In the fall of 1992, Americans for International Aid and Adoption began to work in Russia to establish programs for aid and adoption. Over 540 children found adoptive homes, infants, toddlers, school age children, sibling groups and children with significant medical conditions. In 2000, the Russian Government instituted an accreditation process for international adoption agencies.  AIAA, along with a number of other agencies, was in the process of gathering required documentation when the Ministry of Education put a “hold” on further acceptances in November of 2000. In December of 2009, AIAA received our official approval to resume placing children from Russia.

We have put together an incredible team of professionals, one with more than 20 years experience working in Russian adoptions in the Moscow Region and a Mother and Son team who worked with AIAA in the l990’s in Yaroslavl. These professionals, along with the AIAA staff in the US, are ready to help you fulfill your dream of adopting a child from Russia and to make your experience as smooth, caring, and efficient as possible.
 

CHILDREN BEING REFERRED:

Children are referred for adoption due to relinquishment by birth parent(s) or termination of parental rights. Children being referred are infants (8 months +), toddlers to 15 year olds, siblings, and children with special needs of all ages. Applicants should have an age range, infant to 2, 3-5 years, 6-8, etc.

The children live in state-run institutions, funded by the government and a medical doctor is usually the director for the Baby houses which care for infants to 3 year olds. Children's homes, which have teachers as directors, the children are from 4 until they graduate from high school. The ratio of care giver to child is usually 1:6.

Your child may have only been in the institution for a short period of time having lived with birth or extended family or may have been in institutionalized care since birth. While most of the children that AIAA has placed appear to be developing according to the average expectations for children raised in institutionalized settings, some of the children have additional developmental delays. These delays may or may not be indications of more serious concerns. Some children have minor (ie. some parasitic conditions) to significant medical conditions, background concerns of parental alcoholism, neglect, abuse and difficult or risky birth histories.

It has been our previous experience that the institutions AIAA has worked with in the past strive to provide loving care. However, all children will be at risk for complications surrounding the issues of bonding, attachment, separation, and loss. You, as prospective adoptive parent(s), are expected to become knowledgeable regarding these issues.

PROGRAM SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS:

AIAA endeavors to help obtain all child referral information made available by the childcare institution. However, you must be prepared that it can be incomplete or may not be accurate. AIAA requires that you share this information with your pediatrician and other childcare providers experienced in international adoptions for evaluation of the information. A list of internationally experienced doctors around the country will be included with the dossier information. One or more of these specialists needs to review your referral before you travel for the first visit to meet the child or you arrange to provide the specialist with child referral information when you travel depending on the region.

1. Married couple or single female applicant of good character, with a stable, nurturing marriage (where applicable), and a commitment to instill in their child a knowledge and pride in the child’s native country and culture;
    

2. Applicant(s) may be childless or with birth or adopted children;
    

3. Age of adoptive applicant(s) is flexible but there should be no more than 45 years difference between parent and child. Upper age range should be appropriate for a birth child. Minimal age difference is 15 years. Exceptions may be considered for children with  special needs;
    

4. Post Adoption Supervision Services for three years with reports by your case worker must be completed at (5) five months, (11) eleven months, (23) twenty-three months and the fourth in the third  year following the adoption;
    

5. Registration with the Russian Consulate in Moscow while in Russia;
    

6. Applicant(s) with arrest history may not be eligible but will be considered on a case-by-case basis depending on the region;
    

7. Applicant(s) in good physical and mental health with no condition, disease, or handicap that would interfere with one’s life span or ability to parent. Applicant(s) with complex physical/mental history or history of substance abuse may not be eligible but will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

ADDITIONAL GENERAL REQUIREMENTS:

1. At least one parent must be an American citizen;
    

2. Adequate finances, which include:
    

   1. Stable employment history;

   2. Income to meet US Immigration Regulations for income 125% of National Poverty Guidelines for size of family including prospective adoptive child/children;

   3. Sound money management and life insurance on both parents;

   4. Medical insurance to cover the child upon arrival including pre-existing conditions;

   5. Net worth (assets minus liabilities) that demonstrates not only an ability to cover the expenses of the adoption but a stable financial position for the size of the family including the child being adopted.
       

3. At least one parent for couples, or the single parent, must be able to be off work for an  adequate period of time at arrival of child to enable a secure adjustment.  When returning to work, a child care plan must be provided;
    

4. Home study that reflects a plan for guardianship of a child (children) in the event of the parent or parents’ death/s or permanent disability preventing continuation of parental responsibility;
    

5. The medical for each adopting parent that contains the results of HIV, Hep B and VD testing;
    

6. Infertility treatment, pregnancy, or application to another agency for placement must be postponed until the finalization of the adoption through AIAA. Should a pregnancy occur, reapplication could be accepted when the birth child is one year of age. Exceptions will be considered for children with special needs;
    

7. Siblings only cannot be requested and unrelated children are not placed at the same time.

PROCESS:

Following approval of your home study by AIAA and the filing of an I-600A application with US Citizen and Immigration Service (CIS), you will work with the Russian Program Administrator to prepare the dossier for submission to the officials in a particular region. Two sets are completed, “Preliminary Documents” and a full set of documents following the acceptance of a referral.

Your Preliminary Documents are submitted to the Adoption Center at the Ministry of Education for review and further additions, if necessary. Within 10 days of approval, you will be registered in the data base of children available for adoption as a prospective adoptive applicant. When a child is matched with your family, you may or may not have preliminary information depending on the region before you make your first trip.

