International Programs
China
China Waiting Children
Ukraine
Vietnam

Lutheran Adoption Network
Colombia, Guatemala
Hong Kong, Mongolia,
Poland, Russia,
The Philippines

Ukraine

Lutheran Social Services of New England is pleased to be able to assist families adopting in Ukraine. We have a close relationship with an excellent bilingual coordinator in Ukraine who will ensure that all requirements are met before families travel to Ukraine, and escort you throughout your trip. LSSNE also enjoys very close communication with the Consulate of Ukraine here in New York.

The Process

Once you have completed the home study in your local service office, the LSSNE International Adoption staff will assist you to complete the dossier required by Ukraine. All documents need to have State apostille. We will forward the dossier to Ukraine for translations and further legalization, and for approval by the State Department of Adoption (SDA). Once your dossier has been approved, you will receive a letter of invitation to travel to Ukraine in order to identify a child for adoption. There can be no information on children sent to LSSNE prior to your trip. Families must work directly with the SDA in Ukraine to receive their child referral information.

Parent Eligibility

Single women and men, as well as married couples, between ages 25-50 may adopt in Ukraine; older persons may certainly adopt older children.

There are no restrictions on length of marriage, children in home, or divorces

Children

The majority of healthy children eligible for international adoption in Ukraine are over 2 years old. There can be no adoption of a child under 1 year of age unless he/she has serious medical problems. Many children between 2-6 years are in need of homes and have mild correctable medical issues. All of the children live in orphanages and many have developmental delays as a consequence. Prospective parents will meet the child and review their social and medical histories at the orphanage prior to proceeding with acceptance and the legal adoption process.

Travel

Ukraine is rather unique in that families travel without child referral in advance. Although some people prefer to adopt with a referral, others prefer the idea of selecting their own child. The trip will take between 3-4 weeks altogether. Both parents must travel for at least 10 days. One parent may then return to the US. You will stay in Kyiv, the beautiful, ancient capital city, the region where your child's orphanage is located. The US immigration visa for your child to enter to the United States will be issued in Kyiv. You will be guided and escorted throughout your stay by our dedicated facilitator who will make all arrangements related to the adoption in Ukraine in coordination with LSSNE staff.

Masha, our coordinator

More on the Country

To read about the people, culture and history of Ukraine visit wikipedia.com

Read stories from our families about their adoption experience in Ukraine.