Family Eligibility: Married couples and single woman on a case-by-case basis may adopt from Ukraine. Married couples are preferred by the Ukrainian government.  Ukraine does not have any specific age restrictions.  However, we prefer that the maximum age difference between adoptive parents and adopted children cannot exceed 45 years.    Adoption Alliance works with families in every state to adopt from Ukraine.

Children Available:  Most adoptable children are from 15 months to 15 years.  Some are healthy while others have some physical and/or emotional challenges.  Adoption of sibling groups is very common.  Wait times are shorter for older children. Families travel to Ukraine to receive referrals, families DO NOT receive referrals before travel.  The vast majority of children are Caucasian.

Travel:  One or two trips - first trip is three weeks and the second trip is about a week.  Families can also make one trip of about five weeks.  The first trip can occur anywhere from three months after dossier submission to one year.  The second trip occurs about 10 days after return from first trip.

Time Frame:  Wait time for referral varies from three months to 1 year after dossier submission.  Families will need to update their dossier every six months.

Medical Information:  Families are provided with a short basic medical report from the SDA when they receive referral in Ukraine.  Families will likely also receive a report from the orphanage .

Benefits: Ukraine generally costs less than other adoption programs.  Families must visit the children they are interested in adopting before the adoption can occur.  Families get to participate in the process of choosing their child(ren).

Issues: Continuous updates of dossier can be frustrating for families.  The same risks as all international adoption programs, such as lack of medical information, developmental issues, and institutional delays.

Costs:  We estimate the cost is approximately $20,000 which includes Adoption Alliance fees, country costs, dossier and translation fees, humanitarian aid, and travel.

Adoption Alliance Contact:  Shelli Myles, (303) 584-9900, or email info@adoptall.com.