KAZAKHSTAN ADOPTION PROGRAM

NOTE:  Currently, the Kazakhstan Consulate in the USA is not processing American family adoptive dossiers.  We recommend that parents do not begin the adoption process at this time, but wait for them to begin accepting dossiers again.  If you would like to discuss this with KTA staff, feel free to call us at 360-695-1704. 

CHILDREN

  Ethnicity:  mostly ethnic Kazakh with a few Caucasian and Eurasian children
  Age:  time of referral, usually 6 months to 16 years.
  Medicals:  children are tested for HIV, TB, and Hepatitis C prior to referral.
  Background:  children we place come from orphanages all over Kazakhstan

ELIGIBILITY

  Age:  There can be no more than 50 years age difference between parent and child in most regions.  However, exceptions can be made for children with special needs.   
  Marital Status:  Kazakhstan currently accepts single women, however, not single men.
  Health:  Parents should be in good medical health.  If you are concerned that you have a disability that could affect your adoption, please let us know.
  Income:  Some regions in Kazakhstan have income requirements.  If you are concerned that this will be a problem, please contact us.
  Citizenship:  Both parents must be US citizens.

COSTS

  Adoption from Kazakhstan is reasonably priced for international adoption, however the travel costs can be high.  As the costs vary per individual case, Kids To Adopt doesn't post fees online.

PROCESS

  Parents must first send in an application to Kids To Adopt.
  Upon approval of application, Kids To Adopt sends out a contract.  Parents must sign the contract and send it back to us with the first payment.
  Upon receipt of the signed contract, Kids To Adopt sends parents the Dossier Kit which includes instructions on compiling the documents required by Kazakhstan.
  When parents have completed all of their paperwork, they send it back to KTA.  We proof your dossier to the best of our abilities, then send it off to our Kazakhstan coordinators.
  If there are no problems with your paperwork, our Kazakhstan coordinators send your dossier to Kazakhstan to be translated and after translation there is a lengthy dossier approval process that your dossier must go through.  This process can take up to 4 months.  If your dossier is accepted, parents receive a Letter of Invitation to travel to Kazakhstan.  This too can be a slow process.
  Parents travel to receive a referral from the Central Authority then proceed to travel to the region where the referral is, and visit for the 2 week mandatory visitation.  Court occurs after visitation (being assigned a court date can be a very slow process and in some regions families are coming home to wait for a court date).
  Parents may stay in country or return home and wait for adoption to be finalized (NOTE: travel, depending on region, can be either one long trip of 6-8 weeks, 2 trips of about 3 weeks long each, or 3 shorter trips).  After finalization, parents may bring their child home.
  Parents complete Post Adoption reports, as required by Kazakhstan law at the time of the adoption.

TIME FRAME

The time frame is very difficult to foresee as it depends on many factors, some being:  parents diligence in completing paperwork, Kazakhstan national holiday's, problems with incorrect paperwork, regional changes in requirements, emergencies, etc.  

Parents can estimate the process, from start to finish, taking at least 7 to 12 months, depending on a variety of factors.

NOTE:  All travel requirements vary by region and are difficult to predict as they depend on the court date (which depends on the judge's availability).

GENERAL INFORMATION ON KAZAKHSTAN

Kazakhstan is located in central Asia, northwest of China, south of Russia and to the east of the Caspian Sea. The largest of the former Soviet republics, Kazakhstan is about four times the size of the state of Texas and has a population of about 15 million people. Half of the population of Kazakhstan is made up of ethnic Kazakh individuals with the remainder of the population being mostly Russian. 

The religion of the country is mostly evenly divided between Russian Orthodox and Muslim.  Kazakh is the state language spoken by 64% of the population. Russian is the language used in everyday business and is designated as the "language of interethnic communication."  The country possesses enormous fossil fuel reserves as well as plentiful supplies of other minerals and metals.  Kazakhstan is also a large producer of livestock and grain.  The typical Kazakhstan climate consists of cold and snowy winters and hot summers that are considered arid or semiarid depending on where you are in the country. The people of Kazakhstan are friendly, courteous, and educated.

The orphanages of Kazakhstan take loving care of their children. The orphanages have a good staff to child ratio and try to keep the children in stable groups with the same caregivers. The caregivers spend a lot of time and put a lot of effort into raising the children. They often have plays and pageants and teach the children ethnic Kazakh songs and dances. The dedication of the caregivers shows in the health and development of the children who are adopted.