ADOPTION

We believe that the best place for every child to grow up is in a family. If a child does not have the option to live with his or her biological family, our hope and prayer for all of our Gems is that they would be adopted into a loving family. We have had the joy of watching our Gems who have been placed with adoptive families thrive under the love and dedication they’ve received from their parents. All of their families can attest to the joy they’ve brought to their families’ lives and the incredible progress they’ve made!

In Uganda, there is a one-year required fostering period before adoption; meaning any potential adoptive family must first live in-country with the child in their home for a year before the case can be presented in court for adoption.

We know that choosing to adopt a child with special needs, especially through the long process in Uganda, is a huge commitment. We cannot guarantee much about the adoption process, but we can guarantee that any of our precious Gems will bring abundant joy, love, and laughter to your family! We believe wholeheartedly that the love of a family is what every single child needs and deserves, and we are so grateful that you are considering giving that to one of our Gems.

If you are interested in fostering-to-adopt a child from The Gem Foundation, please see the overview of the adoption process below. Should you have any questions and/or would like to begin the adoption process, please contact us at office@thegemfoundation.com.

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1. Home Visit

  • The Probation and Social Welfare Officer (PSWO) in each district are responsible for placement and oversight of every child in the child welfare system in their jurisdiction, whether in a children’s home or in foster care. You will first meet with the PSWO in your area, and they will visit your home to ensure it is a safe placement for the child, and will then write their report on your home and family to be presented to the Alternative Care Panel.

  • 2 - 3 weeks to schedule an appointment, with a one day visit.

Two infants lying on a white textured blanket, both wearing colorful African print dresses with matching headbands.

2. Alternative Care Panel Approval

  • The Alternative Care Panel oversees all foster care and adoptions by international families in Uganda. You will submit your file compiled with all background information, home inspection reports by the PSWO, recommendation letters, etc (You will be given a list of all documents required). Before a child is officially placed in your home, you must first appear before and be approved by the Alternative Care Panel as a foster family for the child.

  • 3 - 5 months until appointment date to appear before the panel.

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3. One Year of Fostering

  • After you are approved by the Panel, the PSWO will officially place the child in your home and will facilitate the necessary custody documents. For the next year, the child will be in your home as part of your family and should be treated as such. During this time, you must remain in the country and the child is not able to leave Uganda. If, for any reason, you need to leave the country during this year, any time spent outside of Uganda will not count towards the fostering period.

  • 12 months from placement of a child in home.

A young boy with a big smile, missing a couple of front teeth, sitting outdoors on lush green grass with trees in the background.

4. Alternative Care Panel Recommendation

  • When the one year of fostering is completed, you will once again appear before the Panel for them to review your case again and formally recommend you to adopt the child.

  • Alternative Care Approval for adoption takes 3-5 months until appointment to date for approval.

5. Submit to the High Court

  • Once you have your recommendation from the Panel, you will work with your attorney to prepare your file to be submitted to the High Courts of Uganda. It will then be allocated to a judge, and after that, you will receive a court date to appear before the judge and present your case for the child to be adopted. The judge will hear the case and most likely will give you a time frame in the next few weeks (or months) to receive the ruling. In most cases, you will not know what the judge has decided until you receive the ruling. 

  • 3 months to prepare the documents to file for court and 6 months for court date and approval.

6. Final Paperwork

  • After adoption approval, you will need to secure your child's passport and immigration visa.

  • The visa timeline is going to depend on what visa the family chooses to do: I-600 or N-600K.