Haiti Program
 Lighthouse Adoptions offers Haitian adoptions through Brebis de Saint-Michel de L'attalaye orphanage in Port-Au-Prince, Haiti. The orphanage was established in August of 2002 under the direction of Madame Magarette Saint-Fleur, a Haitian citizen and life-long advocate for the needy in her country. The orphanage is supported by Lighthouse Adoptions and Answered Prayers, a humanitarian aid organization. To date, we have succeeded in assisting over 100 children come home to their forever families in the United States and Canada!
Haiti is the poorest nation in the Western hemisphere and one of the poorest in the world. 80% of the populations lives in abject poverty. 10% of the child population in Haiti will die before the age of 4. 7% (300,000) of the children in Haiti are enslaved. 45% of the Haitian population is illiterate.
BRESMA orphanage provides good quality care to up to seventy children in two large houses. Children are cared for by a large staff of nannies. Older children attend school in the orphanage, a staff nurse is on duty each day, and children receive regular doctor visits. The children are well-prepared for adoption and eagerly waiting for their forever families.
Many of the children at BRESMA have one or two living parents who have decided to give their children an opportunity for a better and longer life. The loving care of these self-sacrificing parents shows in the loving trust the vast majority of our children are able to give their new families right away. Incidence of attachment issues are very low, and to date none of the children at BRESMA have exhibited issues associated with maternal alcohol or drug abuse.
Our Haitian program offers the most detailed and individualized international adoption referrals possible. Our Haiti country coordinator, herself an experienced adoptive mother and foster parent, travels to Haiti regularly to evaluate the children at length. She lives with the children at the orphanage to observe their behavior and development in detail, and returns with pictures, video, and detailed descriptions. Lighthouse Adoptions is able to match children to families based upon the personalities and needs of all involved in the adoption.
Haitian adoptions are currently taking twelve to fourteen months after a family's dossier reaches the orphanage. During that time, Lighthouse Adoptions provides support, education, and opportunities for travel to Haiti for our waiting parents.
Parents must be age 30 or older. Couples must have been married a minimum of five years, or be able to document three years of marriage plus two years of cohabitation. Couples who are able to document infertility may be as young as 25 years old. Up to three biological children in the home are currently being accepted be the Haitian government. Single women may adopt. Please call us to learn more about adoption qualifications required by the Haitian government.
 Children from infants to age twelve are waiting for their forever families. Individual children, twins, and sibling groups are available. Please visit our waiting children page to view photographs. BRESMA is filled to capacity and must turn away children every week. Once a family's dossier is complete, the wait for a referral is generally very short.
Our children are healthy by third world standards. Upon arrival at the orphanage, excellent cooking and plenty of it quickly addresses the malnutrition most of our children have suffered. Older children are very aware why they are in the orphanage, and are excited about being adopted. Children receive good care and loving attention in the orphanage. Haitian children tend to adapt quickly and easily to life with their new families.
Adoptive families' total costs for adopting one child from Haiti including program fees, US Immigrations, dossier assembly, and Lighthouse Adoptions' agency fees may total approximately $13,580 to $14,580 plus the costs of a family assessment, post-placement services, and travel expenses. Your personal costs may vary. Our Programs Flyer for families provides more detail about Lighthouse Adoptions' Haiti program. Please ask your tax adviser about the $10,000 adoption tax credit.
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