AGCI - India

AGCI is honored to announce our partnership with International Families Inc. (IFI) and thankful to share that the Lord has miraculously opened the door to India!

In a land where millions of orphans struggle to survive daily, it is amazing to realize that God knows each and every one by name. AGCI has felt a burden over the last years for India’s orphaned children. Prayerfully, we have waited for God’s perfect plan to unfold. Founded by Dr. and Mrs. Rao, IFI has dedicated their lives to the orphaned children of India.

Our open door might be your open door too… it may be the one God has destined you to walk through… AGCI is praying for families to answer the call to welcome an orphaned little one from India.

Children Available

Children from nine months to 12 years of age are available for adoption. Children will be at least 18 months old when they come home with their adoptive parents. Many sibling groups, older and special needs children are currently waiting for adoptive families. Please call our office at 800-214-6719 to inquire about our waiting child program or e-mail waitingchildren@allgodschildren.org.

Care in Country

Children in India are cared for by government accredited orphanages called “Recognized Indian Placement Agencies” (RIPA). AGCI is blessed to work primarily with an accredited RIPA called the “Peace Society.” The Peace Society was founded in 2003 and is located in the southern Indian town of Chennai. The Peace Society is located on two acres of land and cares for more than 75 orphans. The staff consists of 55 workers, two social workers, three nurses and a doctor. AGCI may also receive children for placement from other accredited RIPA's located throughout India.

Timeframe

The approximate timeframe from application through guardianship of a child is 16 to 24 months. The approximate timeframe from application through guardianship of a waiting child is nine to 12 months.

REQUEST OUR FREE ADOPTION INFORMATION PACKET

Get started on your adoption journey: request an adoption information packet. You'll also receive a free copy of The Strength of Mercy, a book about how AGCI began.

SUBMIT YOUR FREE ADOPTION PRE-APPLICATION TODAY

Ready to find your adoptive country? Each country has different adoption criteria. Fill out an adoption pre-application to help AGCI match you to the right adoption program.

.

Below is an overview of an Indian adoption process from the time AGCI receives adoptive parents completed dossier and home study.

AGCI Sends Dossier for Authentication

AGCI will forward adoptive parents' dossier to the Indian Embassy for authentication. Once processed, the dossier will be sent to India.

IFI Submits Dossier to RIPA and Family Waits for Referral

After the dossier arrives in India, copies are submitted to various RIPA's (Recognized Indian Placement Agency). These agencies are approved by the government and are the orphanages where children reside. At this time, adoptive parents will wait to formally receive a referral

**Waiting Child Program

Wait times for a referral are expedited for families open to adopting a child over the age of seven, sibling groups or a child with special needs. Please contact our waiting child program for further details.

Referral Review

RIPA will issue a referral to a family and referral information will include photos, blood test results, surgeries, abandonment history, developmental milestones, and social information. Upon acceptance of the referred child, adoptive parents will sign and notarize the back of the original medical and photo and return to AGCI. AGCI will then forward to IFI in India.

Central Adoption Resource Center (CARA) Process

Once the adoptive parents accept the referral, IFI will forward the signed medical and photo back to the RIPA where the child resides. The RIPA will then forward the adoptive parents' dossier and child's documents to CARA for processing. After review is complete, CARA will issue a Non-Objection Letter (NOL) and will send the letter along with all documents back to the RIPA.

Local Court Grants Guardianship

The Director of the RIPA will submit the file to the local court and request a court date. The court will review the file and request opinions from the Indian State Department, Indian Council and Social Welfare and the RIPA. Most courts schedule the court appointment three to four months out to allow time for the above institutions to respond to the case. If all institutions respond favorable, on the scheduled court date guardianship will be granted to the adoptive parents. Once the court decree, new birth certificate and passport are issued, the adoptive parents can travel.

Travel

Adoptive parents should be ready to travel within six to 12 months after accepting a referral. The in-country stay in India is seven business days. Orphanage staff will accompany you throughout your stay in India. Both parents are encouraged to travel, although only one parent is required. Adoptive parents can also request that their child be escorted to the U.S.

