | Liberia did not make the list of top 20 placing countries until 2004; 621 children were placed from 2004 to 2006. |
| Growing/Declining | Increasing. |
| Post Adoption Reports | 3, 6, 12 months the first year prepared by home study provider. Parent prepared reports required annually until the child is 18. |
| Hague Treaty | No |
| Additional Information | Adoptions finalized in Liberia but unless both parents have seen the child prior to the adoption, the child must be readopted in the US. Children speak accented English. The US State Department periodically issues travel warnings for travel to Liberia. Go to www.travel.state.gov to check the current status. Ages of the children are usually an approximation since birth dates are seldom available. |
| Useful Links | US Department of State www.travel.state.gov, click on Children & Family, click on Country-Specific Information http://groups.yahoo.com/group/adoptafrica |
