Russia Adoption
| We are very excited about the current situation with our Russia program! We have recently been receiving referrals of infants within a very short period of time (days or weeks) after a family is registered in a region! Therefore we are recruiting additional families as referrals are becoming available at a steady pace! |
Russia Adoption Program
CWA has had an active Russia adoption program since 1992. Our founders adopted their 13 year-old daughter from Russia in 2000. CWA enjoys favorable working relationships with Russian government officials, having earned their respect and trust. We understand that most parents want to adopt young children, however, children of all ages and older siblings are waiting in Russian orphanages. CWA is currently active in 4 different regions. The process, timing and travel requirements vary by region. Your Case Manager will assign you to the region best suited for you and your Russia adoption. Some of our staff are Russian-born. Case Managers routinely communicate with our Russian facilitators to monitor each family’s individual case. Our Case Managers provide personal guidance throughout your adoption process. CWA’s U.S. and Moscow offices employ bilingual staff. Currently a Russia adoption can take approximately 8-18 months or longer from the time of submitting your application with CWA until the child is home. Previous CWA clients returning for another Russia adoption may return to their previous region if they choose and if it is a viable region.
Children in the Russia Adoption Program
Both boys and girls are legally available for international adoption at 8 months of age. However, with the realities of currently available children, and necessary processing times, families can expect to bring home an infant around age 11-12 months and older. For families wanting to adopt a young child, Russia requires that families’ paperwork state they are willing to adopt a child age at least or minimum 0-4 years of age. Families can adopt one child or siblings. 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. There are also sibling groups available for adoption. It is quite common that siblings could range in age from 0-10 years old. Families applying to adopt siblings must be open to the likelihood of one child being an older child, and must state they are open to siblings age 0-6 years old.
Medical information on children is limited. Therefore, CWA strongly encourages parents to seek advice from an American physician who specializes 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. CWA provides our clients with a list of adoption-related physicians located throughout the USA. It is a myth that most Russian children offered for adoption have Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) or Fetal Alcohol Effect (FAE)..
Russia Adoption 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. Single women might not be accepted soon as a result of recent situation in Russia when a child who was adopted by a single mother returned to Russia. As of today, Russia is still accepting single women. Russia is quite lenient regarding the ages of parents. However, some regions would like to see age difference between parents and a child that is no more than 45 years. They consider the mother to be primary caregiver so the age of the mother is the primary factor in granting approval to adopt. While Russia can be quite lenient on the age of adopting parents, Russia does have more restrictive regulations regarding the health of adopting parents. Therefore, if you are currently taking any prescription medications, or if you have any medical conditions, please call or email our Director of Intake to discuss your specific case so we can help you determine your eligibility. If you are taking a prescription medication for any psychological diagnosis—including depression, we need to know this up front. In addition, if there is any prior arrest record or prior criminal charge, please discuss this with us. While it does not automatically preclude you from adopting, each situation is addressed on a case-by-case basis. With international adoption, all medical information and criminal issues must be fully addressed and documented in your home study as well as other adoption related documents. By fully disclosing any relevant information prior to your applying with CWA, we can hopefully help you avoid the expenditure of time, money, and emotions, only to later discover Russia might not approve you to adopt.
Russia Adoption Program Travel
Russia adoption requires two trips. The first trip will be one full week or more in duration. All regions will require both parents on the first trip. The time between first trip and second trip will vary by region (averages 2–4 months). In some cases it can be longer if there are delays 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. However, some regions require both parents to be present for completing paperwork after the court hearing. The second trip will generally last from 10-21 days in the country, again, depending on region requirements. Since 10 day waiting period after the court hearing is not waived in most of the regions family have a choice to return to the US right after the court hearing and travel back to Russia on the 3rd trip after 10 days are over to complete paperwork and bring the child home. 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 process 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 full 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 and a Russian clinic in Moscow that can provide this service. Your Case Manager will give you exact details according to your region. The medical exam in Moscow could occur on either your 1st or 2nd trip to Russia.
Note: Due to the nature of international adoption, all information contained on this webpage concerning Russia adoption is subject to change without notice.
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