UKRAINE FACT SHEET

Tell me about the children from Ukraine who need families.
There are infants through school age children of both sexes who need a family to call their own.  All of the children's health records will carry various types of diagnoses and will exhibit developmental delays due to living in an orphanage. We encourage families to send the child's medical reports to physicians experienced in Eastern European medical reports to help separate fact from fiction. Golden Cradle/CASI place children only from orphanages that provide the very best care. Children receive individual attention from their caregivers. All children are screened for HIV, Hepatitis B, and venereal diseases.

How long will the process take?
A lot of this depends on you. Most families can get their home study and dossier papers together in one to three months; others take much longer. Golden Cradle staf will help you create your dossier. Once your dossier is complete, a referral of a child can happen from 3 to 6 months later. You can expect to travel in 3 to 6 months after the referral.

How am I matched with a child?
The match is made in the Ukraine by the Ukrainian authorities. Medical records and information about the child will be shared with you in the Ukraine when you make the trip to finalize the adoption and get your child. If there is an unexpected medical and/or social condition discovered at that time, arrangements for another match are made. You will be able to fax or express mail medical information to a consultant (of your choice) in the US while you are in the Ukraine.

Do I need to travel to Ukraine to pick up my child?
Yes, both parents must travel. The average stay in Ukraine is 2 to 3 weeks.

Do I qualify to adopt from Ukraine?
Ukraine will work with both couples and singles and is flexible regarding age, number of children and number of divorces.

Can I adopt more than one child at a time?
This can be more difficult, however, it is possible. Doing so is considered on a case-by-case basis. If this is something you are considering make sure you get approval from your home study agency to adopt more than one child and that you indicate this on your I-600 A form.