Mexico, formally
called the United Mexican States, is the northernmost and
westernmost country in Latin America and the most populous
Spanish-speaking country in the world. Mexico has thirty-one states
and one federal district containing over 107 million people. 43.5%
of the population of Mexico is children under the age of 18.
Approximately 24 million Mexicans live in extreme poverty. There are
an estimated 1.9 million orphans under the age of 17 in Mexico
today. Due to a growing urbanization process in Mexico, many Mexican
children have been forced to enter the labor force and/or get
married at a very young age. Approximately 40% of Mexico lives at or
below the poverty line.
Mexico processes
adoptions through the DIF (Desarrollo Integral de la Familia)
which is the legal representative for abandoned children in Mexico;
provides foster care for abused and orphaned minors; and handles all
legal family matters in each Mexican state. Adoptions are governed
by the Secretaria de Relaciones Exteriores (SRE), which is similar
to the United States Department of State.
Eligibility
Applicants must be
married and at least one spouse must be 25 years old or older.
The Children
Children available
are from 3 to 15 years of age. If the child is over 14 years old,
the child must consent to the adoption. For those who have visited
Mexico many have seen the faces of precious children in orphanages
throughout Mexico in need of loving Christian families.
The children who
are available for adoption from Mexico have either been removed from
the home by the government, orphaned, or abandoned by their parents
(usually due to crushing poverty). In 2008, Americans adopted 105
children from Mexico.
Travel to
Mexico
Depending upon the
State in Mexico, travel requirements will vary. Once approved, the adoption process is
generally estimated to take twelve (12) to fifteen (15) months to be
completed. Families will receive a referral
for a child from Mexico and both parents will travel to Mexico to
meet the child. The time in country varies from 1 to 3 weeks.
Again, depending
upon the State, Domestic Adoption may care for the child in country
for a time up to three months or the child may be returned to live
in the orphanage until the Domestic Adoption return, when approved by
the courts in Mexico. After the final decree, the adoptive family
and the child stay in country for the final requirements including a
trip to Mexico City for the child’s passport and to Juarez for the
child’s visa. All in all, prospective adoptive parent(s) may need to
make three trips to Mexico. The first trip will be to get your
application and turn in paperwork. The second trip will be for court
appearance and to spend time with the child. The third trip will be
to finalize the adoption.
