Adoption from Ethiopia has increased markedly in the past year. In 2006, 732 Ethiopian children came home to America, up from 441 children in 2005. With all the new adoption agencies licensed in Ethiopia this year, I would suspect that these numbers will increase even more dramatically in 2007. I’m guessing well over 1000 kids could come home from Ethiopia in 2007

This increase could very well affect processing times within the next year, though it is difficult to predict how much. Some of the more established agencies with many clients are taking the conservative approach and are asking families requesting infants to wait a couple months to begin their paperwork after submitting the application to the agency.

Most of the agencies working in Ethiopia now have at least a small wait for a referral of an infant, with the longest wait being for an infant girl. I personally would be leery of an agency that promises a baby girl with no wait, because that is just not what most agencies are experiencing these days. I for one would rather have an agency that promises conservatively-- and delivers -- rather than one that promises an overly optimistic time frame that they cannot deliver.

Some families are turned off by the thought of waiting a couple months just to start paperwork, and are turning to agencies that will let them begin gathering paperwork immediately. But keep this in mind: most paperwork has to be no older than 12 months to be valid in the eyes of the Ethiopian government. It is a waste of time and money for a family to complete the paperwork, wait months for a referral, and more months for a court date, during which time the paperwork expires and has to be redone. You may be better off waiting a few months to get going in the first place.

A small agency with no waiting list may very well be a good choice for you, and may be able to do an excellent job. But as you investigate the various agencies out there, don’t immediately cross an agency off the list just because they have a wait to begin. Some of the most reputable agencies currently working in Ethiopia have a waiting list, and they are doing a great job for their clients.

Related links
Agencies licensed in Ethiopia
How do we choose a good agency? | Part two