Adoption in Ukraine - Adoption Guide - Requirements for adoption in Ukraine

Useful advices for adoptive families

Travelling date: Arrival to Ukraine

Dear, adoptive families you have to remember that you personally won’t get the invitation from the Department of Adoption. Your facilitator will get the appointment date and your invitation. As soon as facilitator gets your appointment date, he will let you know.
Try to come to Kiev for your appointment not later than 2 days before it. Sometimes there are delays with flights and we need to have time for you to come and get settled. Also after the flight you can be tired so you will need time to have some rest.

Packing

Try to pack everything necessary but not too much. You will easily find everything in Ukraine. It is cheap to buy clothes and other staff in Ukraine, so do not bring too much with you. You have to remember that all your suitcase will be travelling with you and you or your facilitator has to carry everything
Use suitcases with the wheels.
Have some nice clothes that you can wear for the official meeting at the Department of adoption, first meeting with the social worker and director of the orphanage, and for court date. The other time you can wear what is comfortable for you.
In Ukraine people walk a lot and it will be good for you to have comfortable walking shoes.
Be ready to see the fashion week in Ukraine everybody will be dressed very beautifully… Women love to be dressed in the most fashionable clothes.
If you come in summer- spring time bring jeans, shorts, t-shorts …
In winter have warm clothes with you: gloves, hats, warm winter jackets.

Bring with you converters, you will need many of them for your computer, net book, hairdryer and etc…It is possible to buy converters in Ukraine too.
Use travel size products for shampoos, shaving cream, soaps, dish soap, laundry kits, or favorite cosmetics.
Remember too that all of these products can be purchased in Ukraine in stores and in the open markets or malls. The prices are lower and it will save you the packing space.
Bring some necessary medicine with you and a child.
Pack books and movies for your free time.
It will be nice for you if you bring some kids’ movies and cartoons, and when you have time you can watch a movie at the orphanage with kids…
Please remember that orphans don’t have free access to the computers, play stations, cameras. All these electronic devises will be very popular and kids all the time will be asking you to give them camera or play station. Try to control this time with the kids because they can play with the play station all the time and you need your child and other kids to spend more time with you! You have to communicate with your child as much as possible, trying to get to know each other…And then when you are back home it can become a problem for you to take the play station or computer form your baby.So control this time and play more with your child. Read, play, look at the pictures, go outside and play outside.
Also dear adoptive families, when your adoption process will start, you will be visiting orphanage every day (if you live close to the orphanage) or every 2 days if you live far from the orphanage. That will be discussed with your facilitator and the director of the orphanage. So please remember when you are coming to the orphanage you can see the following moments there:
- You can be separated with your child in the separate room for your time (if is winter time) or will be playing outside (summer – spring time) it is not because everybody wants to separate you from kids. It is because sometimes many people think you need this time only for you and your child. Sometimes because the director and caregivers know how hard it can be for other little kids (orphans) to see mom and dad coming to somebody else.
- Also, when you will be with kids be ready for the question from children: “Why not me? Why don’t you want to adopt me?” It is very hard to look at the children and not to know what to say. They need your support, they need hope. Our families were saying: “your time will come, we love all kids, your mom and dad will come one day for you!”.
- In the other case you will have full freedom and will be seeing and playing with your child and all the other kids.
- Just remember when you meet the director, ask him/her when it is the best time for you to come. When to leave the orphanage. What can you give kids….
- But in most cases families usually spend time with all of the kids and can play and talk with all of the kids.

Gifts

Who is expecting gifts?
- kids

Whom shall we buy gifts?
- care givers
- director of the orphanage
- social worker

(All these people will do a lot for you and do a lot for your baby)

When you pack you can put some gifts for your future baby and our families also advise you to buy some little gifts for care givers and director. At the end of the process you will love for sure to give a little gift to the care gives (they are mothers to your baby at the orphanage, they take good care for your child, and they will be all the time with you …). Instead of thinking at the end what to give to the care givers, you can bring some gifts with you. They will love something from the US, that mean that you have been thinking about them even in the US. Our families say that possible gifts can be: boxes of candies, silk scarf, shampoo, coffee, tea, wallet, purse, perfume of good quality, jewelry – of course if you can afford that /want to do that. (your own ideas)
For the kids and the orphanage you can bring: baby/kids’ clothes, hair ornaments, vitamins for kids, tooth paste, school supplies, shoes, tooth brushes, toys, books for kids, bubble liquid, crayons and coloring books, dolls, puzzles, stickers.
You will see how happy kids will be getting American candies. And will have a lot of kids around you

