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There is currently a travel warning for Liberia. The civil war in Liberia may have caused some adoption agency workers
to leave Liberia, so adoption can be very difficult even though it may not be necessary for you to travel to complete your
adoption. Please keep this in mind if you are considering adoption from Liberia. Contact the Embassy for more information.
Travel warning.
Liberian Children
Boys and girls are available. Most children are at least 4 years old.
Note: The requirements and process below is combined with US laws, but it should be a
basis for citizens of other countries.
Requirements
Singles can adopt, but it is judged on a case-to-case basis.
Process
Children can be escorted, which is highly recommended due to the travel warning. Some agencies highly recommend travel to
Liberia to complete the adoption to visit your child's relatives and see the country for 10 days. However please note that
since Jan. of 2003, the US isn't issuing travel visas to Liberia, so a US citizen can't travel there.
Weather / Climate
Other Information / Liberia
The capital is Monrovia.
Major Reasons Liberian Children are being put up for Adoption
Due to poverty and civil war, many children are given up for adoption.
Advantages
The cost of adopting from Liberia is rather low compared to other programs. Many children arrive in the US with correctible
conditions. Escorts are very positive because you don't need to worry about safety and traveling expenses.
Disadvantages
Medical information about the children is limited.
The history of Liberia is very interesting. One of the first antislavery efforts in the US were the works of the
American Colonization Society. This group was established in 1817 by white Virginia residents. The group was funded by private
donors, Congress, and two Upper Southern state legislatures to free slaves by buying them from their owners and sending them
to foreign countries the society colonized. Liberia, named in Latin for "place of freedom", was one of the colonies they established
(there were some in the Caribbean as well). The first freed slaves settled in Liberia in 1822. Most of these African American
settlers were the children and grandchildren of the slaves who were born in Africa. Liberia became an independent nation in
1847. Immigration stopped by the Civil War (1861 - 1865). The total number who immigrated to Liberia was about 12,000 to 15,000.
However this was only a small fraction of the slaves. Most slaves wanted to be free in America, and since their families were
in America for several generations, America was the only country they knew. Now, English is the official language, and the
flag, constitution, and national anthem are the same as the American ones.
A civil war is currently raging on in Liberia.
What does this have to do with adoption? War increases the amount of orphans, so there is a greater need for parents.
1.)The US State Dep's Page on Adoptions from Liberia.
2.)Americans for African Adoptions, Inc. - AFAA; Ethiopia and Liberia. Est. 1986.
3.)Angels Haven Outreach; China, Vietnam, Cambodia, Kazakhstan, Russia, Ukraine, Romania, Moldova, Liberia, and Guatemala.
Est. 1986. Has photolisting.
4.)Plan Loving Adoptions Now, Inc. - PLAN; China, Vietnam, India, Ukraine, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Peru, Colombia, Guatemala,
Haiti, and the US.
5.)Bishop Judith Craig Children's Village.
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