- Married couples and singles
- Preference for adoptive parents not to be more than 45 years older than the child
- More flexibility for parents adopting older children or children with special needs.
UPDATE
On December 28, 2012, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed the Dima Yakovlev Bill into law. The Dima Yakovlev Bill bans US citizens from adopting Russian orphans.
This new law will go into effect on January 1, 2013.
Home Study for International Russian Adoptions
The home study is a detailed written report of your family compiled and prepared by a social worker. The home study requires the prospective adoptive family to gather different documents, answer several questions, and explore their reasons for adopting. Through a series of visits and interviews the social worker can get a a complete picture of who you are and what life is like in your family. The home study is a part of the decision making process for both the prospective family and the workers.
Not only can the home study help the worker place a child into your home who would best fit into your family, but help the family and the worker decide if now is a good time for your family to adopt.
- This can take three to six months to finish.
- For more information on an adoption home study see, "What is an Adoption Home Study?"
Form I-600A for a Russian International Adoption
The I-600A is the first form you will fill out with the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). This form is completed before an orphan is located or has been identified for an adoption by you. Do NOT confuse this form with the I-600 form which is the Petition to Classify Orphan as Immediate Relative.
Guidelines Per the I-600A Form
Eligibility- You must be a U.S. Citizen. In the case of a married couple one of the spouses must be a U.S. Citizen.
- The prospective parent is 25 years of age or older; or one of the partners within a marriage is 25 years of age or older.
There are several items that you will need to send with this form. For more information see, the following article on the I-600A.
The Adoption Dossier for a Russian Adoption
Begin work on your dossier, or set of legal documents. Ask the agency you've chosen for a list of needed paperwork for Russia. Be sure to ask for two or three copies of your marriage license, birth certificates, and other legal documents. You will also need them for your home study. Don't count on being able to use the same marriage license for your dossier that you use for your home study. Some countries will want original documents only.
If you plan on adopting more than one child, some countries require a dossier for each child. So plan on erring on the side of caution and get more than one copy. You never know when you might need them.
A notarized and apostilled dossier is required in Russia. Once your dossier is submitted the Russian Ministry of Education will match a child to your family based on your application.
Adopting a Child from Russia - The Waiting Children of Russia
When thinking about adopting a child from Russia, you should know that there are children of all ages available for adoption in Russia - including infants, toddlers, school age children, and sibling groups.
Children younger than 4 months of age are not available for adoption. Most infants are between 8 and 14 months at the time of referral.
Fewer girls are available as it seems that Russian families often adopt girls.
The Data Base System
Legally free children are entered into a local data bank for one month and a national data bank for three months. At this time only Russian families are able to adopt these children. Once this time has passed the children are then available for adoption internationally.
Of course the referral time varies but usually it is anywhere from 0-8 months.
Most Russian adoptions are completed in less than a year.
For more information on the referral read:
What is an adoption referral?and What to Do With the Medical Information in a Referral
While you wait for your referral you can also start Preparing to Parent the Internationally Adopted Child
Two trips are required for both parents.
The first trip is usually a week long. It's purpose is to gain information on the referred child and to meet the child.
At this visit you will be able to talk with the orphanage director and the doctors. Bring home as much information as you can for your family doctor or other experts to review.
The second trip is usually one to three weeks in duration and is scheduled about one to three months after the first visit.
It's purpose is to give the adoptive parents more time to visit the child and to appear in court. Russian law stipulates a 10-day appeal period following the adoption hearing. This may be waived.
Congratulations you are a new family!
You may have to re-adopt your child here in the states as a precautionary measure as a U.S. court does not have to accept the adoption of a foreign court. In some instances a re-adoption is required. Ask your adoption agency for more information.
Russia requires that the family register the child with the Russian Consulate which can be done in the US or in Russia.
The post placement period is three years following finalization. You must provide information and photos of the child yearly to the placing agency.
Good luck with your new family!