Our Ukraine Adoption Program
Ukrainian Adoption Frequently Asked Questions
How old are the children?
As of July 14, 2011, children who are eligible for intercountry adoption in Ukraine are five years old and up. Exceptions can be made for children with special needs or who are a part of an older sibling group.
How do I start the adoption process?
In order to start an international adoption from Ukraine, please contact us so that we can answer any questions you may have about the program. The first step is to apply to the Agency and sign the Ukraine program retainer. We will assist you with everything from that point onward.
How long will the process take?
To a large extent, the overall time frame of your adoption depends on you. It is up to you to begin and complete a homestudy and apply for and receive USCIS clearance. In general, completing their homestudy, dossier papers and USCIS clearance takes 2-4 months. After submitting your dossier, you will be invited to travel by the Ukrainian government. While it is impossible to foresee how long it will take, the wait to travel is approximately 1-3 months.
Who will help us during our stay in the Ukraine?
Our local representatives in the Ukraine will accompany you every step of the way. You will be provided with translators, drivers, and assisted to find comfortable living arrangements. Our representatives will be responsible for gathering, translating and authenticating all necessary papers for you and your child. They will assist you with everything during your in-country stay.
How long will we stay in the Ukraine?
Both parents are required to meet the child and attend the court hearing. After the court hearing one parent may go back to the U.S. if necessary. Families can decide to complete the process in one trip or two trips. If the family chooses to complete the adoption in one trip, they will stay in the country for approximately four to five weeks. If they choose to complete the adoption in two trips, the first trip will last approximately two weeks and the second trip will last approximately 7 days. It is possible for only one parent to travel on the second trip to escort the child home.
Who can adopt from the Ukraine?
Married couples are able to adopt from Ukraine. Ukraine does not allow singles to adopt.
Where do the children live?
Children are living in government-run orphanages throughout many regions in Ukraine.
Can I adopt more than one child at the same time?
Siblings are available for adoption; Ukraine does not allow the adoption of two unrelated children at the same time.
How many children will be presented to me?
During the appointment at the Adoption Center in Kiev, a psychologist or social worker representing the government will present parents information on several children available for adoption at that time and then parents will choose a child they would like to meet to consider adoption. If parents decide not to proceed to adopt the child they choose to meet, adoptive parents can request another appointment at the Adoption Center. Families can have up to three appointments at the Adoption Center during their trip.
Ukraine Adoptions Program Overview
Step One: Getting to Know Us
The first step in adopting from the Ukraine is for you to request our introductory packet here (http://www.partnersforadoption.org/intropack.shtml/). After reading about our Ukraine adoption program, please contact our office to talk more about your adoption plans. If you decide to proceed with our Ukrainian adoption program, the next step will be to send in your application and Retainer Agreement.
Step Two: Completing the Adoption Dossier and Homestudy
Once you sign up for our Ukrainian adoptions program, you will be assigned a dossier specialist who will help you through each requirement of the process. The dossier is the paperwork required by the Ukrainian Government for you to adopt. You may prepare your homestudy simultaneously to expedite the process. We will guide you on how to get your papers notarized and apostilled and walk you through each step of the process of adopting from the Ukraine.
We take great pride in the personal nature of our program, which means you will receive help and support every step of the way. We will review your dossier and work with you to correct any issues. This is also a good time for you to apply for a current passport if you do not already have one, since the Ukrainian government requires that a parent or parents travel to Ukraine for the adoption procedures (for more information, please see our Ukraine FAQ section).
Step Three: Adoption Dossier is Submitted to Ukraine
Once you have completed your dossier and we have approved it, we will send it to Ukraine to be professionally translated and notarized by the Ukrainian equivalent of a notary public. Completing this process is required before your documents can be presented to the Ukrainian authorities.
Step Four: Waiting for your Travel Date to Ukraine
Once the translation is complete, the dossier is registered with the Ukrainian government. The wait for an invitation to travel is estimated to be 1-3 months.
Once you have received a travel date, you will be sent a Travel Packet and we will help you plan for your trip, from suggesting a travel agency to helping you choose what to pack. Once you have received the travel packet, we will set up a travel meeting with you to go over travel information and the travel process.
Step Five: Traveling to Ukraine
You will travel to the capital of Ukraine, Kiev, where you will be met by our local representatives, who will guide and help you throughout your stay in the Ukraine. When you arrive, our representatives will have already coordinated living arrangements, transportation, translation and all other necessary services in the Ukraine adoption process. In Kiev you will have an appointment with the State Department on Adoption and Children’s Rights (SDA), who will present you with information on children who are eligible for adoption. For more details regarding the length of your trip, please refer to our Ukraine FAQ -- “How long will we stay in Ukraine?”
Step Six: Accepting your Child
After choosing a child(ren) you’d like to meet, you will then travel to the region where the child is residing. You will be accompanied by our coordinator/translators. The next day you will go to the orphanage to see the children. You will be given their medical records and other information to review. You will also have a chance to interact with them and establish the initial personal bond. In addition, you may choose to contract one of a number of doctors who can travel with parents from Kiev to examine children and study their records. Each of these doctors has extensive experience working with children living in orphanages in the Ukraine. All children have been tested for HIV, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, and venereal diseases. You will not be required to accept a child at this stage of the Ukraine adoption process.
When you have decided to proceed with an adoption, our representatives will begin to put your child's papers together and arrange the court date.
If you decide against adopting the first child(ren) you visit, you can submit a request to have another appointment at the SDA. In accordance with Ukrainian law, each family can have up to three appointments at the SDA.
Step Seven: Finalizing your Ukraine Adoption
While you get to know and bond with your child, our representatives will be hard at work arranging the court date, traveling back and forth to Kiev, gathering, translating and authenticating your child's birth certificates, orphan papers, travel documents, etc.
Once your child's papers are ready you will be asked to appear before a Ukrainian judge to finalize your adoption. Both parents must be present for the adoption hearing. This process of preparing for and going through the court proceedings will take approximately two weeks. After the court procedures, there is a 10 day “grace period.” After the 10 days are over, the adoption decree will be issued, and you will go through the final steps to able to bring your child home. The last step will be to apply for your child's visa at the United States’ Embassy in Kiev.