Ukraine adoption program

Adoption Program Criteria
Children available:
The internationally available children are boys and girls from 5 years and older. If a family is adopting more than one child and the children are siblings, the adoption will be allowed, even if one of the children is under the age of 5, however the family must adopt all siblings.
The children must be registered with the Ministry of Education for a minimum of 14 months to be eligible for international adoption.
Prior to the 14 months domestic adoption is preferred. Generally, lots of siblings groups and more boys are available.

Parental Requirements:
Parents must be at least 25 years old and 15 years older than the child. Couples must be married and and not same sex. No single applicants are accepted.

Why Children are Available:
Many families and single women do not have the resources to care for children, and have little choice but to relinquish them to the care of the state. As well, parents convicted of crimes or who have been judged unfit parents can have their parental rights terminated.

Family Background:
If birth family information is known it will be provided with the child's documentation.

Wait Times:
Typically an invitation to come to the Ukraine to select a child is received by the family three months after their dossier is submitted. Actual travel time is about two months later.

In-Country Time Required:
Only one trip to the Ukraine is required. The average length of stay is about 5-6 weeks.

Child's Citizenship:
Upon entering Canada, the child will have Permanent Resident status. Canadian citizenship is not automatic and must be applied for by the parents. The child may hold dual Canadian-Ukrainian citizenship until 18. NOTE: A new procedure will streamline the child's citizenship process. For the latest information contact TDH Ontario or check the Citizenship and Immigration Canada web site.

Post-Adoption Requirements:
Parents must register the child at the Ukrainian Embassy in Ottawa within one month of the child's arrival in Canada. The Ukraine also requires that one follow-up report per year be submitted for the first three years after adoption then one every three years until the child reaches 18.

Costs:
Costs change often due to the fluctuation of the Canadian dollar and fee changes implemented by government agencies in Canada and abroad. Please contact TDH directly for a current cost estimate.

Documents Required
This is a brief description of the documents required by the Ukraine. TDH will provide more details and assistance.

About the Ukraine
With an estimated population of 48,000,000, Ukraine is one of the largest of the former Soviet republics. The nation's capital is located in Kiev (Kyiv). Ethnic Ukrainians make up 70% of the population with the remainder including Russians and Jews. While Ukrainian is the official language, citizens are often bilingual, speaking Russian, Romanian, Polish, or Hungarian.

In the past, Ukraine suffered from the economic hardships of Soviet rule. Government corruption and inefficiencies and a general breakdown of infrastructure left it with severe economic problems. This created a large economic underclass. While the Ukraine is now a democracy and the economy is improving, many families and single women do not have the resources to care for children, and have little choice but to relinquish them to the care of the state.

As well, parents convicted of crimes or who have been judged unfit parents can have their parental rights terminated. There are almost 25,000 children in orphanages in Ukraine. About 7,000 children are adopted every year, 2,500 being placed internationally.