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Commonly Asked Questions
I- The Pre -Adoption
Period
We live far from Sherbrooke . How many
times must we go to Sherbrooke
?
We ask you to participate in the first information meeting in Sherbrooke . This is done
to clarify your role as adoptive parents and our role as an international
adoption agency. Thereafter, the entire process can take place by
telephone, mail or e-mail, with the exception of mandatory participation in
a pre-adoption workshop, given by Appel. These workshops are held in Sherbrooke twice a
year (usually in April and October) and are for a duration of 2 days (one
weekend from 9 am to 4 pm ).
In terms of costs, are
they payable all at once, or in payments spread over the length of the
adoption process?
The payments are to be made throughout the adoption process.
Do couples who adopt
have to live together or be married for at least three years?
Yes. Non-married couples must live together for at least 2 years and
must submit a declaration of common law, sworn before a notary (a model can
be provided by the agency on request).
I have just given
birth to a child; can I still adopt in Colombia ?
According to the requirements of Colombia , your child must be
at least one year old before the SAI (Secretariat of the International
Adoption) accepts your case for adoption.
Is a certificate of
infertility necessary in order to adopt?
No.
Can being
self-employed affect my application?
No. In this case, the person must file a tax return signed by his
accountant (a model can be provided by the agency on request).
What is the waiting
time for a child from Colombia
?
The waiting time for a child or a family of two children between 0
and 5 years old, is 2 to 3 years.
The deadlines are shorter (one year) when you ask:
•
children over 5 years
• a
child with a correctible disability
• a
family of three or more children
• a
family of two children, whose eldest is at least 7 years.
It should be noted that the waiting period begins from the time that
the dossier is accepted in Colombia
. The time to prepare your case before it is delivered to Colombian
authorities depends on how quickly you can compile the requested documents,
as well as the availability of professionals able to complete your
psychosocial and psychological evaluations.
Unfortunately, we can not assure you a fixed waiting period or be
any more precise. We can only provide estimates according to the CIFW
waiting list (Colombian Institute of Family Welfare).
When does the waiting
period for a proposed child begin?
Once your dossier has been accepted by the CIFW, your case enters
the waiting list.
Will I have to pay
more for a sibling group than for one child?
The process does not cost much more for siblings than for one child,
because you pay a single fee for your file (and not for the number of
children) and for the psychosocial and psychological evaluations. You need
only add extra costs related to the return of each child to Quebec , i.e., a
plane ticket and a medical evaluation for each child, etc…
When you describe
children with birth defects or disabilities, could you give some examples?
The handicaps entail such birth defects as harelip, hip dysplasia, strabismus,
and so on. In other words, all problems that can be corrected by surgery.
Can we adopt from a
private orphanage in Colombia
?
Appel no longer works with private orphanages in recent years;
adoptions take place only through the ICBF.
Are the children in
good mental and physical health?
In general, the Program for the Adoption of Colombia Children
includes children who are in relatively good health. In addition, medical
examinations carried out by a doctor at the Canadian Embassy in Bogota are very
detailed. Only the HIV test is not required in the medical report, for
human rights reasons. However, couples can request this test for an
additional fee.
What percentage of
adoptions take place with-in the 2 to 3 year waiting period?
100% of couples must wait a minimum of 2 years for one or two
children under 5 years of age. However, you can reduce this time with a
family of 3 children.
My doctor lives in Ottawa , can he sign
our health certificates?
The doctor who resides outside of the province
of Quebec must be enrolled in the College of Physicians of his province.
I have some knowledge
of Spanish. Do we need to hire an interpreter in Colombia ?
The interpreter's services are tailored to the needs of families, in
order to ascertain that both parents understand what is said during the
adoption process in Colombia
.
II- Psychosocial
Assessment and Psychological Evaluation
Can a social worker do
the psychological evaluation?
