From a memo issued by The Department of State, Office of Children’s Issues comes this update regarding the international adoption program in Ethiopia. To read the full text of the update, go to the US Department of State’s Bureau of Consular Affairs page on Intercountry Adoption.

Ethiopian officials have informed the Department of State that the Government of Ethiopia plans to cease processing new intercountry adoption cases, but that provisions will be made for in-process cases. The Department does not have confirmed information as to which cases Ethiopia will consider in-process, but we will communicate this as soon as we do. The Department continues to encourage the Government of Ethiopia to complete all in-process adoption cases.

If you are currently in process to adopt from Ethiopia, please contact your adoption service provider. While the Department of State hopes to have productive conversations with the Ethiopian government about how to make intercountry adoption a viable and ethical option for children who need families, they are advising that US families not pursue this program at this time. They are strongly urging agencies against accepting prospective clients for the program as well.

If you are interested in pursuing international adoption, check out our resource page full of Adoption Comparison Charts to help you find a program for which you qualify.