Adoption Guide of www.adoptinginukraine.com

Requirements for adoption in Ukraine

  • Be at least 25 years
  • Now in Ukraine there is no maximum age difference between the prospective parents and a child. Older couples can adopt little kids. As of July 14, 2011, the State Department on adoption and protection of children's rights (SDAPCR), Ukraine's adoption authority has deemed that Ukrainian children available for international adoption must be at least five years old. Children with special needs or who or part of an older sibling group may be available for international adoption as well.
  • Married couples allowed (civil or religious marriage)
  • No unwed couples allowed
  • No single-parent families allowed (singles)
  • Homosexuality is considered exclusive for the adoption in Ukraine
  • The adoption in Ukraine takes 4-5 weeks and you can have two trips if necessary.

Ukrainian Waiting Children

  • We do think that the Ukrainian children are one of the best in the world for adoption. The Ukrainian children waiting for adoption live at the orphanages. The majority of the Ukrainian children have been placed for adoption due to difficult economic condition and problems in the family. Many children have been taken from their biological parents due to abuse or neglect and are now waiting for their adoptive parents. They so much want mom and dad. The Ukrainian children will tend to be fair skinned with blond to brown hair. The Ukrainian Adoption authority does not permit pre-selection of Ukrainian children for adoption which means children will be identified for families when they are invited to travel.

Preparation of the specific file for Ukraine

  • Process and procedures in the US before your adoption and submission of all documents in Ukraine

    • 1. You have to find a Home Study (HS) agency that does international H.S. for Ukraine. IMPORTANT (From the agency you need only HS, agency license and the license of the social worker who will prepare your HS). You do not need agency for your dossier documents. Agencies ask A LOT OF MONEY for filling out your dossier. WE will provide you with all the info and all the samples of needed documents for the good and cheap price for you!!! You will save thousands of dollars and get the best service with us! Because we are like you, we are already adopted parents with the experience!
    • 2. The agency/social worker will send everything you need for the family to supply so they can write your Home Study along with home visits.
    • 3. Gather documents required by your social worker.
    • 4. Meet with social worker at their office and then have home visits.
    • 5. Await home study completion.
    • 6. Review completed home study (be attentive with each detail).
    • 7. Have social worker submit home study to INS.
    • 8. Get your marriage license from the state where you got married, (apostilled and notarized).
    • 9. Get your Medical Report with blood tests.
    • 10. Once you have complete H.S. YOU apply for USCIS I-600A.
    • 11. Contact your facilitator
    • 12. Get I - 171H (USCIS approval)
    • 13. Send dossier to your facilitator for review
    • 14. Notarize and have all your dossier documents stamped by your Secretary of State office (Apostille).
    • 15. Send a copy of dossier to facilitator for translation.
    • 16. Send everything to Ukraine to your facilitator.
    • 17. Receive letter of invitation from Department of Adoption.
    • 18. Get invitation and come for Adoption.

Preparation before your adopting in Ukraine

  • Selection of the facilitator in Ukraine.
  • The selection of the facilitator is one of the most delicate and important decisions of the adoption process. Ukraine does not support the intermediation or any other type of organizations in the process of your adoption that is why you should look for a person to represent you and help you during the adoption process in Ukraine. (We will give you advices and will provide you with the good and experienced facilitator).
  • Well experienced, honest and efficient facilitator will be 90% of your success in the process of adoption.
  • We do know what people write in various forums and their adoption blogs. Many families told us personally that there are an endless number of intermediaries who charge you for giving you information about the adoption, which is free, or even getting you in touch with facilitators (which in most cases they don’t know personally).

    These are unscrupulous individuals that charge you exorbitant amounts and promise you 100% guarantees that nothing can fail, but we all know that sometimes things get complicated and that’s where it is very important for the good facilitator to come into the adoption process. You must know that you can trust him, and that he will tell you clearly what he will charge for his services, what is included and what is not, so then you don't have surprises with your expenses!

