UKRAINIAN
ADOPTION
PROGRAM
Dec 14th
2007:
Here is the latest update from the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv on adoptions
in Ukraine:
Dear Members
of American Adoption Community Interested in Ukraine:
On November 22, 2007 the
Ministry for Family, Youth and Sports issued Decree #4137. This
Decree approves the numbers of the new adoption dossiers from foreign
countries that can be accepted by the Ukrainian State Department for
Adoption and Protection of the Rights of the Child (SDAPRC) during
calendar year 2008.
The result of the decree
is that 460 dossier submissions have been allocated to parents from the
U.S. for calendar year 2008. This number was arrived at using a
special mathematical formula devised by the SDAPRC, based on the number of
delinquent post adoption reports and the number of Ukrainian children who
will be eligible for intercountry adoption in 2008. The total number
of the dossier submissions is divided among five categories of children,
so a specific number of dossiers can be submitted for each category:
- children under six
years old (with no siblings) – 32
dossiers
- children from six to nine years old (with
no siblings) - 83
dossiers
- children ten years or older (with no
siblings) – 115
dossiers
- sibling groups (in which one of the
children is younger than 6 years) – 92
dossiers
- sibling groups (in which all siblings are 6
or more years old) – 138
dossiers
The U.S. again has the
highest number of allocations for foreign countries adopting from Ukraine,
followed by Italy (381 dossiers) and Spain (285 dossiers).
The dossiers for the
following categories of children will be accepted without any limitations
and out of the regular line:
-
Children who have
been abandoned or are currently residing under the legal custody of
their relatives
- step-children
- handicapped
children, who suffer from a disease listed with the Ministry of
Public Health Protection (the list of these diseases is posted at: http://kyiv.usembassy.gov/amcit_adoptions_eng.html
The SDAPRC will accept the
new dossiers from foreign citizens beginning February 4, 2008.
CHILDREN
Ethnicity: mostly Caucasian children.
Age:
time of referral, usually 2 to 16 years (more difficult for younger
children).
Medicals:
children are tested for HIV, TB, and Hepatitis C prior to referral.
Background: children we
place come from orphanages all over Ukraine.
ELIGIBILITY
Age: There must be no more than 45 years age difference
between adoptive parents and child to be adopted.
Marital Status: Ukraine currently accepts married couples.
Currently, they are not accepting single men or women.
Health: Ukraine has allowed those with medical conditions
to adopt in the past and we are happy to check with our coordinator if you
think you have a medical condition that could affect your adoption. Please contact us for more details if this
concerns your situation.
COSTS
Fees for Ukraine are reasonable for international adoption. 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 Ukraine. Ukraine is VERY particular about
documents being done perfectly.
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 Ukrainian coordinators.
Our
coordinators proof and translate your dossier. They then obtain a
submission number for your dossier (obtaining a submission number is
sometimes very difficult and could take many months).
Once your number comes up, your dossier is submitted to the
Central Authority in Ukraine (the SDA) which starts the registration
process. This may take up to 30 working days. Within 30
working days, the SDA either rejects or approves the dossier. If
accepted, the SDA gives parents a registration number and issues an
appointment date, usually 2-3 months from approval.
Parents travel usually for 1 long trip of about 4 to 6
weeks. They first arrive for their SDA appointment to view referral
files and be referred a child.
Parents travel to the child's region and visit with the child
while completing paperwork. Parents then go to court and then must
wait the 10 day waiting period before finalization. Parents complete
any other necessary requirements and then bring their child
home.
Parents must register their child at the Ukrainian embassy in
the US after returning.
Parents submit Post Adoption reports, as required by Ukrainian 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, Bulgaria national holiday's, problems
with incorrect paperwork, regional changes in requirements, emergencies,
etc.
The estimated time it takes to complete a Ukrainian adoption is 7 to 12
months, depending on a variety of factors.
NOTE: Ukraine is very picky about adoption and is continuously
changing requirements and issuing expiration dates for parents
paperwork. These changes and rules are in no way controlled by Kids
To Adopt.
GENERAL INFORMATION ON
UKRAINE
Ukraine is
located in the south-eastern part of Central Europe bordering are Russia,
Belarus, Poland, Slovakia, Moldova, Romania and Hungary. The Black Sea
lies to the south and the Sea of Azov is to the southeast of the mainland
and northeast of the Crimean Peninsula. The capital city, Kiev, is located
in the north central part of the country and is built on 7 hills next to
the Dnieper river. The country’s population is over 46 million people.
The primary languages spoken are Ukrainian and Russian. Ethnic consistency
is 78% Ukrainian and 17% Russian along with several other minority
populations of less than 1% each.
Ukraine’s moderate climate brings mild winters with regular snowfall in
the mainland except for the south. Summers are hot and dry, with
occasional rain. Because of its favorable climatic conditions and fertile
black soil, Ukraine is traditionally an agricultural area. They produce
wheat, maize, buckwheat, corn, various fruits and vegetables, melons and
berries. It’s also one of the world's main centers of sugar production.
The country is rich in natural resources, such as iron ore, coal,
titanium, oil, gas, mineral salts, kaolin, nickel, mercury and timber.
April 25, 2006 marked the 20th anniversary of the accident at the
Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant located 80 miles north of Kiev. The accident
resulted in high levels of radiation in large areas of Ukraine, Belarus
and Russia. As a result there has been incredible health, physiological,
social, economic, political and environmental consequences. Many of the
affected areas remain closed to the public due to continued high levels of
radiation.
Many of the Ukrainian orphanages are in great need of amenities to
accommodate the children’s basic needs. Many children with special needs
don’t receive adequate medical care or physical therapy. Unfortunately,
it is also not uncommon that special needs children are deprived of an
education.
