Ethiopian Family Search and Communication Services

Comprehensive Instructions for Beginning Your Search

Please be aware that searches can take a long time, and due to caseload we already have, we aren’t usually able to start right away. There can be a delay of six months in starting new searches.

Read This: Before registering we urge you to read our SEARCH PROCESS and an EXAMPLE REPORT. It will most answer many of your questions as to what you get and how it works.

Costs We believe adoptees are entitled to their full adoption documentation and information about their first families, with connection and reunion whenever possible. While we do not profit from this, there are costs involved. It takes time, expertise, dedication, and sometimes even bravery to do this work. Governments, adoption agencies, and orphanages have not taken responsibility for providing these services to adoptees. We do this because we believe it needs to be done. Our team in Ethiopia must be compensated for their hard work. Therefore, there are fees for searches in Ethiopia. If you are an adoptee and have financial need, please let us know. We will do our best to work with you.

Travelers: We sometimes get requests to search with clients during a visit to Ethiopia. We do not do this.

Who Can Start a Search? Search requests are accepted from adoptees 18+ or adoptive parents/legal guardians of a With permission from the adult adoptee in question, a support person may be included in correspondence; however, the search should be initiated by the adoptee.

Disclaimer: Beteseb Felega offers searches throughout Ethiopia. Comprehensive, detailed reports are provided for all searches. Careful and diligent effort will be made to find your or your child’s Ethiopian family. It’s important for clients to understand that not all searches are successful. Regardless of outcome, you will be provided with written and photographic documentation of your search.

We will not work with or at the same time as another searcher. If we find that you are doing two searches at the same time, we will immediately stop your search without a refund. If you want to stop your search and use someone else, it is common courtesy to let us know.

Signing Up – Please follow all the instructions! We really struggle when folks are excited and rush through (yes it’s exciting!) because it makes a lot more work for us. Remember that we are humans, we are volunteers, and our time is important.

1. 1. 1. Gather all the information you have about your adoption. This is the first step. This must be done before beginning the sign up process the form.
      2. Every file must be clearly labeled beginning with the child’s Ethiopian name, such as: Mimi Court Docs, Mimi Referral, etc.
      3. Every search request must include all adoption documents you have in every language.
      4. Documents must be readable in Microsoft. Do not send files unique to Apple products.
      5. Put all your documents/photos/notes in a Google Drive folder and share it with [email protected].
      6. On your form, every question must be answered. “See Documents” is not an acceptable answer. Put your Google Drive Share Link inside the form where asked.
      7. If you want to add additional details or information later, you will put it in your Drive Folder and notify us. We get a ton of emails and we cannot guarantee we will find your extra information buried deep in our email box.

A $50 registration fee enables us to review your adoption information and provide you will a quote for your Ethiopian family search. After you’ve made your registration payment and prepared your Google Drive folder, you will provide your adoption search information through our website form. When you submit your data, you will receive a copy via email. We do not provide soft quotes.

When answering the form questions, please make every effort to present your case in a clearly-organized and labeled manner. We volunteer our time helping many clients, and we don’t have the resources to organize a jumble of files into a coherent story. We will absolutely work with you and give input on your search, but we can’t do it if your information is incomplete or unclear. “See documents” is not a answer we can work with.

But wait! Did you gather your documents, photos, and notes; put them in your Google Drive folder; and share with [email protected]?

Sign Up Now.

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Register for an Ethiopian Family Visit and Letter Delivery

Beteseb Felega offers personal letter delivery throughout Ethiopia. We have dedicated social workers in various regions of Ethiopia. You will receive photo verification of letter/photos receipt, a social report on your or your child’s family’s life, a message from the family with photos, and usually a short video. Use our brief form below. We will send your payment quote by email.

If this is our first time working with you, we require adoption documentation with the family’s location stating the address (Region, Zone, Woreda, Kebele, Village).

We do not do soft quotes. To provide a quote, we need the address of the family.

Not sure what to say in your letter? See our tips below.

Important: You will be uploading TWO documents through the website:

1. One PDF file containing your letter and/or photos. Limit questions to 10. In our experience, small details are best obtained over a period of time rather than in one communication. The family is likely to be emotional at receiving your letter and this can make it hard to get answers to very detailed questions. Our favorite question is, “Tell us my/our child’s adoption story.”

2. One PDF file containing names, contact, and other information necessary to deliver the letter.

There is a spot to add additional information if necessary.

To sign up for letter delivery services, please fill out our brief form, upload your letter, and we will provide a quote via email. Register for a family visit and letter delivery and upload your information now.

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