| Our Philippines program
was begun in 1974 by MaryLee Fahrenbrink Lane,
the founder and Executive Director of Hand In
Hand, when she was living in the Philippines.
The Philippine government’s Intercountry
Adoption Board (ICAB) reviews your dossier and
matches available children with approved adoptive
families. Hand in Hand works directly with assigned
social workers from ICAB to secure and process
the children’s documents. Hand In
Hand has recently achieved its re-accreditation
to work with the Philippines, which will be in
effect until February, 2011.
The Philippine government takes their task very
seriously in matching the children with you, the
family. Following three post placement visits
with reports and pictures sent to the Philippines,
ICAB will issue their Consent to Adopt so
that the adoption can be finalized under United
States laws. Hand in Hand has worked cooperatively
with the Philippine government in placing over
2000 children in the past 33 years.
Program Director is Vickie Truelove, Administrative
Director of Hand In Hand’s Indiana office. |
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Types
of Children Available: |
- 6 months to 15 years old
- More boys than girls; families may not
choose gender except in Special Home Find
cases
- Sibling groups are available
- Healthy children and children with mild
to moderate medical conditions
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Types
of Families accepted: |
- Couples must be married at least three
years (or married at least one year plus
several years of cohabitation)
- Single, heterosexual women may adopt
but must be accepting of a child six years
old or older, of either gender, and with
minor correctable medical conditions or
negative background.
- At time of application, adoptive parents
must be at least 27 years old and at least
16 years older than the child to be adopted;
a maximum of 45 years age gap between
the adoptive parents and adoptive child
should be maintained except in cases where
the circumstances will be favorable to
the child and in cases of older children
- The Philippines has a one-year rule,
which requires a family to wait one year
from the birth or adoption of one child
before an adoption application can be
filed
- ICAB requires practicing Christian families
- Preference is given to childless or
Filipino heritage families
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New Requirements: |
Effective November 1, 2009, foreign adoption agencies should no longer accept families for the Philippine program who
have the following medical and psychological issues as they will no longer be accepted by ICAB:
List of unacceptable medical issues:
- Diabetes Mellitus
- Obese (BMI of PAPs should be 35 and below)
- Cancer
- Kidney transplant and any major transplant (heart, lung, liver)
- Pacemaker/stroke/myocardial infarction
- Multiple sclerosis and other degenerative muscular disorder
- Autoimmune disorders
- Risk factors that will impede care for the child (e.g. blind, deaf, wheelchair bound)
- Hepa C
List of unacceptable psychological issues:
- Psychiatric disorders
- Mood disorders/major depressive disorders
- Anxiety disorders
- Substance use disorders
- Sexual disorders
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Travel
Requirements: |
- At least one parent must travel
- Only one trip required
- Minimum stay of seven days (in order
to meet child and see orphanage and visit
ICAB)
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Time
Frames: |
- Dossier to Match – 12 to 24 months
- Match to Placement – approximately
4 months
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More than 7,100 islands make up
the Philippines archipelago between the Philippine
Sea and the South China Sea, east of Vietnam.
The third largest English speaking country in
the world (behind the U.S. and the U.K.), the
Philippines has a rich history combining Asian,
European, and American influences. Ceded by Spain
to the U.S. in 1898 following the Spanish-American
War, the Philippines attained their independence
in 1946 after being occupied by the Japanese in
World War II. Today, the population of the Philippines
exceeds 76 million people. Filipinos are a freedom-loving
people, as evidenced by two recent peaceful, bloodless
revolutions against what were perceived as corrupt
governmental regimes.
The Philippines is also the only Christian-majority
country in southeast Asia. Although the
country is primarily Roman Catholic, there are
also many Protestant churches. |
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The children are of Asian/Malay/Spanish
descent, and come from orphanages and foster
care throughout the Philippines. The
most common reasons for these children becoming
available for adoption are social reasons,
economic conditions, legal decision, or
death of parent(s). |
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