Haiti is not a party to the Hague Adoption Convention, which means any adoption from Haiti needs to not only meet the requirements of Haiti, but also of the state that the prospective adoptive parent resides within the United States.
Guidelines required for Haiti Adoptions include:
Age - According to Haitian law, the prospective adoptive parent must be 35 years or older. Within a married couple, one of the prospective adoptive parents may be younger than 35, if they have been married for ten years and have no biological children. The adoptive parent must be at least 19 years older than the intended adoptive child.
Marriage - Both spouses must agree to adopt from Haiti. The U.S. immigration requires both signatures on the USCIS Form I-600.
Single Parent Adoptions - Haitian law permits single parent adoptions if they meet the age requirements.
Other children - Adoptive parents who already have children will need to obtain a waiver from the President of Haiti in order to adopt. This requirement is commonly waived.
Residency - Prospective adoptive parents do not have to live in Haiti in order to complete an adoption.
Travel - Some areas of Haiti, such as Port-au-Price, require at least one trip to Haiti to complete the adoption.
