UKRAINE ADOPTION PROGRAM
IAN IS NOT ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR OUR UKRAINE PROGRAM
International Adoption Net is excited to announce the return of their Ukraine adoption program and a new partnership with a facilitator who has been facilitating Ukraine adoptions for thirty years! Their expertise in the field and proven track record is known throughout the Ukrainian adoption field.
Ukraine is not a Hague accredited country but is a very stable and methodical program. Families interested in large sibling groups, or older children can see very short wait times.
The Ukraine adoption program has very quick time frames from the start of the adoption to completion and should only be considered by very motivated parents due to strict document timelines and deadlines. Waiting Kid adoptions are typically completed within 10 – 12 months. Potential adoptive parents are required to travel to Ukraine for a total of three trips throughout the process. The first trip typically lasts 4-7 days, the second trip 2-3 days and the final trip will last approximately 2 weeks. There is an option to travel as a single, married person. However, the process to adopt the child by the other spouse in the U.S. will be more costly and extensive.
CHILDREN IN NEED
Children become available for adoption in Ukraine for many reasons that are similar to the United States. Children are removed from care due to abuse, neglect, deceased parents or have been given up because of an inability to care for them. The conditions of the orphanages in Ukraine have improved greatly over the years and typically meet the basic needs of the children. Through IAN’s Ukraine program, there are two different tracks that can be explored for potential adoptive parents.
Younger Child Minor- Moderate Special Needs Track: These children range in age from 0-5 and all of them have minor to moderate or correctable special needs and have received additional testing coordinated by our facilitator. These children have needs such as birth defects, diagnosis of epilepsy due to having one seizure from a high fever, varying degrees of hearing loss, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, and heart issues to name a few.
Traditional Track (This Includes the Adoption of Host Children, Large Sibling Groups of All Ages, and Children Over the Age of Six): This track focuses on large sibling groups of all ages and children between the ages of 6 and 15 years old. This track is the most popular and will be great for a family that is interested in multiple younger and older children! While IAN doesn’t have their own hosting program as of now, IAN is committed to helping families complete adoptions of their hosted children. If you are currently in a hosting program and need a primary provider to complete the adoption, International Adoption Net will be able to help!
ADOPTIVE PARENT REQUIREMENTS
There is no residency or fostering period required in Ukraine.
Age of the Potential Adoption Parent: Parents must be 25 years old or older and at least one parent must be a U.S. citizen. The different between the adoptive parents age and the child must be at least 15 years.
Marital Status: Ukraine will only complete adoptions for married heterosexual couples. Married couples should be married for at least one year before applying to this program.
Health Status: Potential adoptive parents should not have been diagnosed with severe medical issues or have any previous mental health history. They cannot have a history of drug use or experimentation. If potential adoptive parents have any history of alcohol abuse, it must be five years or more since the last incident.
Criminal History: Ukraine has a no criminal history stance. Previous criminal history will be discussed on a case by case basis. If the potential adoptive parents have something on their criminal record this must be reported and will be discussed with the Ukraine facilitator before IAN can approve their application.
Income Requirements: Ukraine follows USCIS requirements that a family must earn at least 125% of poverty level for the number of members in their family plus the adopted child(ren).
THE PROCESS
- Fill out a Preliminary Application on our Website
- Submit Policy Documents
- Home-Study
- File I-600A with USCIS
- Complete Dossier and Receive I171H from USCIS
- Dossier Sent to Ukraine for Translation and to Petition for Adoption
- Family Receives Letter of Invitation from SDAPRC to Travel and Selects Child(ren)
- Family Travels for Appointment to View Available Children
- Family Selects Child(ren) and Travels to Orphanage to Meet Child(ren) and Begin Adoption
- Court Date Scheduled
- 2nd Trip to Ukraine for Court
- 10 Days Later the Court Finalizes the Adoption Which Starts a 30 Day Waiting Period
- 3rd Trip to Ukraine to Submit Final Adoption Papers to US Embassy for Child(ren)’s Visa, Medical Appointments, etc
- Family Receives Visa and Returns Home With Child(ren)!
If you would like more information about this program, please call 303-691-0808.