Russia Adoption Program

June 2010: Russian Adoption Program Update
* We are looking for families for infant boys in Russia. Extremely short wait times.

Call or email Megan at (781) 444-7148 or msullivan@allforchildren.org for detailed information.

Children available for adoption
* Short referral times for boys.
* Sibling groups available.
* Alliance places children of all ages from 8 months to 16 years of age.
* Children available for adoption are all in Russian orphanages.
* Alliance is currently working in the following districts: Moscow City, Moscow District, St. Petersburg, Perm, Omsk, Kazan, Nizhniy Novgorod, Astrakhan, Orenburg, and Ulan-Ude***.
* Background information and health history, as well as a photograph and possibly video are only available in Moscow City, St. Petersburg, Orenburg, and Ulan-Ude. All other regions require families to travel with little or no information prior to first trip.
* Children are tested for HIV, TB, Hepatitis B, and Syphilis.

*** Ulan-Ude is recently re-opened (2/08) and is able to place both Asian and
Caucasian children. Astrakhan has the referrals of Asian children as well.

Eligibility requirements
* Couples and singles eligible. To request an infant (8-15 months old) single applicants must be under 49 years old. For couples, one spouse must be under 49, and the other can be up to 54 years old. There is flexibility for older children.
* Couples must be married for at least one year.
* We are currently unable to process applications from single males.

Process before travel
* Apply to INS for approval to be eligible to adopt.
* Satisfy the laws of the state where applicant resides.
* Complete a home study by a licensed agency or social worker in the state where applicant resides.
* Meet the eligibility requirements of the Russia Federation by providing required documents for a dossier.
* All documents in dossier must be notarized and apostile sealed.
* Alliance will assist in all aspects of the document process.

Time Frame
* It takes approximately 3-4 months to obtain INS approval.
* Once a completed dossier is submitted to the Ministry of Education in one of our 9 districts, you could receive a referral within 4 months, sometimes sooner if requesting a boy.
* Travel takes place approximately 10 days to 3 weeks after referral, depending on the region. All programs in Russia require two trips.
* Both parents must travel.
* In-country representatives will help the families throughout their stay in Russia.

General information about Russia
(Statistical information taken from the 2000 CIA Fact Book)

The Russian Federation is situated partially in Eastern Europe and partially in Northern
Asia, and is almost twice the size of the United States. It is the largest country in the world with approximately 6.5 million square miles. Russia contains four of the world's largest rivers, and also contains the world's deepest freshwater lake. It is easy to see why a country this size could have such a diverse landscape. Siberia in the north has winters that last for nine months of the year, and contains tundra, taiga, and steppe. The climate in the other regions of Russia are just as diverse as Siberia, and are mostly coniferous forests.

Russia has a lot of potential for economic success with a variety of fossil fuels, and agriculture is also very important to the economy. Unfortunately, Russia is facing a high foreign debt, and presently cannot support a large-scale distribution system for its natural resources. Two-thirds of the population is living well below poverty, and unemployment is at 12 percent.

Russian people and culture

The population of Russia is an astounding 146 million. Moscow, the capital, has more than 10 million residents. The dominant religion is The Russian Orthodox Church. The official language is Russian. Many ethnic languages exist regionally, although Russian is taught in the schools. There is an enormous disparity between the wealthy and the poor. This gap affects the opportunities for the less fortunate to seek quality medical care, education, or jobs. In general, Russian society is merely trying to sustain itself at whatever level possible. It is frustrated by its economic hardship, but Russians will continue to struggle, even in cases where they are no longer being paid wages.

The people of Russia do not have much of a chance to enjoy leisure activities because they must spend so much time procuring the necessities of life. Soccer is a favorite sport, however, and it is common for families to watch television together in the evenings. Russians do have a deep connection to the arts, and enjoy attending theaters and movies in the cities when possible.

Food in Russia is very expensive. For this reason, most families grow what they eat, even in the urban areas. Potatoes, cabbages, beets, and onions are all staples of the Russian diet. They prefer coffee and tea. Vodka is the most common alcoholic beverage. Alcoholism, a long-standing problem in Russia, now affects approximately 15% of the county.