State Department Announces Travel Warning for Adoptive Parents
The U.S. Department of State is strongly advising "prospective adoptive parents" to reconsider adoptions from Haiti, in part because of a longstanding travel warning to that country.
"The Department of State continues to strongly advise prospective adoptive parents to reconsider intercountry adoptions from Haiti – particularly those who have not yet selected a country from which to adopt or those who have not yet been matched with a child from Haiti," the State Department warned in an April 14, 2025, news release.
"Adoption from Haiti is a long process in a dangerous environment that impedes processing. Conditions in Haiti include protests, demonstrations, and roadblocks, as well as criminal activity involving firearms, assault, kidnappings, and carjackings," the release says.
The governor warned in the new release that travel to and in Haiti can be perilous.
Since March 2024, Haiti "has been under a State of Emergency. The Department of State's Travel Advisory for Haiti has been at Level 4 – Do Not Travel since March 2020. The airport in Port-au-Prince has been closed to commercial aircraft since November 2024," the release says.
Indeed, conditions in the country have deteriorated to the degree that Royal Caribbean cruise line announced in April 2025 that it was pausing a route there to a private Haitian island.
"Even prior to 2024, intercountry adoptions from Haiti have typically taken an average of four years to complete. This timeline has lengthened in some cases due to country conditions. Proximity to armed gang violence can cause Haitian government offices and courts that process adoptions and monitor child welfare to shut unexpectedly, further delaying case processing," the release notes.
"Foreign service providers (FSPs) responsible for shepherding adoption cases through courts and local government offices report increasing difficulties in safely processing adoption cases as they navigate difficult security conditions on behalf of prospective adoptive parents," the government warned.
"U.S. embassy employees are prohibited from travel in Haiti, use of public transportation, and visiting certain areas of Port-au-Prince, and FSPs must assume such risks to advance adoption cases. There may be times where FSPs are unable to advance cases as security conditions compel them to shelter in place. The Department of State has no capacity to provide security or transportation to FSPs involved in case processing," the release says.
"Children awaiting adoption also navigate difficult security conditions to complete required steps in adoption processes, including travel for personal appearance requirements at courts, passport offices, and medical clinics," it adds. "Biological relations of children undergoing adoption may also be required to make multiple trips to give testimony in court. Adoption processing steps that are required by U.S. and/or Haitian law cannot be waived. The Department of State has no capacity to provide security or transportation for children or birth families to complete adoption processing."
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