If I am approved for a grant, how much will I receive?

We determine financial assistance based on the following criteria: Need of the child, financial ability of the prospective adoptive parents and availability of funds at A Child Waits Foundation. The grant awarded will be based on a combination of age and medical condition of the child, cost of the adoption, families' financial situation and funds available.

Who is eligible for a grant?

Grant applicants must be adopting internationally through a 501 (c) (3) agency licensed to place children. Grants are awarded for the adoption of older or special needs children. To meet the criteria of special needs, a child must be over the age of 5 or have a medical or developmental need which makes the child harder to place.

We provide funds to cover only a portion of the adoption. Prospective parents must assure that they have the initial portion of the adoption fees. Grant monies will be disbursed only for qualified adoption expenses and will be paid directly to the service provider (adoption agency, travel agent, etc.). Grant funds will not be paid to the adoptive family. All grant funds will be disbursed at the end of the adoption process just before the family is due to travel.

When is the best time to apply for a grant?

If you are just beginning the adoption process, please wait to apply until you have a completed home study and you have accepted a referral. Since we need a copy of your home study and information about the child you are adopting, we are not able to process a grant application until you are further along in the process. It takes about 4 weeks to process an application, so please allow enough time before you travel. In special circumstances we can process an application sooner if travel occurs earlier than expected. If you submit your application and it has not been approved before you plan to travel, please contact the Foundation otherwise your application will no longer be valid and a grant will not be approved. We do not make grants to families that have already traveled and brought their child or children home.

Can a single person apply for a grant and is their an age requirement?

The foundation will accept grant applications from anyone who is adopting internationally. Marital status or age will not prevent someone from receiving a grant. However, be sure to check with your adoption agency as each country has different requirements for adoption.

Why is there an application fee and do you run a credit check?

The application fee helps to defray some of the costs associated with processing an application, which includes the cost of obtaining a recent copy of the applicants credit report if deemed necessary as part of grant determination. Please note: we always obtain written permission from applicants before pulling a credit report.

Why has the Foundation recently decided to start making grants?

Our Foundation has always had a grant program, but it was designed to work through adoption agencies. Families were not able to apply directly to the Foundation. The decision to allow families to apply directly to our Foundation was based on several factors, but most importantly because it allows us to help more children.

Why does the Foundation only fund international adoptions?

We limit the Foundation's activities to international adoptions because the domestic demand for American children is so great that it is rare for such children to not be adopted. This is not the case for children in foreign countries - a majority of these children will not be fortunate enough to find homes. Since the Foundation has limited resources, we felt we could more effectively serve our mission if we limited grants to foreign adoptions.