Russian Adoption

A Russian adoption could be time consuming, but it is worth the wait. There are many things to consider when choosing this path.

When exploring international adoptions, Russian children seem to come up more often than others.

It is one of the two most popular countries for United States families to adopt from. The reason Russian adoptions are popular is because it is a poor country that has many children who need homes. Many of the children come from teenage mothers or families who are too poor to support a child. These children are kept in institutions while waiting for a home, which hinders their growth. The good thing to note is that with proper care and nurturing, Russian children bounce back and assimilate well. Before you hop on the first flight to Moscow, there are things to note before starting the adoption process of a Russian child.

- Russians are not immediately available. Russian children are only allowed to be adopted domestically for six months from the date they are put up for adoption. Only then, will they be allowed to be adopted internationally. This allows the child a chance to remain in their own country with people of the same background. However, if a suitable family cannot be found, Russian children will get a chance at a life with a family from another country.

- Fees for Russian adoptions are not cheap. Fees are in the $20,000 range. Note that this does not include travel expenses, visas and similar documents. This sum is usually just for adoption agency.

- Not anyone can adopt a Russian child. The government only allows single mothers or married couples to adopt.

Choosing the right adoption agency is important when adopting an international child. Make sure the agency specializes in Russian adoptions or at least has a considerable amount of experience in the field. These agencies will be able to give all pertinent information when it comes to Russian adoptions. They will be to explain the whole process and tell you what to expect. The adoption agencies will be able handle any questions you have about Russian adoptions. From start to finish, a Russian adoption takes an average of nine months. The process starts with a home study on the adoptive parents. A social worker creates a report listing everything they know about the prospective parents. Once the home study is finished parents are asked to fill out a dossier, which is a packet of paperwork that is required by the Russian government.

The dossier should be notarized, but before you do this, find out when the notary's stamp expires. Most countries allow a leeway of one year when it comes to this. Once this is finalized, the adoption agency will send the paperwork to Russia. There it will be translated and given to the Russian government.

Once there is a child ready to be adopted, the Russian government will inform you that there is a match. Parents have to go to pick up the referral in front of the Russian Ministry of Education. It includes a video of the prospective child and any pertinent information such as medical history. There is a possibility that parents are not content with the referral. The adoption agency will work with you in finding the right one.

When you are pleased with the referral, the adoption agency will contact the proper authorities. The correct documents are prepared and you will then be informed on when you can meet the child. Usually, a family takes two trips to Russia. The first is to meet the adopted Russian child.

This trip lasts about a week. The second trip is for a court hearing, which is usually a few months after the first trip. It takes ten days from the date of the hearing for your newly adopted Russian to go home with you.

Adopting a Russian child may seem like a long wait and a lot of hard work, these are children who will be served better in a loving home. Russian adoptions are time consuming, but both parties will be better off in the end.