World Child was approved to do adoptions in Nepal on October 27, 2008. Nepal started in international adoption in 2002. Adoptions were suspended while new adoption laws were introduced in 2007.Since its re-opening Nepal has quickly gained in popularity among adoptive families. Nepal is located high in the Himalayan Mountains bordering both India and China. World Child sponsors two orphanages in Nepal. We feel that this is the most appealing aspects of our program. Please note that information and fees are subject to change at any time in the process. At any time in the process, prospective adoptive parent(s) may be required to accommodate or comply with any specific changes in order to complete their adoption.

Children Available: Typically children in Nepal are available as young as three months of age but closer to six months and older. Children of both genders are available, but families who have other children will only be permitted to adopt a child of the opposite gender. If the adoptive family is childless, the family may indicate preference for a specific gender, twins or siblings. This only applies to childless couples.
      Nepal shares the borders with both China and India; you will see variances in the ethnicities of the children available. All the children reside in orphanages and most are abandoned at the orphanage due to death of one or both of their parents or because of extreme poverty.

Requirements: Couples must be at least 30 years older than the child being adopted. There should be no more than 45 years maximum age difference between both child and parent. Married couples are required to have been married a minimum of four (4) years and will need to submit proof of infertility. (However, already having biological child in the home does not disqualify families). Single women should be 35 – 50 years of age and DO NOT need to provide a statement of infertility. Divorce is permitted but only one divorce per spouse.
      Families who already have children MAY ONLY adopt a child of the opposite gender. Families who have children of both genders are ineligible to adopt from Nepal at this time. This includes children from previous marriages. Families with 4 or more children are not looked upon favorably.
      Any criminal history or health related issues must be reviewed on a case by case basic prior to submission of your World Child application.
      Post adoption reports are required after you return home with your child. These reports are to be completed at, three, six and 12 months after you return home for the first year. Reports are then due every six months there after until the child reaches the age of 16 years. A $1,000 bond is required to insure that all post adoption reports are completed. Once all post adoption reports are completed at the time the child reaches the age of 16 the $1,000 bond will be returned to you.

Process: Once World Child receives your agency application we will send you a welcome packet that will guide you through the initial steps of the paperwork for Nepal. This guide will include some country specific forms, some agency forms, and several sample instructions for their completion. You will also be assigned a specific case worker to assist you throughout your adoption process. Once your dossier has been submitted, we can begin the referral process. The wait for a referral can take up to 4 months. You will be contacted by our office with verbal information on a child. Once we get a verbal approval from you we will then present you with a photograph and any known medical information. Once you have confirmed acceptance of this referral (we ask that you do with in 24 – 48 hours unless there are medical concerns.) You will then send written confirmation to our office via express mail. You will need to keep in mind as with all international adoption programs that processing time can vary greatly. We anticipate that from submission of your dossier to travel will be 6 to 9 months later.

Travel: Katmandu is the capital of Nepal where you will go to pick up your child. One trip is required which means that you will be able to complete the entire finalization process in one trip of approximately 14 days. Less time may be needed, but this is not typically known prior to travel.

A schedule of program fees are available upon request.