Adopting from Africa: Which Countries Are Open and What to Know in 2025

Interest in adopting from African countries has persisted among U.S. families despite the near-total closure of most African adoption programs. The reasons for that interest are understandable—genuine desire to provide permanency to children in high-need regions. The reality of the landscape in 2025 is sobering: most African countries that once placed children with U.S. families have closed or severely restricted their programs, and the ones that remain open carry significant risk factors.

Understanding why the programs closed—and what that means for the few that remain technically open—is essential before any family pursues African international adoption.

Historical Closures and Current Status Checks

Ethiopia effectively closed in 2018 and is largely limited to heritage cases. Verify the current Department of State country guidance before relying on any exception.

Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) had a significant historical program and serious exit-permit and documentation problems. Check the current Department of State country guidance and notices before treating the program as open or closed.

Uganda has faced serious scrutiny and uncertain adoption operations. Check the current Department of State country guidance rather than relying on a blanket status statement.

Rwanda and Tanzania require current Department of State status checks before any family treats them as available programs.

African Hague Programs Requiring Current Verification

South Africa is a Hague Convention country. Verify its current U.S. program status, eligibility, and provider authorization with the Department of State.

Togo is a Hague Convention contracting party. Verify current U.S. placement status, country requirements, and provider capacity with the Department of State.

Eswatini (formerly Swaziland) is a Hague Convention contracting party. Verify current U.S. placement status and provider capacity before relying on a Hague process.

Kenya is a Hague Convention country. Verify current U.S. placement status, Children's Court requirements, and in-country legal steps with the Department of State and an authorized provider.

Nigeria: Current Status and High-Risk History

The Department of State issued a Nigeria intercountry-adoption warning on March 13, 2024. The report describes Nigeria's Orphan Process (I-600A/I-600) risks, including:

• The reported I-600 denial rates for Nigerian adoptions were 69% in FY2022 and 73% in FY2023
• The I-604 field or orphan determination may take 6 or more months
• The U.S. Consulate in Lagos conducts the field investigations described in the current notice
• Families who proceed, finalize the adoption in Nigeria, and then are denied the immigrant visa face an extremely difficult situation: they are legally responsible for a child in Nigeria they cannot bring to the U.S.

Confirm current Nigeria status, provider authorization, and I-600/I-604 requirements directly with the Department of State before proceeding.

Why African Adoption Programs Have Closed

The closures are not arbitrary. They follow a pattern across multiple countries:

1. Domestic child protection systems identified that "orphaned" children often had living parents who were coerced or deceived into relinquishment, often with financial inducements
2. Growing awareness of adoption fraud led governments to increase scrutiny of systems and documentation
3. International pressure from UNICEF, Save the Children, and other organizations emphasizing family preservation over international adoption
4. African Union positioning that children's welfare is best served within their birth families and cultural communities
5. Economic development in some countries reduced the pressure that pushed families toward relinquishment

The pattern across Ethiopia, DRC, and Uganda is similar: a rapid increase in international adoptions driven by U.S. demand, followed by evidence of systemic problems, followed by program closure or severe restriction. This history is directly relevant to families considering the few remaining African programs—the same dynamics could apply.

The Transracial Adoption Context

Ninety-seven percent of international adoptive parents are white, and 88% of international adoptions are transracial. African adoption specifically places Black children with white families in high percentages. This reality carries specific responsibilities around racial identity development, anti-racism education, connection to cultural heritage, and preparation for the racial realities their children will face in the U.S.

Families pursuing any transracial international adoption—and African adoption specifically—should engage seriously with resources on transracial parenting, seek out communities of adult African adoptees, and prepare to actively maintain their child's cultural connections. This is not optional; it is part of ethical adoptive parenting.

What to Do if You're Specifically Called to Africa

For families with a specific cultural, spiritual, or geographical connection to an African country, begin with a current status check:

• Speak directly with providers that identify a current Africa pathway (not general international adoption agencies that merely list Africa as a region)—ask how many country-specific placements they completed in the last 3 years. This is a due-diligence question, not a legal requirement.
• Consider foster care or sponsorship programs with reputable organizations working in specific countries if your interest is in supporting children in-country rather than international placement
• Ask about Kenya, Togo, or Eswatini only after current verification with the Department of State and a provider that can demonstrate current in-country infrastructure

The International Adoption Navigation Guide covers the Hague and non-Hague processes for all active programs, country stability factors, and how to evaluate whether an agency has genuine in-country capacity before you pay any fees.