Adoption Overview from Saint Vincent and the Grenadines:
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) is a small, English-speaking nation of 32 islands in the Caribbean Lesser Antilles south of Saint Lucia and just west of Barbados. SVG gained its independence from Britain in 1969. It is a stunningly beautiful country whose economy is highly dependent on tourism and banana exports. SVG has a high rate of unemployment at 20% of the adult population. SVG is a relatively new adoption program at the time of this writing (end of 2014) and timelines are subject to change.
The children in need of adoption from SVG are generally aged 2-15 years with known special needs. We anticipate seeing children with needs including, but not limited to, HIV, cerebral palsy and developmental delays.
Children's Living Conditions:
SVG has three children’s homes on the main island of Saint Vincent as well as a shelter for vulnerable youth. These homes provide care for children with special needs aged 0-22 years of age. There are also up to 200 foster care families caring for children in need of protection. Children in need of adoption may reside in one of the three children’s homes, or may be cared for in a foster home.
- A single woman or heterosexual couple, married at least 1 year
- 25-55 years old at dossier submission
- In good physical and mental health
- Able to travel
The Adoption Process from SVG:
SVG is not a Hague country, the Adoption Board is responsible for the supervision of all adoption proceedings on the islands. They work with birth parents, their extended families, and children’s homes to obtain the appropriate paperwork for each child in need of adoption and approve each prospective adoptive family’s dossier.
Timeline to Adopt: We estimate from approval of a Waiting Identified Child (WIC) referral to a family’s first trip will be 3-6 months, depending on how long it takes each family to assemble their dossier documents.
Travel: A total of two trips are required. The first trip is 7-10 days and both parents (if married) are required to travel. The second trip is 7-10 days total, 3-5 days in St. Vincent with another 4-5 days in Barbados for the child’s visa interview at the U.S. Embassy.