Does AWAA have staff in Russia?
America World currently does not have staff who reside and work in Russia, however, we do partner with professional and dedicated associates who have advocated and assisted our clients for several years. They are very competent and trustworthy.
How many regions does AWAA work in and how long has AWAA been working in Russia?
America World currently works in four different regions of Russia: Krasnoyarsk, Voronezh, Nizhny Novgorod and Moscow. Moscow is a specialized program in that only single, Eurasian boys between 12 and 24 months are available for adoption. We have been assisting families adopting from Russia since 2001.
What are the specific requirements for married couples, and can single women adopt?
In general Russia prefers that couples have been married at least two years. If, however, the two year mark has not been reached a couple must attest to an established relationship for at least a year prior to the marriage date. Single women can currently adopt from Russia in the region of Nizhny Novgorod.
Can families adopt unrelated siblings in the same adoption process?
While Russia does not have a prohibition on families adopting more than one child at a time (related or unrelated), America World has great concern with the placement of children who are too close in age at the same time into the same home. While we desire for every adoptable child to be adopted, we also take the future of their psychological development (artificial twinning) very seriously. The referral process in Russia is set up in such a way that AW cannot control the ages of multiple unrelated children who are referred to any one family.
Are both parents required to travel on all three trips?
Both parents are required to travel on the first and second trip. The first trip is extremely important as that is the first opportunity the parents will have to meet and bond with their prospective adoptive child. Both parents must also be present during the second trip for the Moscow medicals which take place prior to the court procedure and must also be present at court. One parent is able to return to pick up the child after the 30 day waiting/appeal period, but the immigration process will change significantly should only one parent bring the child into the U.S.
What is the 30-day waiting/appeal period after court and can it be waived?
This waiting period is mandatory and will only be waived for very serious, life-threatening medical conditions that a child may have. The child(ren) remain in their orphanage during this interim. It is assigned for processing of the final adoption decree and other important adoption finalization paperwork. Once the waiting period is complete the parents will pick up their child(ren) from the orphanage and travel to Moscow where the adoption will be finalized and they will catch a flight home.
What fees for the Russia program change when more than one child is adopted?
America World program fees do not change whether one child is being adopted or multiple. Fees directly related to travel, visa and passport processing, etc. will change based upon the number of children being adopted. For two children the international program fee increases to $33,000 from $20,000 (as indicated on the “costs” webpage).
Why does it take longer to adopt girls and siblings compared to boys?
There are more boys available for adoption than there are girls and young sibling sets. Girls are more often adopted domestically and thus are less available for international adoption. Quite often orphans have older siblings who have already been adopted, are in foster care or continue to reside with a family member. Less often do we see siblings who are paper ready for adoption and available for referral at the same time.
What is the youngest child available?
Very rarely we have seen referrals where children were 10 months or younger. Registered orphans must remain on a domestic databank for up to 8 months before they are available for international adoption. They are generally 10 months or older by the time they are ready to be referred to a foreign adoptive family.
How many referrals can a family review?
Prospective adoptive families can only review one referral at any given time. If a referral is declined, then a second referral will be provided at a later day (the wait time for a second referral can be a few additional days to a few additional months). Families are usually allowed up to three referrals before the central adoption authority will refuse to provide any additional referrals to prospective families.
Can America World help families who have pre-identified a child for adoption?
America World’s ability to assist families with adopting a pre-identified child in Russia depends largely on the region and orphanage that the child is in. If families have pre-identified a child and want to know whether AW can help them they must first obtain the child’s full name and the region and orphanage that the child is in. AW will make the necessary inquiries to determine if we are capable of assisting with the adoption of that particular child. Sometimes in cases where AW cannot assist families, another agency may be able to if that agency happens to work in the region in which the child lives.
MOSCOW PROGRAM
The below questions are specific to our agency’s Moscow Program.
Is the Moscow program an adoption process recognized by the Russian government?
The program in Moscow is not a specialized program that is recognized as such by the Russian government. However, it is a legitimate adoption program in Russia.
Why does the adoption of these children seem to be accelerated in comparison to other Russian adoptions?
There are always more adoptive parents then children available throughout the regions in Russia, but our partner facilitators have a long-established working relationship with the adoption authorities in this region which enables them to move more quickly through the adoption process.
Are there Eurasian girls also available?
Yes, there are girls available, however, Russia couples not only want to adopt children that are more European, in general they also desire girls more than boys which contributes to the rare availability of girls for adoption.
Is this program with one orphanage or more than one orphanage?
Our partner facilitator works with several orphanages within Moscow city which have young children of various ethnicities.
Were the children born in Moscow or were they born in other parts of Russia/the world?
These children were all born in Moscow, placed in a hospital for approximately 2 months and then sent to an orphanage. This is why they can be very young at the time of referral.
Have the children typically been orphaned since birth and in the same institution or otherwise?
Yes, most of them have been orphaned since birth and remain in the same institution until adoption or transition to a boarding school at a certain age.
Are all of the children in these orphanages Eurasian featured, or is the program to adopt Eurasian children out of existing orphanages in Moscow with all types of children?
These are Eurasian children out of existing orphanages in Moscow who have all types of ethnicities. Approximately 10-20% of the children are Eurasian and all the rest are European.
What are the typical nationalities of the children that make them Eurasian?
The children are not of Chinese heritage. They are mostly Kazakh, Tajik, Uzbek, and Buryat. It is most common for the mother to be of one of these nationalities and the father to be European.
What are the orphanage conditions like? How many children per orphanage? How many caregivers per child? How is their level of nutrition, activity, stimulation, education etc?
The orphanages are considered of very good condition. They have plenty of financial and medical resources available to care for the children properly. There are approximately 70 to 150 children per orphanage and 1 caretaker for every 7 young children. For older children there is 1 caretaker for every 12+ children. No matter the quality of conditions of these orphanages, they are still orphanages and these children are still in an institutional situation. Many of the same detrimental effects from institutionalization exist.
How long has this program been in existence and how many children have been adopted through this program?
Our partner placing agency has been working in Moscow for over 15 years and our facilitator has worked through our partner placing agency with Moscow since 2008.
How many placements has America World’s partner facilitator been specifically involved with?
Our partner facilitator, since 2008, has completed 11 adoptions.
Are there any unique challenges associated with the process of adopting these children?
There is nothing unique with Moscow, however it is important to keep in mind that any international adoption process, especially one in Russia, has potential for significant complications and difficulties along the way. There are never any guarantees in an international adoption.
Are there any unique challenges that these children face after being adopted?
All internationally adopted children face unique challenges after adoption. There is no cookie-cutter or textbook example that applies to every child. America World highly recommends that beyond the 8 hour online Hague training, families take time to read books relative to adoptions from Eastern European countries. These are invaluable resources as they can help prepare families for any number of challenges that may arise after placement of the child.
How many trips are required?
There are three trips, each of about one week’s duration, that will take place after the acceptance of a referral. The first week will be to meet the child and officially accept the referral in Russia. The second trip will be of equal length and will be the court trip. The third trip will take place about three weeks later and will be the trip in which the adoption finalization will take place after the court-mandated waiting period has occurred.
