HOW IT WORKS – PROGRAM STEPS IN UKRAINE

When a licensed adoption agency and US Immigration and Naturalization Services approve prospective adoptive parents for international adoption, the family is able to begin the process of adoption in Ukraine.

Upon completion of the initial paperwork for submission with the Ukrainian authorities, Children’s International Choice will forward all documents to the National Adoption Center for registration.

Here is a list of most of the required documents, which must support your application:

1. Home Study Report
2. Entrance and permanent residence permit
3. Income verification
4. Medicals for each of the adoptive parents (AIDS and syphilis tests must be included)
5. Copy of the marriage certificate, if applicable
6. Police clearance and copy of the passport or other identification papers of prospective adoptive parents
7. Adoptive parents' commitment to register the child/ren with Ukraine's consular office in their home country and commitment for the provision of post placement reports

The Adoption Center processes the documents submitted by adopting parents and enters them into their database, typically within a month following the submission. Once an application is approved, the prospective adopting parents will receive an invitation to visit the Adoption Center. When adopting parents arrive in Ukraine, the Adoption Center shows them information about orphans available for international adoption within the parents’ specified age range.

Children who, in accordance with a list of diseases issued by the Ministry of Public Health Protection of Ukraine, are determined to be unhealthy, are not subject to the 'one-plus-one-plus-twelve month' waiting period and will be available for international adoption immediately.

If the application is approved , the prospective adopting parents will receive an invitation to visit the Adoption Center. When adopting parents arrive in Ukraine, the Adoption Center shows them the information about orphans available for international adoption within the parents' specified age range. The Center then issues a letter of referral to allow the prospective parents to visit orphanages to meet, select, and establish contacts with a child. Along with the letter of referral, adopting parents will be given back their documents, bound, numbered, sealed, and signed by an official in charge of the Adoption Center, with a separate sheet specifying the total number of documents pages and the prospective parents' registration file code.

After the prospective parents visit the orphan, identify a child for adoption and wish to commit themselves to the adoption of the child, the file (all documents) for the case is presented to a judge in the region where the child lives. The judge will carefully look through all the documents given to him and than announce the day of the case hearing. Usually, the day of the case hearing appointed is no later than one week after all the needed documents will be given to the judge.

At the time the passport is issued, a special, mandatory stamp is put in it showing that the child is departing Ukraine for permanent residence abroad. It is called a "PMZh-stamp" in Ukrainian. Although under Ukrainian law immigration authorities have up to 10 working days to issue passports or travel documents for adopted children, they are often issued before then, especially if the child requires medical care.

Children’s International staff and legal advisor staff will prepare all the documentation and petition for prospective parents, and will similarly manage the entire process with all authorities and institutions, as follows:

1. National Adoption center.
2. The Orphanage.
3. Regional Court.
4. Internal Ministry and Passport agency.
5. Consular Division of US Embassy in Kiev.
6. Citizenship and Immigration Services of US Department Homeland Security.
7. Diplomatic Mission of Ukraine to the United States.

For further details of the Ukrainian program please go to PROGRAM DETAILS for specific program description go to UKRANIAN PROGRAM page.

To learn more about our services please visit our Our Services page.

For further detailed information please do not hesitate to contact us.