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International
Programs: Russia
| GENERAL INFORMATION |
| The Adoption Center of Washington is -->ACCREDITED<-- in Russia until March1, 2007. We have been working in Russia placing children in adoptive homes since 1992. We primarily work in the region of Perm. We are extremely pleased with this program and encourage all those interested in adopting a Russian child to consider working with us and our Russian program. See our Reference list at the end of this packet for a list of families who have adopted through this program who would be happy to share their experience with you.
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| CHILDREN AVAILABLE |
Infants, toddlers, and school age boys and girls are available. Siblings and larger family groups are possible to adopt. Every child is different and the health of the children available varies from very minor health issues to larger disabilities.
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| RUSSIA'S ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS FOR PROSPECTIVE PARENTS |
Age limits: only one parent can be up to 50 years of age (if adopting an infant) and 55 (for an older child).
Single applicants are accepted.
Non-sectarian.
If married: prefer those married at least 3 years.
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| TIME FRAME |
The Adoption Center of Washington is able to offer children within months of your application, not years. The adoption paperwork process takes approximately three to nine months. Travel to Russia is usually scheduled within a month of assignment. Two trips are required; the first is 7-10 days and the second is approximately 3 weeks. The adoption, which takes place on the second trip, usually takes a week and an additional week to receive your exit visa for your child from the U.S. Embassy in Moscow.
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| PROCESS BEFORE TRAVEL |
| All prospective adoptive parents working with our agency go through the following process:
1. Apply with our agency by filling out and submitting our application (see enclosed) along with a check for $300 (non-refundable first agency fee).
2. Contact INS (Immigration and Naturalization Services) to order international adoption forms (the packet is called “I-600A”) at 1-800-870-3676.
3. Obtain your own FedEx identification number (at various points inthe process we need to FedEx your Dossier documents to the foreign country and this number will allow us to keep track of fees owed). To do this, call: 1-800-GOFEDEX. Let us know what your number is as soon as you obtain this.
4. Attend our Adoption with Open Eyes course (4 sessions) (if you live in the Washington Metropolitan area) to learn about adoption from a larger perspective.
5. Begin the homestudy process (if you do not already have a favorable, updated homestudy).
6. Gather documents for your Dossier (e.g. birth certificates, marriage certificates, etc). Your caseworker will assist you with this entire process.
7. Attend our Child Care Class (if you are a first-time parent and if you live in the Washington Metropolitan area).
8. Attend a Travel Meeting with your caseworker to discuss traveling particulars in the foreign country.
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| TRAVELING TO RUSSIA |
| All those adopting from Russia are required to take 2 trips to Russia. The first trip is 7-10 days and the second trip is 14-28 days*.
First Trip:
1. Meet with adoption officials at Ministry of Education
2. Assigned a child to visit at orphanage in a particular region
3. Determine if you wish to adopt this child
SecondTrip:
1. Visit child again before Court date
2. Finalize the adoption in court
3. 10 day waiting period (begins the day after court)
4. Obtain Russian passport and legal papers for adoptee
5. Obtain child’s Visa for the U.S. ($380) in Moscow at Consular’s Office
*Please note: length of travel is subject to change due to various unforeseen circumstances in international adoption.
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| GENERAL FEES |
| The foreign fee is due before departing for your first trip to Russia. You are also responsible for the cost of your flight to Russia and other travel costs (see our fact sheet on Russian Estimated Expenses for a breakdown of definite and probable costs).
*Please note: foreign fees are subject to change without notice due to unforeseen circumstances in international adoption.
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| REQUIRED DOCUMENTS |
- Passport
- Birth certificate
- Marriage certificate or statement of being single
- Police Clearance
- Home study
- Immigration approval (I-171H)
- Doctor letter
- Income certificate
- Non-travelling spouse's Power of Attorney
- If the parent was divorced, one copy of the divorce decree notarized
with notice, "Certified as a true and correct copy of the
original."
- Application to Regions
- Agreement to Register Child at Consulate
- Homestudy and License
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| REFERRAL PROCESS |
| Parents will receive word from the Ministry of Education that a match has been made. They will travel to Russia and hire a doctor to do a medical exam on the child.
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| U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT UPDATE |
International adoptions
(general)
International
Adoptions: Guidelines on Immediate Relative Petitions
| RUSSIAN CONSULATE REGISTRATION |
Upon arriving home with your child/ren, you have 90 days to complete their consulate registration.
To register your adopted child you need:
Notarized copies of American passports of parents
Child's Russian Passport
Registration card
One passport-size (3x4 cm) photo
A copy of the child's Certificate of Birth
A copy of the Certificate of Adoption
Money order for $50 made payable to the Russian Consulate
Take all these documents to:
Russian Consulate (open 2:30pm-5:30pm)
2641 Tunlaw Road, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20007
Phone: (202) 625-0765
The Russian Consulate will stamp your child's passport while you wait.
After their passport is stamped, make a photo copy of the front page and the stamped page and give it to the Adoption Center of Washington so we can forward it to Russia.
Russia Adoptions
Click here to see Russian adopted children!
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