Ukraine Adoption Changes

Submitted by John on 2008-05-20
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Changes in Ukraine adoption law slow down the process but make it more fair overall.

There are big changes in the adoption process in Ukraine since we adopted our daughter almost two years ago. Last year, the country announced that the National Adoption Center (NAC) would dissolve and a new center will open under the Ministry of Family, Youth and Sports. There was a several month suspension on accepting new applications from new families while these changes took place. Now, once again U.S. families are being allowed to adopt. However, the process has been frustrating for many families as they wait their turn in line or even for their application to be accepted.

I have heard from sources in Ukraine that the process, while slow, has been streamlined and is more fair across the board. In the past, I have read blogs about families spending many weeks trying to get a second appointment at the NAC when a first referral was not good (child's health not accurately reported). Then other families swoop in and out in 17 days and take their new child home with them. Fortunately, this type of unfairness seems to be less common under the new rules.

We hope Ukraine adoptions will continue to speed up -- and that those wonderful children in the Ukraine orphanages we saw who were longing for families will be placed with loving families sooner than before, and that families currently in the process won't be discouraged and give up.

Meanwhile, we are so thankful that we are done with the process and home with our awesome 3-year-old Tara Vika, who continues to blossom before our eyes. While the process is still hard, we encourage all families in the middle of Ukraine adoptions to don�t give up, the end result is well worth it.