Made to Shine Hosting Program: A Colombia Host-to-Adopt Program
CCAI’s Made to Shine Hosting Program is a powerful Colombia hosting program — a path to permanency for older children in Colombia who are eligible for international adoption. For these children, hosting is much more than a vacation or cultural exchange; it’s an opportunity to experience the love, acceptance, and belonging that every child deserves. Through time spent with a host family, children gain exposure to a new culture, practice English, build confidence, and create meaningful relationships. Most importantly, they are given the chance to see themselves through the eyes of people who value them and celebrate who they are. Hosting reminds children that they were made to shine — that they were created to be loved, seen, chosen, and given every opportunity to reach their full potential.
A Path Toward Older Child Adoption
For families considering older child adoption from Colombia, hosting provides a meaningful opportunity to see firsthand how a child may fit within their family dynamic. It offers a realistic understanding of both the challenges and incredible rewards that come with older child adoption. For families who are still discerning whether adoption is right for them, our host-to-adopt program can transform a distant idea into a tangible possibility. Regardless of whether a family ultimately adopts, hosting ensures that a child’s story is shared, their strengths are recognized, and their need for a permanent family is not forgotten.
Hosting Program Costs
Through our mission to serve vulnerable children, we are committed to making hosting and Colombia adoption affordable for all families. For families already in process with CCAI for a Colombia adoption, we will waive the Hosting Program Donation. For host families who choose to pursue the adoption of their host child and contract with CCAI within 30 days of the conclusion of the hosting session, we will apply the Hosting Program Donation toward the family’s CCAI adoption program fees.*
*Please contact us for more details. The Hosting Program Donation is $2,500, but there are additional hosting-related expenses that apply and are not included in the Hosting Program Donation.
CCAI partners with La Casa de la Madre y el Niño in Colombia, one of the largest child welfare institutions in the country, to identify children eligible for this program.
“We doubt, we question, we argue, we laugh, we work, we play, we are really not any different than anyone else, except we got the honor and privilege to have a boy come into our home and teach us that sometimes love comes in the most unexpected ways.”
Why host? Why adopt?
A Desperate Need for Families
Thousands of children in Colombia are eligible for adoption, with the majority aged between 12 and 18 years old. Older children, especially those over five, face diminishing chances of being adopted within Colombia.
A Life-Changing Impact
Children without parents often struggle with low self-esteem, emotional difficulties, and challenges in forming meaningful relationships. They are also more susceptible to violence, exploitation, trafficking, and are five times more likely to commit suicide.
A Chance for a Brighter Future
Hosting provides children a glimpse of safety, security, and love giving them hope and increasing their chance of finding a forever family. Together, an entire community can help a child shine by recognizing their gifts, encouraging their dreams, and affirming their worth.
How to get started
- Register to view the children who are participating the Made to Shine Program and to learn more about the program.
- Complete and submit the CCAI Colombia Application or if already in the adoption process, speak with CCAI to learn your next steps.
- Work with CCAI to obtain all items required for hosting, including but not limited to background checks and child abuse clearances, parent training, and a psychosocial visit (PSV) report or current home study for Colombia.
FAQs
- Children from Colombia are 10+ years of age; occasionally children under age 10 who are a part of a sibling group
- Single children and sibling groups of up to 4
- Children with emotional, medical, and educational needs
- Hosts must be at least 25 years old and typically should not be less than 15 years or more than 50 years older than the child they host.
- Hosts can be married couples or singles.
- No member of the host household can have a conviction for any violent crime, a crime against a child, or a substantiated child abuse report. Other types of prior convictions/charges such as drug or alcohol abuse/DUI will be assessed on a case-by-case basis.
- Hosts must be in good physical and mental health.
- The host family’s home must provide a safe environment and include adequate space. A host child may share a bedroom with at most one child of the same gender who is a similar age or older than the host child.
- A past disrupted or dissolved adoption or denial by a home study agency may deem applicants ineligible for hosting.
