Russia Adoption

Adoption Program
CWA has had a large and long-lived Russian program since 1992. Our directors adopted a 13 year-old girl from Russia. CWA enjoys favorable working relationships with Russian government officials, earning their respect and trust. We know that most parents want to adopt young children, but children of all ages are waiting in Russian orphanages. CWA is active in several regions, currently about 20. The process, timing and travel requirements vary by region. Your Case Manager will assign you to the best region for you and your adoption. Our Program Director and Case Manager are Russian-born and can discuss each case directly with our Russian facilitators. Our Case Managers provide personal guidance throughout your adoption process. CWA has an office in Moscow with a bilingual staff and has Russian-speaking staff in our US office. Currently adoptions from Russia can take approximately 12 months from the time of submitting your application with CWA until the child is home. Previous CWA clients returning for another adoption may return to their previous region if they choose and if it is a viable region.

The Children
Both boys and girls age 9 months and older are available at referral age. Families can adopt one child, siblings, or two unrelated children. If adopting unrelated children, at least one child must be age 25 months or older at referral age. After you are in Russia and meet the child chosen for you, if you decide not to adopt that child, then you may ask to see another child. If a child is available within the parameters of your paperwork, you will be referred the child. Limited medical information on the child may be provided. Therefore CWA strongly encourages parents to seek advice from an American physician who is trained in reviewing and interpreting the medical information you will receive. The physician can prepare you before your travel to Russia regarding what questions to ask, how to interact with the child, what information to gather to help in the evaluation of the child, etc. You can send information back to the physician via fax or email and receive their opinion before accepting referral of a child. It is a myth that most Russian children offered for adoption have FAS or FAE.

Parent Eligibility
Married couples and single women may adopt. Prior divorce is acceptable, and there are no restrictions regarding the number of children in the home. Russia is quite lenient regarding the ages of parents. They consider the mother to be primary caregiver so the age of the mother is the primary factor in granting approval to adopt.

Travel
Russian adoption requires two trips. The first trip will be one week or more in duration. Most regions will require both parents on the first trip and some regions will allow only one parent on the first trip. The time between first trip and second trip will vary by region (averages 2–4 months). Both parents travel on the second trip and appear in court. After the court hearing one parent may return home while the other parent stays to complete the remaining legal paperwork and process. The second trip will generally last from 10-21 days, again, depending on region requirements. When families arrive in the region, our CWA staff facilitator will greet you at the airport and escort you to your prearranged accommodations. You will receive preparation for the processes and what to expect while in Russia. Our facilitator will provide translation, transportation, guidance, as well as escorting you to all official appointments. You must register your adopted child with MOFA Consular Division in Moscow before leaving Russia. Your stay in Moscow on the 2nd trip will be no less than 4 business days. For most regions, parents will be required to complete an extensive medical exam in Moscow prior to the court hearing. There is an American clinic there that can provide this service. Your Case Manager will give you exact details according to your region.

Note: Due to the nature of international adoption, the adoption program information contained in this page is subject to change without notice.