| Parental Age | No written country requirements, but many regions within Kazakhstan have parental age restrictions. For example, some regions will not let parents over 50 adopt a child under 2. The only specific countrywide requirement is that the parent must be 16 years older than the child they adopt. If you do not meet one region’s age restriction check with another agency that works in different regions and see what they are seeing. Agencies sometimes have their own parental age requirements. |
| Length of Marriage | No country requirements, but individual judges may prefer parents to have been married one year. Agencies may have marriage length requirements. |
| Divorce | Judges differ, but general rule is three divorces between both parents |
| Children in Family | No limit, but country looks for evidence of ability to support. |
| Single Applicant | Single females allowed, but I have been told that a single woman with more than one child in the home may be turned down by Kazakhstani judges in some regions. If you are single and already have two or more children at home, specifically ask your agency about their experience with others in this situation. |
| Sexual Orientation | Does not knowingly place with homosexuals. |
| Children Available | Infant from 6 months at time of referral, toddlers, older children, special needs. Sibling groups not common. |
| Race/Ethnicity | Most children available are mixed Caucasian/Asian or Asian. Some Caucasian children available |
| Gender | Girls and boys; Kazakhstan no longer allows parents to specify a gender, but parents can state a preference and why they have that preference; ultimately must be open to either gender. |
| Adopting more than one unrelated child at same time | Allowed in some regions, but usually not encouraged. |
| Travel in Country | - One long trip of 45-60 days or two shorter trips; 1st trip 3 weeks, 2nd trip 2-14 days; about 1 month in between trips; both parents must go on 1st trip only.
- May have option of one 3-week trip by both parents with child being escorted to the US when adoption paperwork is complete.
- Both parents must be with the child for a minimum of 14 days at the child's place of residence prior to the adoption (“the Bonding Period”).
- Parents do not travel in groups.
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| Referral Method | Blind or Semi-blind; specific referral is usually available for older child or child with special needs. |
| Wait for invitation to travel (after dossier submitted) | There seems to be great variation between agencies somewhat dependent upon how many applicants they have in the program. The wait after submitting dossier until permission to travel is received can vary from 6-18 months if requesting a young healthy child. |
| Wait after referral | Not applicable since this is a blind referral country. |
| Approximate Cost | $22,000 - $32,000 + travel for 2 trips or 1 long trip; total costs are hard to predict because so travel costs and time can vary substantially and are often out of your control. It is not unusual for total costs to exceed $40,000. Plan for a substantial contingency fund. |
| Youngest Age Upon Arrival Home | 8 months, but average is closer to 12 months |
| Orphanage/Foster Care | Orphanages. IA doctors and adoption professionals report that the quality is generally better than found in Russia and Ukraine. |
| How children enter government care | Primarily relinquish rights due to poverty or mixed Kazakh/Russian child not accepted by extended family; parental rights terminated due to abuse or neglect. |
| Prevalence of FAS | Some adoption agencies tell parents that there is less risk of FAS because of the Islamic influence. It may be true that there is less drinking as a whole due to this religious influence, but I have seen no evidence to support that. Some agencies that place children from Kazakhstan tell parents that the children of Russian descent (Caucasian) in Kazakhstan have the similar risks as Russia, while the children of Kazakh descent (Asian) have similar risk as China. The IA doctors that I interviewed who had seen enough children from Kazakhstan to have an opinion unanimously reported that incidence of FAS in Kazakhstan is similar to Russia. For more information on the prevalence of FAS in children adopted from Kazakhstan, listen to the Oct. 1 Creating a Family radio show/podcast where I will interview Dr. Julian Davies, one of the world’s leading experts on FASD and adoption. He holds positions as a pediatrician at both the Center for Adoption Medicine at the University of Washington, and at the University of Washington FAS Clinic, the longest standing FAS center in the US. |
| Adequacy of medical reports | Reports are very similar to what is received with children from Russia, so refer to the Russia country chart. |
| Program Stability | Highly variable. Changes are afoot in adoptions from Kazakhstan. I continue to hear rumors that the Kazakhstani adoption laws may change, and part of the changes may affect the parental requirements. The changes will most definitely affect which agencies will be allowed to place Kazakhstani children. Also, it is uncertain at this time what additional changes or requirements may be added by the Kazakhstan Consular’s office in the US. See Additional Information for more details. The Kazakh consulate office associated with Kazakhstan Embassy in Washington DC has been very slow to review the dossiers before sending them on to the Ministry of Education in Kazakhstan. Dossiers submitted to the other Kazakhstani consulate in NYC are being processed in a timely manner. Ask your agency which consulate they are required to submit their dossiers to and current processing time. For more information, listen to my interview with Michele Bond, with the State Department, on the June 18, 2008 Creating a Family radio show. |
| Number of children placed in the US 2002- 2008 | 4,732 |
| Growing/Declining | Declining. In 2008, 380 children were adopted from Kazakhstan. In 2004, 826 were adopted. |
| Post Adoption Reports | Required at 6, 12, 24, and 36 months after returning home to be prepared by a home study agency. Thereafter, annual reports prepared by parents must be submitted until the child is 18. |
| Hague Treaty | No |
| Additional Information | - Kazakhstan has two consular’s offices in the US: one in NY and one as part of the Kazakhstan Embassy in Washington DC. Each consular office processes adoption dossiers before sending them to the Ministry of Education in Kazakhstan. Each consulate handles adoption dossiers from adoption agencies in different states, and adoptive parents do not get to choose which consular’s office will review their dossier. Ask your agency which consulate they are required to use.
- Adoptive parents must use an adoption agency accredited by Kazakhstan. This list of agencies has recently been updated. Families are encouraged to consult both the NY and DC Kazakh Consulates for the list of approved agencies, as they vary by jurisdiction. The list of agencies approved by the Kazakh Consulate in New York can be found here.
- The Aug. 27 Creating a Family radio show was on adopting from Eastern Europe and Central Asia and we talked about adopting from Kazakhstan.
- Families and IA doctors report that the transition is easier for the children because of the required bonding time before adoption.
- Adoption finalized in Kazakhstan.
- Kazakhstan prohibits parents with certain diseases or conditions from adopting. The list of diseases is vague, so check with several agencies that have active Kazakhstan programs if you have any chronic conditions.
- Child must retain Kazakhstani citizenship until the age of 18 when they can choose what citizenship to maintain.
- Flight delays and lost luggage to and from Kazakhstan are fairly common so plan travel accordingly.
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| Useful Links | |
| Great Blogs | Kaz Adoption Blogs
Morningstar Happenings- Kaz. Adoption |
| Creating a Family Sponsors | Nightlight® Christian Adoptions |