The applicant(s) will be invited by the Ministry of Education to visit the region, spend time with the child, and speak with the staff. Estimated waiting time for a referral following the registration of your dossier could be 3-6 mos, (9+ mos. for female) (Moscow Region) and up to 12 months (Yaroslavl) for a child up to 5 year old. Children must be registered with the National Data Base for 6 months prior to being referred for adoption. For children over 5 years of age, siblings groups, and children with special needs, the wait could be a few months.

Both parents are required to travel for the first trip, for couples. A current passport (not expiring for at least one year) is needed for multiple entry visas to Russia. Applicants will have a Coordinator in Russia who speaks both English and Russian who will accompany applicant(s) to the region and will assist in the processing in Moscow. Itinerary and travel information will be provided before your travel date. Applicant(s) are responsible for accommodations in Moscow and accommodations will be arranged in the region where your child resides.

During this first visit, you will meet and spend time with the child(ren) and obtain further information for your decision whether to proceed with the adoption. You can ask questions of the orphanage director, orphanage doctor, and child’s primary care taker.                                  

You should set up arrangements to consult with your pediatrician and your international medical consultant for evaluations of additional child referral information you may obtain while in Russia. If you chose to proceed with the adoption, you will attend an assigned court date to sign and have notarized an agreement in the region.   

Following your return to the US, the Program Administrator will assist you in completing any further documentation that may be required. The second trip will also require both parents to travel and attend the Court Hearing in the region for the Judge to sign the Court Decree. However, there is now a 30 day wait until the adoption is fully in effect. Applicants need medicals completed in Russia before the Court Hearing. Second trip will depend on the Court date and is approximately 2-5 months after the first trip depending on the Region. Following the Court hearing, both parents return home to wait for the final processing.

The next step following the Court Procedure is obtaining an adoption certificate, a new birth certificate, and passport for your child issued in the region. The final processing will take place in Moscow. Appointments will be made for the child’s visa medical and the final interview of the parent(s) and child at the US Embassy. These procedures takes 2-3 business days and the last procedure will be the registration of your child with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs while you are still in Russia. This should take 2 business days.

THREE TRIPS:

• First Trip:        4-7 days

• Second Trip    4-7 days

• Third Trip        7-10 days      *

*For couples, only one parent is required to return to Russia for the final processing. THESE ARE ESTIMATED STAYS FOR THE ADOPTION PROCESS. APPLICANTS MUST BE FLEXIBLE IN TERMS OF TIMING.

A well-prepared parent will find travel to their child's country of origin both exciting and rewarding with memories that will be shared for a lifetime. You are encouraged to learn as much as possible about Russia and the language, culture and customs.  Remember you are not only an ambassador of good will for the United States but the future of Russian adoptions rests largely on the courtesy and respect shown by the adoptive parents to everyone they meet.

Due to the risks and difficulties of international travel, it is recommended that adoptive applicants check with their insurance agency regarding travel and medical insurance. Be sure to investigate the possibility well before there is a travel date because some insurance companies require more than 30 days to process your application for insurance.

The new Child Citizenship Act of 2000 provides automatic US citizenship to your child following the completion of your adoption in Russia and admittance to the United States with a visa issued by the American Embassy in Moscow. Children entering the US on an IR3 visa should receive a Certificate of Citizenship within 45 days of arrival home. If you do not receive the Certificate, it is imperative that you obtain a verification of the Citizenship Certificate. For further information, go on line to www.ins.gov.

The Russian Government is very strict regarding the requirement for Ministry registration and Post Adoption Supervision for three years with four reports and pictures submitted by your case worker.  Lack of adherence by adoptive families could endanger the continuation of adoption services to Russian children. To help insure that families complete these reports, a $2,000.00 refundable bond  will be charged. This amount will be returned in full following submission of the fourth supervision report. Your home study agency will also have to verify that they have collected the full amount for the Post Adoption Services before the family travels for the first time.

While AIAA does its best to provide prospective adoptive parents with all available information, in all international adoptions, children can arrive with undiagnosed medical, psychological, developmental, intellectual, emotional or physical conditions. Therefore, AIAA cannot guarantee the physical, emotional, psychological or intellectual potential of any child placed through the agency.

FEE SCHEDULE: (As of January, 2012):
 

Overseas Fees:
Due at acceptance of child referral and before 2nd trip

Post Adoption Supervision Refundable Bond
Due at acceptance of submission of 4th report and proof of Russian Ministry Registration

$      50.00

$    500.00

$  3000.00

$ 4,700.00

$ 8250.00*

$ 15,500.00

TOTAL:       $ 23,750.00**

$  2,000.00

REDUCTION WILL BE CONSIDERED FOR CHILDREN WITH SIGNIFICANT MEDICAL CONDITIONS, SIBLINGS, OR OLDER CHILDREN.

Fees shown above reflect current costs of adoption of a child from Russia. FEES ARE FOR SERVICES RENDERED AND, THEREFORE, NON-REFUNDABLE

*Does not include home study and post adoption supervision reports.
Post adoption Supervision Services fees due at acceptance of child referral.

**Parents are responsible for their international airfares/living arrangements.
Does not include incountry and additional adoption expenses.

CONTACT THE OFFICE FOR ESTIMATED TRAVEL EXPENSES FOR THREE TRIPS DEPENDING ON THE REGION.

For further information regarding the Russian Program, contact the AIAA office and ask for the Russian Program Administrator. We look forward to working with you for a child from Russia.    

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