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Ukraine is an Eastern European and former Soviet Union country boardered by Russia, Belarus, Romania, Hungary and Poland. The city of Kyiv (Kiev) is its capital. International adoptions have been taking place since 1992. It was in 1995 when Adoption Pros placed the first group of children from Ukraine. As most countries participating in international adoptions, Ukraine closes its programs from time to time. The last shut down, which ended in July 2011, resulted in updating the Ukrainian Adoption Law. Since then, Ukraine has been ready and eager to place children with qualified foreign families from West Europe and the United States. Ukraine remains a non-Hague country.

Ukraine has a three-tier orphanage system organized by age similar to other Eastern European countries. According to the Ukraine Adoption law, boys and girls, as well as siblings, are available for international adoption. Healthy single orphans have to be registered on the central adoption registry for one year and to be at least 5 years old before they become eligible for international adoption. Healthy siblings and special needs children are exempt from the registration and age limitation.

Main adoption authority in Ukraine is the State Department for Adoptions and Protection of Rights of the Child (SDA).

The process for adopting a child includes the following steps: home study completion, submitting documents to SDA, travel to Ukraine for the matching process to choose a child, go to a court of law, and obtain visa for the your child to come home.

Families complete their international dossiers under Adoption Pros supervision. Adoption Pros attorney in Ukraine submits the documents to SDA. SDA reviews the dossiers within 3-6 months and issues an appointment letter for the family to travel for the matching process. The family has to be ready to arrive for an appointment on time within one month from the date on the appointment letter. Both parents are required to travel for the appointment to select a child or children they wish to adopt. Children are not referred in advance; families have to arrive in Ukraine to be able to go through matching. One family is usually offered several children to choose from. Each family will be given an opportunity to review the documents, talk to the care givers, doctors, and interact with the child for as long as they want.

Once a child is selected and the pictures and medical information are reviewed and discussed, families travel to the orphanage to meet the proposed child in person. Orphanage director will provide detailed medical and social information on the child. Second opinion may be obtained at a local hospital or medical office.

Once you confirm your selection, your dossier together with the child?s documents will be filed with the court. During the process you will be assisted by your attorney and coordinator. One parent may return home after the initial court hearing, leaving the other parent in Ukraine to stay with the child and complete the adoption process. It will take two more weeks to receive all the Ukrainian documents for the child, obtain a visa in the US Consulate in Kyiv, and return home to the United States.