**Our Uzbekistan program is currently on hold to new families.  Families participating in our Russian programs are able to switch to Uzbekistan if referrals become available.  We are unable to estimate wait times at this point for new referrals.

Adoption program in Uzbekistan

Children available for adoption

Infants and children are available for adoption from Uzbekistan. Uzbekistan represents  a variety of ethnic  groups, including Uzbek, Russian, Ukrainian, German (all Caucasian races), Kazakh (Mongol race), and Tatar. The majority of available infants have been abandoned at birth by their birth mothers, and are of the Uzbek decent.

Children who are available for adoption by foreigners range from approximately 5-6 months to 14 years of age. All children offered for adoption live in government-supervised orphanages.  Adoptive families may choose the age and gender of the child they wish to adopt.  Sibling groups and unrelated children are available for adoption at the same time.

In the Uzbekistan culture, alcohol and drug usage are not socially acceptable. Incidences of fetal alcohol syndrome and drug related problem are rare, as well as HIV and Hepatitis C.  Children available for adoption are generally healthy.

Orphanage physicians carefully select all children for referral to families.  The selection is based on current evaluation of the child's health and development. Typical orphanage delays are expected for institutionalized children.  The majority of children who have been placed are in fair health, adjusting very well and thriving in their new homes in America.  Adoptive families are provided with a medical history and evaluation of the child's current condition along with photos and video.

All children available for adoption from Uzbekistan are tested for HIV, Hepatitis A and B, Tuberculosis, and Syphilis prior to adoption.  History of inoculations is also provided, when available.

Adoptive Parent Criteria

Uzbek law allows adoption opportunities to a broad range of adoptive families, including older applicants, single women (must be approved by Home Study agency) and families with children. Eligible applicants can request specific ages and gender of children they wish to adopt. Adoptive families are allowed to adopt more than one child at a time, either siblings or unrelated children. Adoptive parents are required to be in good health and without major disabilities or terminal illnesses.  The family must meet United States Immigration requirements as well as provide a complete dossier of adoption documents required by the Uzbek adoption authorities. 

Referrals

Photos, basic medical history and sometimes videos are provided with every referral.

Adoption Process and Travel

You will work with experienced professionals in the U.S. and abroad.  We are in daily contact with associates abroad to help answer all of your pre-adoption questions.  Adoptive families can feel confident that they will be taken care of overseas with friendly English-speaking staff.

The adoption process abroad is constantly evolving. We will provide prospective adoptive parents with a current time estimate for adoptive child referral and placement.

The time from when the family referral is accepted until travel varies from approximately 3 to 6 months.  First the family receives pictures and a medical report of the child. If the family is interested in this referral, they begin to prepare the dossier. During that time, they may receive a video of the child. The legalization process of the documents for adoption in the U.S. takes about two to three weeks. By the time the dossier is fully legalized in the U.S., translated and prepared for submission in Uzbekistan, the family must have Form I-171H in hand. Prior to submitting the dossier to the Ministry of Education, our representative in Tashkent receives a notification letter from the U.S. Embassy in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, about INS approval of the prospective family (the Ministry of Education holds a dossier for about 1 month).  Once the dossier is submitted to the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Uzbekistan, the adoptive parents are scheduled for travel within 3-4 months.

The family travels to meet with the child after the Mayor of the city or region where the accepted child is located approves the adoption.  They will then complete the birth certificate and adoption notice (in Uzbekistan there are no adoption certificates), and obtain a Uzbek passport for their child.

To meet with the child, the family travels to Tashkent, Uzbekistan. Our representative escorts the family to the region where the child resides.  Time in the region varies, but is approximately 2 weeks. After obtaining all of the necessary paperwork from the region, the family and child travel back to Tashkent to visit the US Embassy.  The Embassy process generally takes about 1 fulll week, making total time in country approximately 3 weeks.  
  

In Uzbekistan, competent bilingual interpreters assist adoptive families with logistics at every stage, including assistance with airline tickets for the adopted child, airports transfers, transportation in Tashkent and the region (for adoption purposes only), and accommodations in Tashkent and the region.  Also included are interpreting and other professional services that are necessary for successful completion of the adoption process abroad and assistance with obtaining medical examinations and visas for children at the U.S. Embassy in Tashkent.

Adoptive families are fully supervised during their stay in Uzbekistan. They are escorted to appointments and assisted by professional staff, making their stay as comfortable as possible. The trip is enjoyable as well as educational, and for those who like traveling, it promises to provide a lifetime of memories about the county of your child's origin.

For families traveling to Uzbekistan, we also offer the bonus of guided opportunities to appreciate the countries' cultures during their travels.  Our mission is to assist and support adoptive families every step of the way along their adoption journey.  Reliable personnel and individual attention to each client have contributed to our continued success.