The Russian Program is structured in accordance with the applicable provisions of the Russian Federation Family Code and the new Adoption legislation enacted in the years 2000 to present. At this time, CWAA has programs in the city of Moscow and the city of Saint Petersburg.

Availability of Children for International Adoption includes the following:

1. Children living in state institutions whose parent(s) are deceased, unknown or whose parents renounced or were deprived of their parental rights by the courts.

2. Children who are in the national Russian Federation Data Bank for children without parental care for at least six months.

3. Children not adopted by Russian citizens.

The age of the available children is 10 months and up. The adoption policies of the local administrative authorities in each city and the Court practice in relation to the adoptive parent(s)'; age will determine the minimum age of the child proposed for adoption. Therefore, the Agency, in consultation with its local Russian staff, will advise and recommend which program is the most suitable for each client.

Adoption Procedure: Once the prospective adoptive parent(s) signs with the Agency, an agreement regarding the services and costs is concluded. The Agency, with the assistance of the family, will then: obtain the US DHS Citizenship and Immigration Services approval for the adoption of a foreign orphan (I-171H), proceed with the necessary state clearances (for residents of the State of New York), and draft, obtain and assemble the necessary documents required by the Russian legislation (the Russian file). These documents are legalized (authenticated and apostilled) and sent to our Russian staff for translation and legalization of the translation. The required documents are then presented, by our Russian staff, to the local Adoption Authority who upon examining and approving the family's application and documentation, will register the information about the applicant(s) with the Russian Federation Data Bank. After taking into consideration the applicant(s)' requests (age, sex, and other characteristics), a child will be proposed to the applicants.

The Agency will advise the applicant(s) about their options: visiting the child, requesting supplementary information and clarification, ordering a hands-on independent medical examination, consulting with American medical specialists, etc. The Agency will prepare the client(s) for travel to the Russian Federation . After seeing the child and consenting, in writing, to adopt the child, the Local Authority will ask for a confirmation from the Operator of the Russian Federation Data Bank that the respective child was in its evidence for the required six months and therefore qualifies for international adoption. Once a positive answer is received, the Agency's Russian staff will file, with the Court, the applicant(s)' and the child's required documents and a Court Date will be set. The participation of the applicant(s) in the closed Court Hearing is mandatory. The Court Decision becomes final, within 10 days after its rendering, provided an appeal is not filed with the Appellate Court by an interested party. Next, the Agency's staff will register the Court Decision and obtain the child's adoption documents. In addition, obtaining the adopted child's passport and participating in the Visa Interview at the American Embassy in Moscow for the adopted child will take place in the presence of at least one of the adopting parents. Before leaving Moscow, the Agency's staff will register the adopted child with the Consular Section of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs or this can be done upon arrival in the US.

Upon entry into the United States, the adopted child automatically becomes an American Citizen. The adoption is final and recognized by the United States. However, the adoptive parent(s), as well as the Agency, continue to have a contractual obligation to send post placement reports reflecting the progress achieved by the child on the health and educational development in his/her new family and also family photographs as follows: 6 months, 1 year, 2 years and 3 years from the date of the Court Decision.

This is only a short overview of the adoption procedure. There are many details (which differ slightly depending on the program) in connection with the type of documents, their validity, medical procedures, specific preparation for the adoption activities in Russia, number of trips (options), visas, hotel accommodations, airfare, costs, customs, cultural differences, and other important material and procedural issues which will be further discussed and clarified with interested couples and singles.

©2001 - 2009 Children of the World Adoption Agency Inc., All Rights Reserved.
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