Journeys of the
Heart Indian Child Adoption Program FAQ
What is the waiting time for a
referral in the India program?
All families must have an approved I-800a
application prior to receiving an official referral.
Currently, the wait time for an infant (under 2 years of age)
and without any special needs (mainly for NRI/OCI families) can
be up to 12 - 18 months for a referral. The wait time for
special needs children and older children (healthy and/or
special needs) is currently 6-12 months
Neither of the above time frames applies for
“waiting children.”All time frames are subject to change
What ranges of children are available
for adoption in the India program?
Children from as young as 6 months of age (at
the time of referral), although this is fairly rare, and would
generally only be for OCI/NRI families. We are also able to
refer children up to 15 years of age. Sibling groups -
generally older, 3 and above. Healthy children and
children with correctable and non-correctable special needs.
Do I have to be married to adopt a
child through your India program?
No, most orphanages will allow single women
to adopt. If you are a married couple, you should be
married at least 3 years with 5 years of a documented committed
relationship.
I am interested in adopting a child
through your India program, but I don’t live in a state where
you have an office. Can I still work with Journeys of the Heart?
Yes, as long as you have a home study done in
your State of residence and the study meets all Hague
requirements. JOH will need to review the home study in
order to make sure it meets Immigration (Hague), India and JOH
requirements. Your home study agency would also need to sign a
Supervised Provider Agreement with JOH, where JOH would be the
placing agency. Your home study agency would provide the
home study and post placement services.
How long does it usually take to get
a home study completed?
Generally 2 to 3 months
In the India program how are children
cared for, before they come home to families?
Children are in the care of an Indian
orphanage. The orphanages are licensed and monitored by
India’s Central authority, CARA. The orphanage care is
very good in India in general. The ratio of caretakers to
children is fairly low, and the care is less “institutional”
than in many other countries. While there is a daily
routine, there is also a lot of play time with nurturing
caregivers. The typical Indian diet is vegetarian based,
but does include good sources of protein. The children
receive routine medical checkups. Older children generally
attend school, either at the orphanage or at local public
schools.
I see that some adoption agencies are
‘Hague Certified’, what does that mean?
This means that the agency has gone through a
rigorous national accreditation process and has been found to be
in compliance with all ethical standards, as well as State Child
Welfare policies. In order to provide placement services
for children from countries who are “Hague” countries, the US
adoption agency must be Hague Accredited. JOH is Hague
Accredited. Visit
http://www.journeysoftheheart.net/about.html to learn more
about accreditation.
Once I submit your child adoption
application, how soon will you contact me?
Within a day of receipt. Read more about our
application process at
http://www.journeysoftheheart.net/process/index.html
What sort of support will you give me
during the time I wait?
The role of JOH program staff is to guide you
through the various steps in the adoption process. We will
be interacting with your home study agency to ensure that your
study meets JOH, Hague and India requirements. We will
work with you to complete your immigration documents (I-800A &
I-800), assist you in putting together all of the required
documents to prepare for a child referral and the ensuing court
process in India. We will provide information and support
at the time of child referral and in preparation for travel to
India to bring your child home. We will maintain contact
throughout the process to answer questions and provide updates
as we receive them.
I am interested in a waiting child in
your India program. How can I get more information?
Email one of Journeys India team,
katie@journeysoftheheart.net,
lisa@journeysoftheheart.net or
jenny@journeysoftheheart.net
Before I submit an application, I
would like to see what some of your families say about Journeys
of the Heart. Can I read testimonials? Are there families I can
email?
Yes, both. You can also read a sample of our
testimonials online, visit
http://www.journeysoftheheart.net/testimonials/index.html
Learn more about adopting a child
from India today, email
info@journeysoftheheart.net
