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Originally Posted By Ileana

I am in the early stages of adoption. Do you need to get an approval first from FANA and then contact an agent? Or agent first then FANA.
Thanks
Ileana

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Originally Posted By choetah

i've been desperately looking for info on FANA LOWEL MASS seen it everywhere but what is it ??? can it help me adopt from colombia. Ileana ,please if you know more can you inform me ? just some emailadress or something or just any info...thankyou venneman@belgacom.net

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Originally Posted By KarenL

Hi there!! We adopted from FANA one year ago this week!!!!! I am pretty sure that you do not deal directly with FANA but through an agency in your state. We used a local agency here in Maryland and once we were paper ready FANA was given all of our papers. We waited only about 3 months from the time our papers went to FANA until our beautiful baby girl was referred to us. She was 9 weeks old when we went to Colombia. We were there for five weeks. Email me if you want more info.

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Originally Posted By Jim Roistacher

Here is the general url for the wny group

Jim Roistacher

http://fanafamilies.org/

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Originally Posted By Angel

What are the approximate amount for a Colombian Adoption? Also, I don't understand why you have to be there for 5 weeks to wait. How on earth are you able to get out of work for that long. I don't work but my husband does and he only gets 3 weeks a year. Wouldn't the fees for 5 weeks be very expensive. Any insite on this would be greatly appreciated.

[Archive]

Originally Posted By mamita

Yes, I realize that 4-5 week stays are long, but unlike most countries, your adoption process for Colombia starts when you arrive to pick up your baby. You sign a power of attorney, have an interview with ICBF, and your case is then assigned to one of 20 family courts in Bogota. Your case goes to court, a process which takes a total of 2-3 weeks.After the judge signs your final decree, you go to the assigned notary and fill out forms for an ammended birth certificate, see the US Embassy approved MD, and begin the process for oyur child's exit visa to the US, which involves the process of the INS 600 form.
The costs......for us totala with EVERYTHING ( including HS, INS and travel for a 4 week stay was $12,000. There WAS NO AGENCY FEE FOR US, which is why the expenses were SO LOW. One spouse can return to the US after the ICBF interview, so there is no need for both spouses to be incountry. Most of us who adopt from Colombia are aware of the travel requirements, and we do it knowing that we will get VERY YOUNG, healthy babies. My baby was only 7 days at referral, and was 6 weeks old when she was placed in our arms. NO OTHER COUNTRY REFERRS BABIES SO YOUNG !!!!!!!! NO OTHER COUNTRY IS AS INEXPENSIVE !!!!! I did NOT adoptfrom FANA, but my only fee to our Colombian orphanage ( CRAN ) was $4,000. You also receive your child as soon as you arrive, and babies at CRAN are not cared for at the orphanage, but are in individual care, by foster mothers trained through ICBF. We still remain connected to our daughter's foster mother, and it is nice to know the lady who cared for our baby, during her first month of life.
Was it a sacrife for us.......YOU BET !!!! Was it worth it.....100 %. It was very rewarding for us to be in our child's birth country. We were safe, and had the support of everyone we met in Colombia. Women at the supermarket were more then willing to hold my child, so we could do our daily shopping. In a restaruant, we were given an extra server assigned to our table, in case help was needed so I could finish my meal. For us, our $12,000 with a 4 week stay would have been less then adopting with a program via an agency, where the adoption fees would have ben $15,000 plus for programs with China, Russia, Korea, India, and Guatemala. AND THIS WAS WITHOUT TRAVEL ! We did the math, researched, and not only did we save money, but we were able to enjoy the pleasure of adopting a child who was about as young and healthy as we could ask for.
Adoption is a personnal decision. Don't judge others for what they chose to do. You have to do what is best for you. For us......4 weeks.....NO PROBLEM ! We are in the process of starting adoption #2 from Colombia, something we would not have been able to do, had we went with any other adoption program. For us, we can swing another $12,000 for everything total, so Colombia also fits our budget as well.
Good luck to you in your adoption search.

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Originally Posted By Jerri

You can contact Ilse Keegan at Florence Crittendon Agency. They have not done a FANA adoption for quite some time.

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Originally Posted By choetah

someone told us the youngest child we could have from colombia was 5 year old, that is why we switched from our favourit country (COLOMBIA!!) to cambodia, just becouse we realy realy wanted a VERY young baby and in cambodia 4 monts was possible was it maybe becouse we are husband 52 wife 32 we couldnt have a younger child then 5 ?? do you have more info on this, please lett us know .why didnt you have to pay an agency fee, was it independent ,? where you able to visit your baby from 7 days old and further on ?this sounds so great do you have more info on this please? you can email too venneman@belgacom.net thanks for reading

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Originally Posted By Ileana

I am looking to adopt through CRAN, please I would like to talk to anyone!

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Originally Posted By Ileana

I read your message... please I would love to speak to you in regards to CRAN. I am in the early stages!

Please HELP!

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Originally Posted By jerri

www.fanafamilies.org is a FANA parent group which helps families adopt from FANA.

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Originally Posted By Nancy

We have already started the process with an adoption agency in Minnesota who will be working with FANA. We were told that a 7,500 donation will be need to be made to FANA. How would we go about adopting without an agency?

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Originally Posted By Mary

I'm looking for mamita from the 11/06/2000 posting. I need info on CRAN. My husband and I are interested in Colombian adoption. We are very interested in learning how you got started. Please contact me at maryr@citlink.net. We cannot afford the $25,000 plus agencies that are out there. We are not interested in purchasing our child. Any help would be appreciated.

[ginamooka]

We're adopting through FANA as I was adopted from FANA at 18mos old. We have our Immigration Approval. I'm sending some forms to get Apostilled this week. We expect to send our application to FANA in the next 2 weeks.

I was told that babies can only be 6mos or older due to the mother's right to change her mind from birth to 6months. Is that correct?

Thanks. (o;