Airport

When you arrive to Kiev airport Borispol, follow the crowds and go to the passport control.
Go to the passport booths.
You will not miss them. The ones on the left are for Ukrainian citizens. The ones to the right are for Americans. Show your passport. The officer will pun info into a computer and give you a little piece of paper. Save this piece of paper because it has important information for you.
Then go to the luggage area and get your suitcases. (If something happened and your suitcase didn’t come, don’t worry. Fill the application in the office of the airport that is responsible for luggage. You will see the office, it is in English too. Give all the needed info to the inspector and as soon as your luggage arrives they will send it to you. Just tell the address where to send your suitcases ( if you don’t know where you are staying, give your facilitator’s cell phone # so they can call him/her and get all the needed info).

Meeting with your facilitator

When the official part is over go and meet your facilitator, he will be waiting for you in the line with the other people. Very important! Do not talk to strangers, do not show your purse and be careful with money. Ukraine is a very friendly country but we always must be careful with money and documents.
And please remember we all are people and if for some reasons your facilitator is not at the airport and he is not waiting for you (he can be in the traffic jam, Kiev is a huge city or he just cannot find you in the crowd of people or you have had a delay with your flight). Please do not leave the airport without your facilitator and don’t talk to strangers. Just go and sit in the nearest chair and wait for your facilitator. We have never left our families at the airport and he/she will find you. If you have a cell phone call him/her. Or just sit and wait for your facilitator. Watch your suitcase.

Apartment and hotel rooms

In Kiev and other cities of Ukraine you will have good variety of choices where to stay and rent your apartment or room.
Our facilitator will find you a good place for your living. Rent of the apartments by the day will be favourable alternative and the most convenient variant for you. We are always glad and ready to offer you modern, cozy and comfortable apartments in the city center or near the city center, whenever you want to stay. We will find you furnished and equipped apartment with all necessary technics. At your service there will be Internet Wi-Fi, satellite television, the conditioner, phone, convenient kitchen with the fridge, a microwave oven, a mini bar and all necessary kitchen suplies where you can cook and feel yourself like at home, and certainly a bathroom with soft, silky towels and the necessary set of toilet accessories. The apartments are close to the parking zones for cars, supermarkets, playgrounds, beauty salons, restaurants and cafes. But if you need cheaper apartment we will have one for you.
There are hundreds of hotels in Kiev and other cities so the hotel room will not be a problem.
Our advice for you. When you are in Kiev, you can stay at the hotel or at the apartment. Better at the apartment, it is cheaper and more comfortable.
Our facilitator will find you a good place where to stay.
The best advice is to tell our facilitator where you want to stay and what you prefer.

Money, currency exchange

Bring only fresh and new bills with you (without tears or writings on them) because you will have problems while exchanging the money at the bank.
In Ukraine people in most cases use cash.
It is possible to exchange money at the bank, money exchange places…
Big businesses, in the mall or at the restaurants credit cards can be acceptable
You may exchange American money for Ukrainian currency in most hotels and supermarkets.
One American dollar is roughly equivalent to 8.00 (Grivnas) Ukrainian bills.
A Ukrainian grivna is commonly available in denominations of: 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200 and 500. A grivna can also be broken down into coins, known as copex, and is commonly available in denominations of: 1, 2, 5, 10, 25, and 50 copex.
Sometimes you can see people asking on the streets. They can ask you for money. We also want to help everybody who needs money or food. But we never know for what they will use your money. While you are in Ukraine you will be at the orphanage many times, you will see many kids that need something. If you don’t know for what he or she will use the money on the street, don’t give money to them. If you want to help you will find the way. You will see many orphans! Many kids can be sick or just need a pair of new shoes. Use this money to do something good, something what you can control and see the result.
Be ready to give the donation to the orphanage. (the sum will depend on the region where you are adopting) The facilitator will let you know.
If you need more details on how much money you will spend in Ukraine for food, lodging, transportation we will be happy to help you with the approximate amount of money that you will need for your trip to Ukraine.

Cell phone and internet

Your facilitator will help you to buy cell phone in Ukraine. Cell phones can have different price. Calls are cheap. You are not paying for incoming calls, you pay only when you call somebody. The variety of cell phones and phone operators are very big.
Please do not use the phone at the apartment which you rent in Ukraine, you will get a big bill. Your relatives or parents can buy calling card and call you in Ukraine, in this case it will be cheap for them and free for you. You can call and send messages to the US from your cell phone.
Use skype.
Upload Viber on your iPhone and do the same with you relatives’ iPhones. Viber is fee and you can talk a lot with everybody who has Viber!

