Who Can Be Adopted?

(Taken from the U.S. embassy Ukraine website)

In addition to U.S. immigration requirements, Ukraine has specific requirements that a child must meet in order to be eligible for adoption: 

• Relinquishment: Ukrainian law does not contain a specific definition or concept of “relinquishment”.
• Abandonment: Section IV, Chapter 18, Articles 207-219 of the Ukrainian Family code provides detailed information regarding eligibility requirements for children to be eligible for intercountry adoption, including reference to abandonment.
• Age of Adoptive Child: Ukrainian law requires orphans to be at least five years old before they are eligible for intercountry adoption.  The law exempts children with certain special needs, relative adoptions, and sibling adoptions.
• Sibling Adoptions: If all siblings are eligible for intercountry adoption, they normally cannot be separated by adoption.  A separation by adoption can be approved in some cases, but this is usually a complicated and lengthy process.
• Special Needs or Medical Conditions:  There are specific health problems that, when present, allow orphans under five years of age, as well as those who have not been on the central registry for one year, to be adopted.  The current list of these health problems is available here .  This list came into effect on March 2, 2012.
• Waiting Period or Foster Care: A child must be registered for at least one year with the central adoption authority before he or she becomes eligible for international adoption.  It is possible to adopt a child from foster care, but it is a complicated and lengthy process.

CAUTION: Prospective adoptive parents should be aware that not all children in orphanages or children’s homes are adoptable.  In many countries, birth parents place their child(ren) temporarily in an orphanage or children’s home due to financial or other hardship, with the intention of returning for the child when they are able to do so.  In such cases, the birth parent(s) rarely would have relinquished their parental rights or consented to their children’s adoption.