Russian Adoption Program

Children available for adoption

Infants and children are available for adoption from Russia. The ethnic background of the children is mainly Caucasian, and occasionally Asian decent. The majority of available infants have been abandoned at birth by their birth mothers. The majority of preschoolers and older children have been placed in orphanages as a result of the economic hardship of the birth family or as a result of the loss of parental rights. 

According to Russian government regulations, children that are available for adoption by foreigners range from approximately 9 months to 16 years of age. All children offered for adoption live in governmental supervised orphanages.  The conditions of the orphanages are fair to good. Before becoming available for referral for international adoption, all children are required to be registered on a national registry for a total of 6 months. 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.

The children are generally of normal health.  All children are carefully selected for referral to families by orphanage physicians.  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 that have been placed are in fair health, adjusting very well and thriving in the new homes in America.  Adoptive families are provided with medical history and evaluation of the child's current condition along with photos.

All children available for adoption from Russia are tested for HIV, Hepatitis B, Tuberculosis, and Syphillis prior to adoption court hearing.  History of inoculations is also provided when available.

Adoptive Parent Criteria

Russian 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 the 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 Russian adoption authorities. 

Referrals

Photos, and basic medical history are provided with some referrals. Most extended medical information will be provided during the first trip.  Some of our regions provide blind referrals, and we will know very little information before you travel.

Adoption Process and Travel

You will work with experienced professionals in the US and abroad.  In the US, your main contact will be with Lighthouse Adoptions, Inc.  We are in daily contact with associates abroad to help answer all of your pre-adoptive questions.  Adoptive families can feel confidant 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 estimated time for a referral varies, but in general it is 1 - 6 months.  The estimates are based on previous adoptive placements in the same program.

The time from referral to travel can be fairly short if the paperwork is completed.  Adoptive parents are scheduled for the first travel within 2-4 weeks after their acceptance of the referral. The court hearing is scheduled after the family has traveled to meet the child and the Russian Ministry of Education in Moscow has approved their application. The second trip is usually arranged between 4-12 weeks after the first trip.  

Currently families adopting from Russia are required to make two trips to Russia. The first trip requires a minimum of 2-3 days stay in the region. This trip allows adoptive families to meet with a child and to obtain additional personal history, medical records, photos and videos of the child that can be brought back to the U.S. for evaluation.

For the second trip both adoptive parents must travel to Russia to attend the court hearing in the region of a child's residence and finalize the adoption. The second trip lasts approximately 7-21 days, depending on the region.  In order to obtain the US visa for an adopted child, families are required to spend the last 1-2 days in Moscow.

The regions we work in are adoption friendly.  All adoptions are finalized in Russia.  Only one of the parents is required to accompany the adopted child to the US; the other parent may return home after the court hearing, if they wish.

Friends and family are allowed to join adoptive parents in their trips to Russia.

In Russia, competent bilingual interpreters assist adoptive families with logistics at every turn, including assistance with airline tickets for the adopted child, airport and railroad transfer, transportation in the region and Moscow (for adoption purposes only), accommodations in the region and Moscow, transportation between airport of arrival and the region.  Also included are interpreting and other professional services that are necessary for the successful completion of the adoption process abroad and assistance with obtaining medical examinations and visas for children at the US embassy in Moscow.

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

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.