Facilitator advices and your questions. What to ask the director?

Before you go to the social worker’s office and director of the orphanage, discuss all the questions that you want to ask them with the facilitator. Your facilitator will advise you what must be asked and what you can ask later and what questions you can expect from the prosecutor, social worker and director.
Follow orphanage rules. Kids used to follow rules.

Documents and money

Ukraine is a safe country but you must be careful with your money and documents. Money likes order.
If you travel in the train or bus wear waist security belts that hang inside your pants.
If you travel in the car with your facilitator (our facilitator usually is helping families with the trips) just have money in a comfortable place for you.
While traveling always have your passports with you. Not in the suitcase.
Always buy all the empty bunks in your cabin on an overnight train ride. Usually the cost is minimal and well worth the security, and privacy.
Just use common sense with money and do not do anything you would not do in any large American city to endanger yourself

Free time and what we can offer you to do with kids

While being in Ukraine, you will definitely have some free time. Our adoptive families advise you to go sightseeing or have party at the orphanage …
The only one this that you need to do is to tell your facilitator that you want to see something or where you want to go or what you want to do. Do not be silent, plan your time and you will see many great places in Ukraine and will have many good emotions from your adoption.
Since our facilitator knows many directors and has good relations with them, sometimes we can ask the director to let the child spend some time outside the orphanage, to go with the family to the café, or to go sightseeing, or even spend a night with your at your apartment. We can ask the director for the party at the orphanage.
Some our families had great time at the New Year night with orphans or at the Easter time. There are really many things for you to do with the kids. Just remember to be open and flexible. Sometimes families can do more during their adoption process sometimes families can do less. But adoption with us will be good experience for you.

Food

Being in Ukraine try traditional Ukrainian dishes.
Adoptive families advise you: “if you really want to feel the taste of real traditional dishes such as borshch (red soup) or vareniks (like your ravioli) or golybtsi (cabbage leaves stuffed with rice and meat), try these dishes only at the good restaurants.” Do not try this food first time at the cheap one café where you for sure won’t feel the real taste of these dishes.
All food and traditional Ukrainian dishes are very tasty you just have to eat them at the nice place so you can feel the taste.

All our families had the best facilitator and adopted the best, healthy, cute kids! Our facilitator will help you with everything and you will have great adoption. One family told me: “if you need to come to Ukraine with something that is the most useful for you, HAVE good facilitator!” – That is the best what you can wish for your adoption. 90 % of success of your adoption depends on the facilitator. Our facilitator has a lot of good advices for you. Our facilitator can find great, healthy kid(s) for your family.

Our families advise you: “Do not use agencies, they take thousands of $ for filling your dossier”. (Some of the agencies take $30, 000, some $ 40, 000). They have already checked that many times!!!
“Adopt independently with our help, with the help of families who have already adopted and know how to help”. “We will give you the best facilitator in Ukraine with the great price and big experience!”
Adoption with our facilitator will be $ 10, 000 - $ 12,000 for the adoption process in Ukraine. Our facilitator Oleg will help you to adopt the best, healthy child in Ukraine.
Oleg knows many directors in Ukraine. He perfectly knows all the regions, and best places for apartments.
Oleg knows many social workers and prosecutors. He is the great professional and wonderful person.
And the most important is that you will always get the true information and good advices from him!
The adoption with us will be interesting and good process for you.
Our goal is to help you with the dossier, and to send you to Ukraine to the best facilitator who will help you with your adoption process and will be always in touch with you.
All our families think that our facilitator Oleg is their forever friend!
We can tell you many stories about kids, on our website you can see many pictures of orphans and orphanage.

For more details please feel free to contact us any time and we will tell you what is included and how the process will be going on and will be happy to answer any questing and give you all the info.

The facilitator will help you with everything and will have many advices for you for the court date, time at the orphanage. The facilitator will help you with the questions for court and many others.

Come and adopt in Ukraine. Thousands of kids are waiting for loving mom and dad. We always say that the adoption process should not be stressful and hard. The adoption process must be interesting and full of happy moments. Families must feel support and get only the best experience in Ukraine. Ukraine is a nice country with good and interesting traditions. Ukrainians are good, nice and very friendly people. There are many orphans and orphanages. Please come and adopt. You can the family for one of the waiting child. And this child will be the best gift for you!

Good luck and Welcome to Ukraine for your adoption!

With best wishes Adoptive families

p.s. it can be you who changes the life of kids!