How do I go about adopting my nience in Ghana. I live in the US with my wife. I don't want to pay any agency.

Question

My wife and I were in Ghana for about three weeks in January only to find out that my sister who was in high school had a baby out of wedlock in Dec. The guy responsible deserted them and my sister in not capable of taking care of the baby. My wife and I discussed the issue of adopting her and my sister has greed to let us have the baby, but the issue is how do we go about this adoption in Ghana while we are in the States. Any information on the subject would be very helpful. Thak you.

Answer 1

Why not bring both your sister AND the baby to the US...let her live with you so she can have chance to raise her baby.

Or as Independant said, move to Ghana...support your sister so that she IS capable of taking care of her child.  I think that would be the more noble thing instead of taking her baby from her.

Answer 2

The first answer is wrong.  Adopted children are US Citizens the moment they arrive on US soil.  The laws are not lax, either-there are many requirements to keep Americans from using adoption as a way to get family members into this country without going through immigration.

I am afraid that you are going to have to hire an adoption agency and/or lawyer if you want to move forward with this adoption.  There are strict rules about adopting internationally, and you want to make sure you meet all of them as well as the laws regarding immigration.  Sometimes, being a relative can make these situations easier but in some cases it can be a lot more difficult.

You can not just proceed with the adoption in Ghana, because US law requires that if you have adopted the child overseas s/he has to reside with you for two years there before you can bring him/her here.  

You MIGHT be able to get some sort of permission to get custody of the child and bring him/her here for adoption.  If I were you, I would be looking up agencies to find out all I could about the process.  Also, contact the consulate and see what you can learn-they would be a big help for you.

I hope this helps, and wish you the best!

Answer 3

The main reason that children adopted from foreign countries by US citizens are not granted citizenship is because relatives of family members that live in the US would be using the lax adoption laws to bring in every family member they want.  Keep this in mind because the gov't is well aware of it.

I would suggest you move to Ghana for the emotional welfare of your niece, she would rather be raised near her mom and her culture.