Post-Placement

In India, families are granted guardianship before entrance into the United States. The adoption is not finalized until the last post-placement report is submitted to the Indian Court. Upon arrival to the United States, post-placement reports are due at one, three, six, nine and 12 months after the guardianship is issued. Once post-placement reports are completed, families can finalize the adoption process in the United States

Children Available	Children from nine months to 12 years are available for adoption.
Applicants Age	All applicants must be between the ages of 27 to 55 years. Applicants cannot exceed a combined age of 90 years. Single applicants must be between the ages of 30 to 45 years. Applicants cannot exceed more than 45 years between older parent and child.
Marriage Status & History	Married couples and single women may adopt. Couples must be in a stable marriage for at least two years.
Divorce	Applicants can have one or fewer divorces per person.
Children in Family	Applicants with fewer than four children in the home are able to adopt.
Income	Applicants must have a minimum annual income of $30,000.
Citizenship	At least one of the adoptive parents must be a U.S. Citizen.
Travel	One trip is required and is approximately seven to ten days. Escort options are available.
Timeframe	Approximate time frame from application through finalization of the adoption is 16 to 24 months. Approximate timeframes from application through finalization for a waiting child is six to nine months.
Waiting Child Program	Boys and girls are available from nine months to 12 years old. Adoption process is expedited for Waiting Children. Flexibility is allowed for children in the home when adopting a Waiting Child. Learn more about AGCI's waiting children.

To request a complete list of AGCI requirements please e-mail info@allgodschildren.org.

From the snow-capped Himalayas in the north to the sun drenched coastal villages of the south; India unfolds like an ancient tapestry. At times threadbare and fading, the land stretches from desert dunes and scattered slums to the rich embroidery of ancient, jeweled palaces, and the majestic domes of forgotten empires.

Flag:

Orphan Statistics:

Millions of children are estimated orphaned in India.

Adoption Trend:

Immigrant Visas issued to US Citizens

1994	1995	1996	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007
412	371	380	349	478	499	503	543	464	472	406	323	320	416

Map of India

Capital: New Delhi

This map of India is copyright of Globe Media Limited. Please contact us if you wish to license travel maps of India or other destinations for use on your website or brochure. We also offer custom mapping solutions.

Climate:

It is hard to generalize in a country that runs from the Himalayas to the beaches of the Indian Ocean, but broadly speaking, October to March tend to be the most pleasant months in India, when it relatively dry and cool. In the far south, the best months to visit are between January and September, while northeastern areas of India tend to be more comfortable between March and August. The deserts of Rajasthan (west of Jodhpur) and the northwestern Indian Himalayan region are at their best during the monsoon (July to September). The mountainous regions of Himachal Pradesh and Kashmir should be visited over the summer months (May to September).

The best time to visit Delhi is in October-November and in February-March, when the nights are cool and the days filled with mellow sunshine. December and January can be a little gloomy in Delhi while mid-summer (May, June and July) is very hot with temperatures over 45C; it is a dry heat and is sometimes accompanied by dusty desert winds. Most of the rain falls between July and September but they are not the tropical rains you'll experience in India's coastal cities. http://www.wordtravels.com/Travelguide/Countries/India/Climate/

Land Divisions

28 states, including Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, , Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Orissa, , Punjab and Rajasthan.

In addition, there are 7 union territories; including Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Chandigarh, Dadra, Nagar Haveli, Daman, Diu, Delhi, Lakshadweep and Pondicherry.

Government:

Federal Republic

Population:

1.12 billion

Life Expectancy:

68.59 years (2007 est.).

Religion

Hindu 80.5%, Muslim 13.4%, Christian 2.3%, Sikh 1.9%, other groups including Buddhist, Jain, Parsi.

Language:

Hindi, Bengali and 13 other (official) languages, including Telugu, Marathi, Tamil, Urdu, Gujarati, Malayalam, Kannada, Oriya, Punjabi, Assamese, Kashmiri, Sindhi, and Sanskrit. Hindustani is widely spoken in the north, and English is, for the most part, the language of modern business.

Currency:

Official Indian currency is the Indian Rupee (INR)

Photos of the Country:

http://www.wordtravels.com/Travelguide/Countries/India/Photos