Ukraine Adoption
Ukraine Adoption Program
CWA’s Ukraine representatives submit the family’s dossier to the Ukraine State Department for Adoptions and Protection of the Rights of the Child (SDAPRC) for registration and approval. An invitation to travel to Ukraine is issued in approximately 2-5 months. Parents travel to Ukraine to meet with officials of the SDAPRC. There parents will see file information/pictures of one or several children that match the family’s request. Parents then choose a child to go meet. If the parents decide to adopt that child, then the adoption proceeds. If the parents decline that child, they return to the SDAPRC and choose another child to meet, and this process stops if three referrals are declined during the trip. For families that decline three referrals, they will leave Ukraine without a child, their adoption case is closed, and they can begin again with new paperwork. While this is Ukraine adoption law, please know CWA families have not encountered this scenario.
Children in the Ukraine Adoption Program
The children live in orphanages and are legally eligible for international adoption once they are 14 months old. During the first 14 months of age, they are available for domestic adoption in Ukraine. Legally, Ukraine classifies available children as in the age range of 14 months–5 years, 5–9 years, 9–15 years, and the home study must state one of these age ranges. Both boys and girls are available and parents can choose gender. Sibling groups are available on occasion. If parents are open to the adoption of siblings, they must have all CWA paperwork approved for 2 children. If siblings happen to be available when the parents are in Ukraine, then they can consider adopting them. However, there will not be any advance notice regarding the availability of siblings. Currently, Ukraine does not permit the adoption of two unrelated children simultaneously. For families wanting to adopt very young children, due to the necessary processing time, they can expect to bring home a boy around 18 months of age and older, and bring home a girl around 24 months of age and older. With the development of the foster care system in Ukraine, the availability of young children has become limited, but possible on a per case basis. In all the years of CWA’s work in Ukraine, we have never had placement of a child diagnosed with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS).
Ukraine Adoption Parent Eligibility
Married couples age 23 and older are eligible to adopt from Ukraine. Prior divorce is acceptable and there are no restrictions on the number of children already living in the home. The age difference between an adoptive parent and child must be no more than 45 years. Ukraine does have some 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 Ukraine might not approve you to adopt.
Ukraine Adoption Program Travel
The adoption process in Ukraine may be quite easy depending on availability of children. If you choose a 2-trip option, the first trip is about 10 days (plus travel days) and requires both parents. You return home and 15-25 days later, one or both parents will return to Ukraine for a stay of about 5 days (plus travel days) to bring home their child. If you choose a 1-trip option, you can expect to be in Ukraine about 31 days. Parents adopting siblings might encounter a longer stay in Ukraine; it is determined case by case. For such cases, parents might find the two-trip option is a better choice. If desired, one parent can leave after the court hearing and come home early. Families arrive in Ukraine and are greeted at the airport by our American in-country director, escorted to their hotel or apartment, as well as to all official appointments.
Note: Due to the nature of international adoption, all information contained on this webpage concerning Ukraine adoption is subject to change without notice.
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