Overview

Our adoption program in Lesotho is in cooperation with the Central Authority of the Lesotho Government. Once your dossier is accepted in Lesotho, your file will be in line for your turn in a match meeting by the Central Authority. You will receive a referral of a child from Lesotho after your dossier is registered in Lesotho.

After referral there is a waiting period of 2-6 months while the Lesotho government processes the adoption and schedules the court hearing. You will not be required to travel to Lesotho to personally appear in court for this hearing as our employee in Lesotho can appear for you with your power of attorney.

Once this is complete and exit documents have been procured, you will travel to Lesotho to pick up your child. Each adoption is different for many reasons, but our best guess on the timeline of adoption from Lesotho at this time is 2-4 years.

The adoption process in Lesotho

Small World walks with you through the entire process of your adoption. The Small World employees communicate with you throughout the process of your Home Study and actually do your dossier for you as a service. Small World English speaking Representatives meet each family at the plane upon arrival in Maseru, Lesotho and guide and accompany you through every step of the adoption process.

You will be in Lesotho approximately two weeks. Our representatives will walk you through the entire process in Maseru. You will then travel from Maseru to Johannesburg, South Africa where you will stay one week culminating in your child’s visa from the US Consulate. Small World Representatives will accompany you to the airport for your departure from Johannesburg back to your home with your child.

Small World, Inc. prohibits its employees and agents from giving money or other consideration, directly or indirectly, to a child’s parent(s), other individual(s), or an entity as payment for the child or as an inducement to release the child. Any attempt to do so is grounds for immediate termination and report to all authorities necessary.

If permitted or required by the child’s country of origin, Small World may remit reasonable payments for activities related to the adoption proceedings, pre-birth and birth medical costs, the care of the child, the care of the birth mother while pregnant and immediately following birth of the child, or the provision of child welfare and child protection services generally.

Under no circumstances shall permitted or required contributions be remitted as payment for the child or as an inducement to release the child. For any further questions concerning our Lesotho program please contact the Lesotho Program Director Christian Graham at christian@smallworldadoption.com.

Requirements

Age

Each applicant must be at least 25 years old and generally not more than 55 years older than the child. There is no firm restriction on the age limit, but it is subject to a case by case review by Small World and the Central authority of Lesotho.

Finances

Small World requires sufficient income and resources on the part of every applicant to support the addition of a child.

Children

Lesotho does not limit the number of children per family, but it is subject to a case by case review by Small World and the Central authority of Lesotho. Lesotho refers children 1 – 14 years of age.

Marital Status

Married heterosexual couples who have been married for at least 2 years and single heterosexual females only may apply to adopt from Small World’s Lesotho program.

Faith

In accordance with Small World’s mission statement, our Lesotho program is open to Christian families only.

Post Adoption

Lesotho is intensely interested in the development of children placed for adoption. They require reports at 6 months, 1 year, 18 months and 24 months by a social worker approved by Small World and 3 additional self reports at 36 months, 48 months and 60 months.

For further information, please contact Kerri Tracy, Director of Post Placement Services.

Fees

Fees for Lesotho adoption paid to Small World:

Application		$300
US State Dept. Monitoring Fee (per child)		$900
Home Study		$2,250
Home Study Review Fee (for families living outside of TN & MO)		$225
Agency Fee		$7,500
Dossier Fee (Includes shipping all documents, Authentication, Registration, and Translation of all documents throughout the adoption process)		$3,800
Letter of Intent (per child)		$2,700
Foreign Program Fee (per child unless indicated)		$13,000
Post Placement/Post Adoption Services* (per child)		$1,800

US Estimated expenses associated with Lesotho adoption not paid to Small World:

Document procurement		$500
USCIS Application		$775
FBI Fingerprints ($85 per adult living in the home)		$170

Travel and in country estimated expenses associated with Lesotho adoption not paid to Small World:

Travel Visa – per person		N/A
Immigration Visa – per child, traveling to the US		$325
Passport size photos for US Immigration Visa		$25
Visa medical exam – per child		$200
Vaccine – Yellow Fever (if applicable)		$150 – $350
Airfare from US (2 adults)		$4,000 – $5,000
Airfare from country (2 adults & 1 adopted child)		$2,000 – $2,250
Hotel/Lodging		$3,000
Ground Transportation		$300

