Country Information

Located and landlocked in central Africa, the Central African Republic is one of the ten poorest countries in Africa. There are no adoption agencies working in CAR, however, adoptions may be completed independently and through an attorney.

Prospective parents begin by sending a letter of interest to the Ministry of Family and Social Affairs. With this letter are all appropriate documents needed to complete the adoption. A committee examines the request to adopt a child and then the committee works with local orphanages to locate a child for the parents.
In CAR a social worker provides a social history, from an investigation into the child’s biological parents or living relatives. After all legal matters are taken care of, such as the child being declared available for adoption, the orphanage is granted permission to release custody of the child to the prospective parents. The case then goes before a judge in CAR and is completed.

The Adoption Authority in Central African Republic is the Adoption Committee from the Ministry of Justice, Family and Social Affairs, and Interior Department.

Parent Requirements:
A least 30 years of age
Married for a minimum of 5 years
Single accepted
There are not residency requirements, however, the prospective adoptive parents must provide the Adoption Committee with a written letter from the Mayor of their community that the town will welcome the child.

Timeframe: Adoptions from CAR can take several months to a year from start to completion.
Children Available: Children of all ages are available for intercountry adoption.

The U.S. State Department has a running list of all documents needed for a CAR intercountry adoption. In addition, they have a list of attorney’s. These may be found by going to their website.