|
Parental
Age
|
Russia has no
specific age requirements, but generally agencies have found that
Russian judges expect the mother to be no more than 45 years older
than the child; there are exceptions depending on the
region. In general, Russia doesn’t make an
issue of the father’s age.
|
|
Length of
Marriage
|
No
country requirement, but some agencies and some Russian judges
impose a requirement
|
|
Divorce
|
No
specific requirement, but some Russian judges have not looked
favorably on more than 2 divorces per person
|
|
Children in
Family
|
No
restrictions in most regions; income must be sufficient to
support. Typical guidelines are $10,000 in
income per family member.
|
|
Single
Applicant
|
- Single women are allowed to adopt and in a few
regions, single men may adopt.
- Must show above-average financial
resources.
- Look for evidence of extended family support and
opposite-gender role models.
- Singles must submit a psychiatric
evaluation.
- More documents in dossier required of
singles.
|
|
Sexual
Orientation
|
Does not knowingly place children
with homosexuals.
|
|
Children
Available
|
9 months to
teens at time of referral; special needs also available; sibling
groups
|
|
Race/Ethnicity
|
Caucasian;
some Asian, some of Roma (gypsy) heritage, and other
minorities
|
|
Gender
|
Girls and boys; families may
request gender in most regions and with most agencies; usually
longer wait for girl
|
|
Adopting more
than one unrelated child at same time
|
Allowed by Russia, but not be some
agencies.
|
|
Travel in
Country
|
·
Many regions now
require 3 trips, although it is possible in a few regions to still
make only 2 trips. Check with your agency about the regions where
they work.
·
With some regions, only
one parent need travel on 1st trip.
·
Both parents must be
present for court date on 2nd or 3rd trip.
·
1st trip is 3 -7 days,
depending on region. 2nd trip approximately 4-5 days.
3rd trip 7-10 days.
·
Parents usually do not
travel in groups.
|
|
Referral
Method
|
Standard, semi-blind, or blind;
referrals are assigned by regional governmental agency
|
|
Wait for
referral (after dossier submitted)
|
- A great deal of variation exists between agencies
and regions within Russia; therefore, ask your agency.
- Infant and toddler girls: 6-24 months
- Infant and toddler boys: 2-10 months
- Older children, sibling groups or special needs:
varies, but usually shorter wait
|
|
Wait after
referral
|
- A great deal of variation at this time;
therefore, ask your agency.
- Wait between trips varies greatly due to court
schedule and region; ask agency current wait for your
region
|
|
Approximate
Cost
|
$50,000-$60,000, including
travel
|
|
Youngest Age
Upon Arrival Home
|
9-12
months
|
|
Orphanage/Foster
Care
|
Orphanage. Quality varies
considerably.
|
|
How children
enter government care
|
Relinquishment, removal, and
abandonment. Removal more common than in many other countries due
to abuse and neglect, often related to alcohol.
|
|
Prevalence of
FAS
|
The Creating a
Family radio show has addressed Fetal Alcohol Syndrome extensively
in the following shows:
·
Oct. 1, 2008
Creating a Family show with Dr.
Julian Davies, one of the world’s leading experts on FASD and
adoption (http://www.blogtalkradio.com/creatingafamily/2008/10/01/Fetal-Alcohol-Syndrome-in-Adoption)
·
Feb. 4, 2009
with Dr. Dana Johnson, the founder
of IA medicine and the International Adoption Clinic at the
University of Minnesota. The show was on how to
spot red flags in a referral, but we discussed FAS at length.
Dr. Johnson reported that they were not seeing
an increase in FAS as some predicted with the increase in domestic
adoptions in Russia.
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/creatingafamily/2009/02/04/Should-You-Accept-This-Referral-or-Birth-Mother-Match
Alcoholism is
a serious social and medical problem in countries of the former
Soviet bloc. The IA doctors interviewed reported seeing a higher
incidence of FAS in Russia than with other placing
countries. One report estimates the FAS rate in
Russian orphanages as 8 times the worldwide average; approximately
15 per 1000 births (Aronson 2003b). One recent large study of all
the orphans (234) in the baby homes of the Murmansk region of
Russia found that over 50% had a high to intermediate score (13%
high, 45% intermediate) on an assessment tool suggestive of
prenatal alcohol exposure, and showed significant developmental and
growth delays compared to the other orphans in these baby homes
(Miller et al. 2006). Russian orphans are at an
increased risk for FAS and FASD.
|
|
Adequacy of
medical reports
|
- Fairly good.
Some diagnoses may be confusing to western trained doctors, but
International Adoption doctors are well versed in
interpreting.
- Lab results are
fairly accurate.
- Can usually get
growth records over time.
- Usually little
birth family or prenatal history available.
- Usually not
much developmental data.
- Additional data
and testing may be available if not too costly.
- You can hire a
western-trained doctor to visit the orphanage and evaluate the
child.
|
|
Program
Stability
|
Variable
|
|
Number of
children placed in the US 2002- 2008
|
32,231
|
|
Growing/Declining
|
Decreasing
|
|
Post Adoption
Reports
|
Required at 6,
12, 24, and 36 months after returning home. Must be prepared by a
home study agency. Occasionally a judge will require additional
post adoption reports to be prepared by the family.
|
|
Hague
Treaty
|
Russia signed
the treaty, but has not taken the steps necessary for the treaty to
be in force; therefore, the Hague rules do not apply.
|
|
Additional
Information
|
1.
Low birth weight
common.
2.
Small head
circumference common.
3.
Adoptions finalized in
Russia.
4.
Adoptions vary
considerably between regions within Russia, just as adoption laws
vary considerable between states within the US. Interpretation of
adoption laws can vary with different judges within the same
region. Different agencies work with
different regions, so if you don’t qualify to adopt with one
agency, check with a different agency that works in different
regions.
5.
Russia accredits
agencies that are allowed to place children for
adoption. The US Embassy in
Russia maintains an up to date list of accredited
agencies. A similar list is also available at
the
US State Department site.
6.
Certain medical and
psychological illnesses of adoptive parents may preclude adoption.
Discuss any issues with agency at the beginning.
7.
Many Russian judges now
require adoptive parents to submit a psychological evaluation as
part of the dossier.
8.
Many regions require both parents to
receive a medical exam by a panel of 8 specialists in Moscow at the
beginning of trip 2.
9.
The Aug 27 Creating a Family show was
on adopting from Russia, Ukraine, and Kazakhstan. (http://www.blogtalkradio.com/creatingafamily/2008/08/27/Adopting-for-Russia-Kazakhstan-Ukraine-Kyrgyzstan-and-surrounding-Countries
)
|
|
Useful
Links
|
US
Department of Russia Adoption Information at http://adoption.state.gov/country/russia.html
Joint Council on
International Children's Services www.jcics.org, click on country
information
Families
for Russian and Ukrainian Adoption www.frua.org. Active
forum.
Eastern European Adoption Coalition
www.eeadopt.com
|
|
Creating a
Family Sponsors
|
Beacon House Dillon International Nightlight® Christian Adoptions
|