No. The psychological evaluation must be conducted by a psychologist
in private practice, by a certified member of the profession. Nevertheless,
the psychosocial assessment can be conducted by a social worker or a
psychologist under the supervision of the Director of Youth Protection
However, the two assessments could be done by a psychologist appointed by a
Youth Center .
Who sends the results
of the assessments to the SAI?
You must ensure that evaluators have sent the original report to
SAI. Following this, you must send a copy to Appel in order to ask for “lettre 15"
from the SAI. Without these documents, your case may not move forward.
My husband has a
problem with hypertension, could this affect our evaluations?
In order to take care of a child, you must be in good physical and
mental health. We must protect the welfare of the child and find the best
home for them. However, controlled hypertension does not appear to be a
factor that would disqualify someone from adopting if that person leads a
normal life. These evaluations are made in the first stage of the process so
these questions will be dealt with very early on. For example, a woman with
a serious back problem was not accepted due to this medical condition.
How many meetings does
the psychosocial assessment take?
The Colombians request a psychosocial assessment and psychological
reports that meet all the points cited in their evaluation criteria. The
procedure requires that the professional gather all the necessary
information to be able to prepare such reports. In most cases, the social
worker or psychologist will already be aware of what procedures are
required through their Youth Protection Service. (The quantity of meetings
is not important, what is important is the quality of these meetings!) Note
also that each Youth Centre may establish its own procedures for both types
of evaluations.
The same criteria apply for the medical certificate(s). The
Colombian authorities require a doctor's certificate in accordance with the
model that will be sent to you via e-mail. The doctor must simply fill out
the form and sign it (with a seal, numbers, etc.). It is up to the doctor
to determine what tests he has to do to verify and assure you are in good
health. These tests can vary from doctor to doctor and may also be
different to those requested by the Youth Center
. Please note that you must submit two health certificates: one to the Youth Center for the psychosocial
assessment, and a different one for Appel for your adoption. The latter
must be done towards the end of the adoption process, as the date the
examination cannot exceed three (3) months.
Can the agency refer a
psychologist to us for the psychological evaluation?
No. We strongly recommend that you consult with the Order of
Psychologists of Quebec, because the professional chosen must be a member
of this professional body.
III - Post-Adoption
In the post-adoption
period, how many progress reports must be submitted and who must complete
them?
It is extremely important that families are followed up upon their
return to Quebec
. This is necessary for both the Colombian Government, and also Appel as
the organization responsible for ensuring that progress reports are issued
on schedule. This requires a minimum of 5 reports within two years,
according to the terms established by the Colombian Authorities.
That is why we ask you to respect these deadlines for progress
reports:
The 1st report must take place three months after arrival in Quebec
;
The 2nd report, six months after the date of the 1st report;
The 3rd report, six months after the date of 2nd report;
The 4 th report, six months after the date of the 3 rd report;
The 5 th (and final report), six months after the date of the 4 th report
coinciding with the second year of arrival in Quebec .
Please note that the dates of the reports must coincide with when
they were completed, not when they were sent.
The social worker who prepares the report must send the original to
Appel including recent photos of the children. A copy is also sent to the
SAI and a copy to the parents. Appel Inc. will prepare the official
translation of these documents in Spanish and forward them to the CIFW as
soon as possible.
Regarding who does these evaluations, the SAI recommends that the
progress-reports be completed by the same person who performed the
psychosocial assessment of the parents. If this proves impossible, another
evaluator, in the same Youth Centre or in private practice, will also do.
However, the new evaluator must also be on the list of qualified
Inter-country Adoption evaluators (for social workers, they must have
undergone special training).
You should know that the first year is a crucial period and that
professional help may be very useful in this period. It may be a time of
adjustment for the entire family and all members may be required to adapt
to new and changing circumstances. Moreover, the realization of these
documents is a major requirement that which must be respected by all, in
order to foster and retain good relations between Canada and Colombia . In addition, we stress
that the progress-reports need not be endorsed by the Youth Center
, as it is not required by the country of origin of the child, but rather
by Canadian law.
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