Total Adoption Cost:

Total Adoption Cost

$43,920 – $45,370

Payment Schedule

Application Fee		Payment must accompany submission of application.
Pre-Identified Child Investigation		In cases where there is a pre-identified child, payment must be submitted upon submission of the Application, and in addition to the Application Fee. This fee is per child.
US State Dept. Monitoring Fee		In compliance with the mandate issued by the US State Department, this fee is collected by Small World and paid to the agency appointed by the US State Department for Monitoring and Oversight. The US State Department requires that the $900 (per child) fee be remitted following the finalized contract for services with your adoption agency. The payment will not be refunded by the Monitoring agency under any circumstance.
Services Agreement		The signed services agreement must be returned to Small World along with the US Dept of State Monitoring Fee (See Estimated Expenses) as the next step after the client’s application review. Transfer clients submit $1,250 of the agency fee at this time.
Home Study Fee		Payment must be submitted at the initiation of Home Study services. The Home Study packet will not be sent, and work will not begin until the Home Study fee is paid. Payments for updates are due at the time services are requested. For families living outside TN or MO, case worker travel is billed separately and in advance of travel. If additional copies are required or requested, beyond the 2 provided in the Home Study fee, and additional fee of $50 per copy, will be applied, plus shipping cost.
Home Study Review Fee		All Home Studies are reviewed by our professional reviewers. If your Home Study is prepared by an agency other than Small World, a Home Study review fee of $225 is due at the time Small World enters into an exempt provider contract agreement with your home study agency.
Agency Fee		Payment must be submitted at the time of the completed home study. No further work may be performed toward the adoption until the agency fee is received by Small World. The agency fee for each additional child adopted simultaneously with the first child for most programs is eligible for a 50% discount. Transfer Clients Only: $1,250 is due upon contracting with SW, and the balance is due upon dossier transfer completion
Dossier Fee		Includes applicable translation fees. Payment must accompany the first, original documents submitted to Small World for processing. Approved dossier documents will not be sent for authentication/apostille until the Dossier Fee is paid in full.
Letter of Intent		Includes applicable translation fees. Payment to Small World must accompany the document packet indicating that you intend to pursue a specific child for adoption. Submission of the intent to pursue a particular child for adoption does not guarantee approval by the foreign country.
Foreign Program Fee		The foreign program fee includes funds required by the foreign supervised provider, exit documents, applicable translation fees, and program development. Due to exchange rates and external costs, foreign program fees are subject to change. Half of the Foreign Program Fee is due at the time of I800 approval, and the balance is due prior to travel.
Post Placement/Post Adoption Services		$900 in Post Placement/Post Adoption Services, per child, must be submitted wit the Home Study fee. The post adoption services balance, per child, is due prior to travel and includes applicable translation fees. For families residing outside of TN or MO, post placement reports should be arranged with your home study provider. The number of reports per child vary by country. Please consult the program director for PAR Schedules. PAR’s completed by agencies other than Small World require a $100 processing fee, per report.

NOTE: ALL FEES ARE NON-REFUNDABLE ONCE INVOICED AND PAID. DOSSIER, REFERRAL, FOREIGN FEES, AND POST ADOPTION SERVICES ARE BASED ON FEES SET BY THE FOREIGN PROVIDER AND ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE ACCORDINGLY.

Country And Culture

For information on Lesotho’s country and culture please click here.

Travel

One trip, about 2-3 weeks long, is required for adopting from Lesotho. Your court date will be assigned approximately 2-4 months after you have officially accepted a referral and been matched with a child. Depending on timing and holidays in Lesotho, this time could increase.

Once we receive notice of your court date, travel is typically three to four weeks later. Once court is passed, an appointment is set at the Consulate in Johannesburg, South Africa. The time spent in Lesotho is typically around two weeks, as you bond with your child and have 1-2 visits with a social worker. Time spent in Johannesburg is typically around one week as final paperwork is prepared before you can return home.