Ukraine

New (January 7, 2008):  Ukraine Waiting Child List

At this time, Hope for Children has 11 children, ranging in ages from 4 to 11, available for adoption. Some are considered special needs and some are not. Medical information and pictures are available. If you would like more information on any of these children, please contact Melinda Szegedi at Melinda@hopeforchildren.org or by phone at 800-522-2913.  We are not permitted to post specific information about these children on our website. 
 

HFC trip to Kiev Ukraine

From November 3 - November 10, 2007, a few members of the HOPE for Children staff were able to take a trip to Kiev, Ukraine to meet with our new adoption facilitator as well as meet many of the children we will be working with in our adoption and sponsorship/hosting program!  It was an amazing week filled with many emotions.  We were able to take a tour of the city, meet some officials working in the US consulate, see the State Department of Adoption office (SDA), as well as spend time with kids in three different orphanages.  The weather was cold most every day and we even saw snow for a few of the days we were there! Food in Ukraine is very basic.  Meat, potatoes, cabbage soup and vegetable are served in every restaurant.  And of course, a plethora of hot tea.  Black and Green tea are most common  but some prefer red.  Travel in Ukraine is generally done by Metro, or underground subway. There are cars but traffic is usually heavy, so Metro is the best way to get around.  The internet is accessible in some restaurants and there are also Internet cafés specializing in offering low cost internet service.  The style of clothing is best described as “classic casual” for men and most often “business casual” for women. Sneakers are generally not worn (unless on an American) and all women wear dressy boots. Shopping is available for those wanting to get gifts to bring home.  There is even an entire street near the SDA called “The Podol” with venders selling Ukrainian trinkets.  Though we only were there for one week, we all felt as if we got a good glimpse of the culture and some traditions present in Ukraine.  We look forward to having many families travel there to bring home their children!

HOPE for Children's adoption program in Ukraine

Welcome to the Ukraine program! We hope that the information on this page will help you in deciding if Ukraine is the right adoption program for you.

Once you have reviewed the information on our website if you further questions.

Please call 1-800-522-2913 and ask for Melinda.

You can also e-mail her at: Melinda@hopeforchildren.org. We will assist you in finding your child and work with you to successfully complete the adoption process.

Ukraine Adoptions

Adopting from Ukraine is different than adopting from Russia. The only legal Ukrainian authority for adoption is the State Department for Adoption and Protection of the Rights of the Child (SDAPRC) or, SDA, for short, which is involved in the whole adoption process, from the time prospective adoptive parents submit documents through the court hearing.

HOPE for Children facilitates adoptions in Ukraine in cooperation with hand selected representatives in Ukraine.  The team in Ukraine has been working with families in the United States for over 5 years to help them navigate through the adoption journey.  As HFC takes care of you needs in the U.S. our representatives in Ukraine do an incredible job in helping families through the in-country process.  You will always have someone guiding you though this program including the paperwork process and travel. 

Children in Need of Homes

Children available for adoption range in age from 18 months to 15 years old. Sibling groups and special needs children are also available. Children reside in orphanages. English speaking representatives will help families during their trip to Ukraine. Only one trip is required and adoptive parents choose the child(ren) they adopt from the database of available children.  Reason for availability of children include:

·                       Voluntary relinquishment of parental rights due to severe poverty or unemployment

·                       Parental rights are relinquished by the court due to  abuse or neglect

·                       The parents are deceased

 Parent Requirements

·          Only heterosexual applicants are eligible

·          Only married couples are accepted; single women cannot adopt from Ukraine

·          Prospective adoptive parents should be at least 21 years old

·          The maximum age difference between adoptive parents and adopted child(ren) cannot exceed 45 years

·           Families that have other children are accepted

·           Previous divorce is acceptable

Timeframe

The time frame from Dossier submission to placement averages 9-12 months.

Process to Adopt from Ukraine

You will first have an Orientation in person or by phone, and then complete your formal application. You will then complete your home study, your USCIS paperwork, and prepare your dossier. Upon completion of your dossier, your documents are sent to Ukraine. Our team in Ukraine translates and authenticates your documents, and then submit them to the SDA. One to four months after registration, SDAPRC will send you an invitation to visit Ukraine. At the meeting with a SDAPRC representative, you will chose your child(ren) from the database of children available for adoption. After choosing your child(ren), you will then visit the child(ren) at the regional orphanage. The representative in Ukraine will meet you at the airport and accompany you during your time in  the country. Once you are ready to adopt the child(ren) you chose, your case will be presented to the court. Both parents are required to attend the court hearing. The judge’s decision is issued the day of the hearing but does not usually take effect for ten days. After the court decree is issued, you will obtain a new birth certificate and travel document for your child(ren). You will then be able to obtain a visa for your child(ren) at the American Consulate in Kiev to bring them home.

Travel Requirement

Prospective adoptive parents will usually take one trip lasting approximately four to six weeks. It is possible for two trips to be scheduled or for one of the parents to leave after the court hearing.

Note: Due to problems with passport issuance timeframes for adopted children, this program may have an additional 20 days added to the court trip.

You child will travel home with a Ukrainian passport and a U.S. visa. For this reason, your child will have dual citizenship.

Post Adoption Requirements

Ukraine requires adoptive families to submit post placement reports once a year for the first three years after the adoption and then once every three years up to the child’s eighteenth birthday. You will work together with HFC to ensure that these reports are completed in a timely manner. HFC notifies you before these reports are due and sends you the format in which they should be completed. You then send it to HFC and we submit your report to the Ukrainian Consulate.

Ukrainian law requires that families register their newly adopted child(ren) with the Ukrainian Consulate. They require that this process be fully completed within one month of the child’s arrival home in the United States. A document in your dossier will include signed contracts whereby you agree to complete this registration.

Because both parents have seen the child prior to the adoption being finalized, the child will travel on an IR-3 visa, which enables them to be granted automatic U.S. citizenship. You will receive the documentation regarding this once you arrive home. This can take several weeks, or even possibly months, to arrive. When your child reaches age 18, the Ukraine citizenship status remains unless he or she makes an attempt to have it revoked. Their U.S. citizenship remains.

Re-Adoption in the U.S. is strongly advised.  Please ask for further information on Re-Adoption.

Costs

The total cost for an adoption from Ukraine depends on your state of residency, travel costs, escort costs, and professional fees. For complete fee schedule as well as adoption process information, please complete the Online Request Form.

Formal Adoption Application:

To get started in our Ukraine program, you will need talk with Kim Roberson, our Ukraine Program Director and then send us your completed Adoption Application. The non-refundable fee for the application and processing is $275. 

Due to the nature of international adoption, the information on this page is subject to change without notice.