Jamaica is a tropical country known for its beautiful beaches and coastal areas. The capital is Kingston but many know Jamaica for the Caribbean cities of Ocho Rios and Montego Bay. The language of this country is English and Creole. The ethnic population of Jamaica is 90% African, 1.3% East Indian, 0.2% Chinese, and 0.2% White, with 7.3% a mixture.

Why Choose to Adopt in Jamaica?

Travel to Jamaica is comparatively easy with no need for translators. Many have already traveled there as a tourist and may be familiar with areas of Jamaica. The process can be relatively simple, short, with expenses lower than many other countries. The stay in Jamaica is approximately 5-7 days.

Who is Eligible to Adopt from Jamaica?

Married couples and single woman are able to adopt from Jamaica. Adopting parents must be at least 25 years of age and no maximum age requirement is established. Couples must be married at least 1 year. Citizens of the US adopting a child from Jamaica will receive guardianship and complete the adoption in their resident state.

Children Available

Children from the age of six weeks are eligible for adoption. Children may be wards of the State, or the Court has dispensed the parental consent, or parents have release the child for adoption. Boys are more available than girls. Some siblings are available. Children are referred for adoption by the CDA, the adoption authority in Jamaica.*

To Begin The Process:

1. Apply to Hands Across The Water for services.
2. Complete your Home Study with Hands Across The Water or an appropriate agency in your state. Please contact HATW for assistance if you live outside of Michigan.
3. File your I-600A with the U.S. CIS (INS).
4. Complete the Pre-Adoption Information Form and submit to the CDA in Jamaica.
5. Receive approval from the CDA and begin to prepare your dossier. HATW can prepare the dossier for you or you can take this on yourself with our assistance.
6. Hands Across The Water will submit your dossier to CDA to await a referral. Length of time depends on child desired and children available.
7. After a referral is received and accepted, the adoption process in Jamaica takes approximately 3 months. You will then travel to Jamaica to bring your child home. You will stay in Kingston about 5-7 days during which time you will go to the US Embassy for your child’s visa. This is a very valuable time to learn about the country, people and culture of your child's birth.
8. Once you return home, the adoption will be completed in the US County court where you live. If in Michigan, HATW will handle this process for you. If living out-side of Michigan, your home study agency will assist you.

Post Placement Supervision

Your child’s adoption is finalized in the US so a minimum of two reports within 6 months are needed. It should be noted that Jamaica may require more reports over a longer time-span which parents will need to comply.

*The CDA is the responsible entity for matching and referring children, not HATW.

The photos on these pages are of children already placed and are not available for adoption. HATW does not photolist children waiting for adoption via the internet.

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