Ukraine: Country and Program Overview

Ukraine, a beautiful country the size of France, is located between Russia and the countries of Eastern Europe. Ukraine was once part of the Soviet Union and is now its own nation. The population is Slavic, like that of Russia, and the orphanage system is similar to the Russian system.

We began our Ukraine program in 1998 in response to strong interest from our parents. Since then, we have been delighted by the beautiful children our clients have brought home, and the program has grown in popularity.

Ukraine is a wonderful choice for families adopting children two years old and up, or families who can not go on the 2 trips other countries' require. The program currently takes approximately 3-6 months from the time that your adoption paperwork is submitted to the Ukrainian authorities.

Partners for Adoption provides free consultations for all prospective clients who are interested in this program. We encourage you to come to our office and meet with our international program staff so that we can discuss your adoption needs and help you to formulate a plan that will work for your family. For those of you outside of California, phone conference meetings can be arranged at your convenience.

What makes this program unique is the Ukrainian adoption process. Families are directly involved in selecting their child. While in Ukraine, the family visits the National Adoption Center. There they are provided with pictures and other information about various children who are available for adoption. The family chooses a child with the help of our translators and coordinators. They then travel to the region where this child is located in order to visit the orphanage and meet the child. Parents can visit the orphanage several times to interact with the child before they decide to adopt. If the family is not comfortable with the referral, they may immediately return to the Adoption Center to select another child.

This program is a good choice for families who want to be a part of the selection process instead of adopting a child who has been chosen for them. It is also a good choice for families who want the reassurance of a completely up-to-date medical examination for their adoptive child. One of the most outstanding features of Partners for Adoption's Ukraine program is that we are able to arrange for a doctor who specializes in assessing adoptive children to travel with your family. This doctor will meet with the child and immediately perform a medical examination in order to ascertain that the child is in good health.

Partners for Adoption prides ourselves on our personalized service and integrated support systems. From the time you sign your adoption services contract through your return home with your child, you will have the on-going support of our staff in both the United States and Ukraine. You will be assigned an adoption consultant, whose job it is to assist you with the preparation of your foreign paperwork, and to offer emotional support and guidance throughout your process. Upon your arrival in Ukraine, our staff members will make all your logistics and travel arrangements, including regional travel, drivers, hotels, and translators. They will also work tirelessly to ensure the complex Ukrainian paperwork required by the National Adoption Center and other Government Institutions is completed properly and in a timely fashion. They will arrange for and guide you through the Ukrainian court procedures and, finally, with the Visa procedures and appointments at the American Embassy. Our coordinators are trained to move you quickly and smoothly through the bureaucratic institutions of the Ukraine government.

Our International Program Director travels regularly to Ukraine to personally oversee and fine tune all aspects of our program. Every family is scheduled to talk with the Director in person or over the phone before traveling to Ukraine in order to ask questions regarding their upcoming trip.

Current Status

Partners for Adoption's Ukraine program is currently open and accepting applications.

Children Available

In order for a child to be adopted from Ukraine, that child must be listed on the country's national orphan registry for sixteen months. Therefore, the children who are available for adoption are generally at least eighteen months of age and older. Sibling sets are available. Ukraine does not permit the adoption of two unrelated children at the same time.

Parent Requirements

Married couples may adopt from Ukraine. The country does not permit adoption by single women. Adoptive parents can not be more then forty five years older than the child that they are adopting.

Timelines

Once the family has initiated their homestudy and placement process with Partners for Adoption, they apply to USCIS for approval to bring an orphan into the United States, start their homestudy paperwork, and begin compiling their Ukraine dossier. Once the dossier has been completed (approximately three months) it will be sent to Ukraine for translation, which takes approximately three weeks. At this point the dossier gets registered with the Ukraine government and the family waits for an invitation to travel to Kyiv and visit the National Adoption Center. Generally, once the dossier has been registered the wait for an invitation to travel is between four and six months.

Travel

Adoption from Ukraine is completed in one trip. This trip ranges in time from three to four weeks.

Fees

Ukraine adoption fees are approximately $23,500 to $31,000 for the entire process. This includes: Partners for Adoption homestudy services, travel, stay in country, foreign program fee and legalizations of paperwork.