Cradle of Hope Adoption Center

Cradle of Hope’s mission is to provide adoption services to children domestically and overseas who are in need of permanent, loving families, and to provide humanitarian assistance to the orphanages which care for them. We believe that every child has the right to grow up in a loving family whose unconditional love will help him to reach his full potential. We are committed to providing our adoptive families with comprehensive counseling, preparation, and support throughout the adoption process and beyond. Since our staff has extensive personal and professional experience with adoption, we know the joy that adoption brings to a family. We try to ensure that building families through domestic and international adoption is a positive experience for the child and adoptive family.

International Adoption Process: 1. Submit application to Cradle of Hope. Your Cradle of Hope support team will schedule an orientation meeting. 2. Begin a homestudy, which is a series of meetings with a social worker in your state to learn about issues related to international adoption, to determine your suitability to parent an adopted child, and to help you prepare for the experience. Cradle of Hope provides homestudy services to Maryland and Virginia families. 3. Submit I-600A or I-800A application to your local JCIS office. Processing of your application can take several months, so you should begin this step even if you have not decided on a country from which to adopt, or if your homestudy is not complete. Cradle of Hope will provide a sample completed form for you. 4. Collect the documents (dossier) required by the country from which you are adopting, such as your birth certificates, marriage certificate, employment letters, references, and medical clearances. Many of these documents will also be required for completion of your homestudy, and must be notarized, authenticated, translated, and approved by the embassy of the country from which you plan to adopt. Cradle of Hope will provide you with step-by-step guidance about dossier preparation. 5. Consider a child referral. Consult medical experts. Accept referral. 6. Prepare for travel and your stay abroad with assistance from your Cradle support team. While waiting to travel, collect donations to take to the orphanage for the children who will remain behind. 7. Travel to your child’s country to meet him/her and finalize the adoption. Most families’ trips will be a few days to several weeks, depending on the country. In some programs, two or three trips are required, but only one parent must travel on some trips. Bilingual coordinators guide you through the process overseas. Your Cradle of Hope support team will be in regular phone contact with you throughout your trip, and with your family back home. 8. O