Hello
Has anyone known of a couple who successfully adopted from Jamaica and would like to share their story with me as I need help with adopting my relative. She is 18 months old and her father is not in her life and her mother can't care for her. We have already submited our I600A and done the home study. The parents have already met with CDA in Jamaica and signed over their rights to the child. I have been told however that the fact her father's name is on the birth certificate and she is not in an orphanage, that she will not be approved. She is living with her auntie as neither of us would want to put her in a children's home in Jamaica. I am Jamaican and my husband is american. If anyone has advise, that would be so much appreciated. We are taking care of her financially and just couldn't bear to know that they might tell us no. Please contact me if you know what I can do.

Thanks

It sounds that there will not be any difficulty adopting her, but if you are asking if that gives her any immigration benefits than my understanding is that the answer is no, she would need to be an orphan.

I believe one of our VJ regulars, Jomo'sGirl, was in the process of adopting someone from Jamaica - a relative as well. PM her

I am in the process of adopting our orphaned nephew. His mother is dead and no one knows who his father is. We are just at the waiting for CDA approval stage.

It is my understanding, in your case, since the child is not an orphan, you will have to have an adoption order. An adoption order requires 4 months of in home study, with the child living with you first. Here is one of my sources of information....

http://jamaica.adoption.com/foreign/adopti...-factsheet.html

What people are telling you is probably fairly correct until you had this adoption order.

That's my take anyhow.

That 4 months means you live with the child in Jamaica.

I have a thread started about Jamaican adoptions in the Caribbean thread. If someone wants to merge the two, that would be great.

See we thought she qualified under the sole parent category since her father who was just recently added to the birth certificate wants nothing to do with her and claims she is not his and will not spend money to do a DNA test. From what I read it indicates that she is an orphan if the sole parent cannot provide for her. Am I understanding this correctly?

Ok. But the CDA is approving us for an adoption license which is different. We will finalize the adoption here in the USA. I am just a little frustrated because I have heard of people who have done it but need to know how they got around not putting the child in an orphange which we absolutely dont want to do. We are caring for her so there is no need for that but just dont know how.



How do I contact her. I am living in the US, Canada is a lot easier to adopt from. I am Canadian as well but a Permanent Resident of the US

Can she contact me. I am Canadian and the laws in Canada are different and easier. I am adopting for the child to come to the US and live here. Is she adopting from Canada

Ummmmm............that would be me.

I know someone who may be able to help you. I'll have JAEnglish contact you via PM. Hang on.

thank you. I just spoke with Ms. Tummings of the CDA and she has a similar case and is waiting to see how it will play out. Losing hope again. This is such an emotional roller coaster ride.

I PM'd JAEnglish for you. Hopefully, she will get you some more information too.