Haiti – Foreign Authorization Update

Last Updated: November 10, 2021

To support the viability of intercountry adoption as a permanency option for children in Haiti, the Office of Children’s Issues and the U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince sought information from the Haitian Central Authority regarding its legal requirements for the authorization of adoption service providers (ASP), pursuant to Article 12 of the Hague Adoption Convention.

Haiti ratified the Hague Convention on the Protection of Children and Cooperation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption (Convention) by Decree on June 11, 2012.  The Convention entered into force on April 4, 2014.  L’Institut du Bien-Etre Social et de Recherches (IBESR) is the Haitian Central Authority for Intercountry Adoption.

ASPs with questions about the information below or about pursuing authorization in Haiti should contact the Haitian Central Authority, Institut du Bien Etre Social et de Recherches (IBESR), 13 Rue des Marguerites Port-au-Prince, Haiti.

Phone: +509 2816-1559

Email: ibesr01@gmail.com.

Internet (note this is a facebook site): https://www.facebook.com/pages/category/Government-Organization/IBESR-453065364749562/

Authorization for Foreign Adoption Service Providers (ASP):

IBESR confirmed that all approved adoption agencies must be authorized by their country of origin as well as by IBESR to work on adoptions in Haiti.

IBESR typically asks for expressions of interest for Adoption Service Providers every 2 years. 

The last request for expressions of interest asked ASPs to provide:

1.      Letter of Interest addressed to Madam Arielle Jeanty Villedrouin, Director General,

2.      Certified copy of the ASP’s articles of incorporation (official document noting the ASP’s creation),

3.      Certified copy of internal rules showing the ASP’s missions and objectives, administrative organization, and operations,

4.      Approval of the Central Authority or the competent authority of the host State authorizing the ASP to operate in Haiti, noting the period of validity,

5.      List of the ASP’s Board of Directors or of the Board of Management, accompanied by the curriculum vitae and a recent photo of each member,

6.      Certificate of absence of criminal records for each of the members of the Board of Directors,

7.      List of staff (salaried and volunteers) working for the ASP (names, profiles, functions/responsibilities, and number of years of experience),

8.      Copy of the ASP’s annual report of activities for the fiscal years 2019-2021;

9.      List of dossiers submitted by the ASP for the period of October 2019 to April 2021,

10.  Summary of expenditures incurred and committed by adoptive parents for each child adopted for the period of October 2019 to April 2021, specifying the recipients of the funds,

11.  Certified letter appointing the ASP’s representative in Haiti (name and surname, complete address in Haiti, electronic address, telephone number, and mandates),

12.  Certificate of absence of criminal records for the ASP’s representative in Haiti, and

13.  Curriculum vitae and photo of the ASP’s representative in Haiti. The authorization provided by IBESR is valid for two (2) years.

ASPs interested in participating in the request for expressions of interest should contact the Haitian Central Authority for the most recent requirements.

The Adoption Oversight Division in the Office of Children’s Issues can provide an accreditation verification letter to satisfy part 4 of the Haitian requirements. ASPs may email ASPadoption@state.gov to request this official communication.

For additional information, ASPs may wish to review the Haiti country-information page.