Ukraine: Country and Program Overview

Ukraine is a beautiful country the size of France, and is located between Russia and the countries of Eastern Europe. Ukraine was once part of the Soviet Union and is now its own nation. Ukraine borders many European countries, and as such is the top choice for European families who want to adopt. The population is Slavic, like that of Russia, with some gypsy and Eurasian children in the Crimea region. The orphanage system is run by the government and is similar to the Russian system.

Adoption in Ukraine is relatively inexpensive compared to other Eastern European and Latin American Countries.

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 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.

We at Partners for Adoption pride 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 is to assist you with the preparation of your foreign paperwork, and to offer emotional support and guidance throughout your process.

Some families find the dossier preparation to be complicated and time-consuming. Partners for Adoption offers full dossier service to our Ukraine families with no additional charge.

Our Executive 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.

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.