Yes, it is possible! Colombia views hosting as a pathway to permanency, and the hope is that host families will go on to adopt.
Yes! Since the ultimate goal is to help these children find their forever families through adoption, being supportive of intercountry adoption is a must. Even families that ultimately do not adopt have a role in helping these children find their forever families. We welcome both adoption-minded families and families that will help advocate on behalf of their host children.
No; all children are required to return to Colombia after the hosting session is complete. Their approval to come to the US is temporary, and any return to the US must be facilitated through legal means (typically, adoption).
Regardless of a host family’s adoption plans, Colombia does not allow host families to communicate after the host program concludes. Non-authorized contact after the children return to Colombia can negatively affect the child’s emotional wellbeing and/or success in adoption and/or jeopardize the adoptive family’s eligibility to adopt.
Although it is helpful when families speak the child’s language, it is not required. Most families do not find the language barrier too difficult to navigate. Families who have previously hosted say they were able to overcome communication barriers using translation apps and other techniques.
Host families are expected to:
- Involve the children in day-to-day family living in a safe, loving, and nurturing environment
- Provide a bed for their host child; the child may share a room with a child of the same gender who is a similar age or older than the host child
- Take time off from work to spend quality time with the host child(ren)
- Host the chaperone in the family home for 3 to 5 days
- Report weekly to CCAI and the designated chaperone
- Regardless of the family’s intent to adopt, advocate for the host child(ren) to find permanency through adoption
Chaperones are representatives from Colombia and may be social workers, psychologists, directors, and/or government officials.
- They have power of attorney for the children.
- They ensure that the children have a safe visit and get to know the families who might apply to adopt them. All host families must plan to have the chaperone stay in their home for 3 to 5 days during the child’s visit.
- Chaperones check in with the children and families each week, assist with any translation needs, and write reports on the child’s visit to help facilitate future adoption.
Yes, your host child may travel with you within the U.S. with prior notice to CCAI. The children cannot travel outside the U.S. during the hosting session.
A basic major medical and accident policy is purchased to cover each child and chaperone participating in the program while in the U.S. covering emergency care. Families will be provided details about the plan prior to the hosting session.
The hosting dates are December 7 – December 28, 2026.
While we facilitate hosting in every state, host children will arrive at the most central international airport in relation to where the majority of children are being hosted in the U.S. as determined by ICBF. Host families must travel to the identified airport to pick up the child/children they are hosting and return them to that location for departure after the hosting session is complete.
- For families already in the CCAI Colombia adoption process, the CCAI Hosting Program donation is waived. Otherwise, the CCAI hosting donation payment is $2,500, split into two installments.
- For families that choose to adopt the child(ren) they host through CCAI, the CCAI Hosting Program donation is applied to CCAI adoption fees.
- There is no additional Hosting Program donation to host a sibling group.
Please reference the CCAI Hosting Program Agreement for more details.
Each host family is responsible for covering costs associated with paperwork, transportation, and family activities for or during hosting. Estimated costs can vary greatly and include the following items:
- If the host family does not already have a current home study for Colombia adoption, a psycho-social visit (PSV) report completed by a licensed child placement agency/home study agency or social worker in your state of residence is required. If the host family resides in Colorado, Wyoming, Texas, Georgia, or Florida, CCAI will complete the PSV or home study for an additional fee.
- Criminal and child abuse clearances
- Airline tickets for the host child(ren) from arrival airport to the host family’s state of residence and return to departure airport and transportation to and from said airport.
- Elective services such as dental visits and optometry exams are at the cost of the host family, however many times practitioners may offer significant discounts for host children.
- Food, clothing, activities, etc. for both the child and also chaperone during the chaperone visit.
- Register to view the children who are participating the Made to Shine Program and to learn more about the program.
- Complete and submit the CCAI Colombia Application or if already in the adoption process, speak with CCAI to learn your next steps.
- Work with CCAI to obtain all items required for hosting, including but not limited to background checks and child abuse clearances, parent training, and a psychosocial visit (PSV) report or current home study for Colombia.