  • We can assure you that our facilitator has reasonable fees that he will not disappoint you, that he will always tell you the things openly and that you will be informed of how the adoption process in Ukraine is going on.
  • If you want more information, don't hesitate to contact us, we will answer you as soon as possible.
  • Send dossier to Ukraine to the facilitator by post office (usual or express) Fed Ex, Express Mail or DHL, MRW, UPS, etc.
  • The dossier will be submitted by the facilitator in the Ministry of Social Policy/Department of Adoptions in Kiev.
  • The dossier will be reviewed and checked at the Department of adoption during 20/30 official days; if everything is ok, the facilitator will get your invitation and let you know about the date and the time of your appointment.
  • In case (just in case) if some errors are detected (poorly drafted, expired or incomplete document) your facilitator will get your documents back, will let you know about the mistakes so they can be corrected and send back to the facilitator. (From our side we will try to do everything possible so your documents will be good and valid and won’t have mistakes)!!!
  • Get an invitation to Ukraine

Travel for Your Ukrainian Adoption

  • When you come to Ukraine for your adoption your facilitator will meet you at the airport, will help you with your luggage and escort to the apartment. From our side we can assure you that you will have good and comfortable apartments or room at the hotel. (The price for your apartment/room and your preferences can be discussed with the facilitator and booked for you before your arrival to Ukraine)

    Your facilitator will escort you to the Department of Adoption and will help you to find good, healthy child.

    Adoptive applicants will be presented with information including photos and basic medical information on several Ukrainian children who are available for adoption at that time.

    Adoptive parents will select a child from the list of kids that they would like to meet to consider adopting. Then the adoptive family and our Ukrainian facilitator will travel to the region where the child lives. (The trip to the region can be made by train, bus or car) Our facilitator usually drives all his families, that can save a lot of time and it is more comfortable when you travel with your luggage to be in a car).

    But you will have options!!!

    Family will be escorted to the orphanage to meet their particular child. The adoptive applicants will have an opportunity to ask any questions and get any information about the child's health, his biological family, and child’s daily life, his/her background, educational or developmental history. If you decide to accept the child referral then the Ukrainian adoption proceedings can begin. If you decide not to proceed with this Ukrainian child, your facilitator will request another appointment for you. Families are permitted to have up to three appointments at the Ministry of Social Policy of Ukraine.

    If you like a child and decided to proceed with the adoption, your facilitator will start putting and preparing your child's adoption paperwork together and will arrange the court date. Once the paperwork is ready you will have court in the region .

    Both parents must be present for the adoption hearing. (one parent can be present at the court or adopt by himelf/hereft if you prepare the doucments for one parent traveling)! For more details you can contact us and we will explaine you!

    The process of preparing the paperwork and going through the court proceedings will take approximately 2 weeks. After the official Ukrainian court procedures there will be 10 day waiting period. At this time you can travel back home and be back for the end of the proces or can stay with your child. After 10 days waiting period you will get official court decree and will make final steps in your adoption process to bring your Ukrainian child home. Having official court decree you can get passport, new birth certificate and new security number for your child.

    We would like to tell you that our facilitator after 20 years of working with the adoptions knows many judges and many social workers. When the official part and all the documents are finished in the region, family and the child/ren will go back to Kiev to get medical examination at the Central Hospital for child's physical. After the medical examination you will be escorted to the US Consulate in Kiev, Ukraine for the exit interview and getting visa for your adopted child.

    When you get visa you can travel home with your child.

    After arriving home you have to register your child as a family member. You will have a month to register the child in the US Consulate of Ukraine in your country. When all the adoption procedures have been completed, close the case in your region. Do not forget to provide Progress reports regarding the living conditions and upbringing of our adopted child(ren) to the said Ukrainian Embassy once each year for first three years, then one report every third year until the adopted child(ren) attain the age of eighteen (18) years per addendum 5 of the Regulation #905 of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine; Each year you must submit a follow-up report about your child in the Consulate.

    When the adopted child reaches the age of 18, he or she will have to choose between American or Ukrainian nationality.