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Adopting from Ukraine

The official flag
Source: cia.gov.

Map
Source: cia.gov.

Map
Source: cia.gov.

The official coat of arms
Source: Wikipedia.org.

St. Sophia Cathedral, Kiev
Source: Wikipedia.org.

St. Michael's Golden-Domed Cathedral in Kiev
Source: Wikipedia.org.

Kamianets-Podilskyi Castle at night
Source: Wikipedia.org.

Kindergarden children
Source: flickr.com.

The Golden Gate in Kyiv
Source: Wikipedia.org.

The Annunciation Cathedral is one of the tallest Orthodox churches in the world.
Source: Wikipedia.org.

Image of Chernobyl nuclear power plant, including Geiger counter reading of present radioactive level showing 0.763 milliroentgens per hour
Source: Wikipedia.org.

Girl wearing traditional Ukrainian dress.
Source: flickr.com.


Notice: As of July 14, 2014, all individuals and agencies facilitating international adoptions must be in compliance with the Intercountry Universal Accreditation Act.

The information contained on this website is for educational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional legal advice. Always seek the advice of a licensed and qualified professional. While the content of this website is frequently updated, information changes rapidly and therefore, some information may be out of date, and/or contain inaccuracies, omissions or typographical errors.


About Ukraine

Ukraine was the center of the first eastern Slavic state, Kyivan Rus, which during the 10th and 11th centuries was the largest and most powerful state in Europe. Weakened by internecine quarrels and Mongol invasions, Kyivan Rus was incorporated into the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and eventually into the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. To learn more please read About Ukraine (The Country).

To learn in depth facts about Ukraine please read the Ukraine Travel Fact Sheet.

National Anthem

National Anthem of Ukraine Lyrics by Paul Chubynskyi Music by Mikhail Verbytskyi UKRAINIAN LYRICS

Shche ne vmerla Ukraini, ny slava, ny volja, Shche nam, brattja - ukraincy, usmyzhnetjsja dolja, Zginutj nashi voryzhenjki, jak rosa na soncy, Zazhivemo y mi, brattja, u svoij storoncy.

CHORUS: Dushu j tylo mi polozhim za nashu svobodu Y pokazhem, shcho mi, brattja, kozacjkogo rodu. Dushu j tylo mi polozhim za nashu svobodu Y pokazhem, shcho mi, brattja, kozacjkogo rodu.

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UKRAINIAN LYRICS (Cyrillic script)

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ENGLISH TRANSLATION

Ukraine's glory hasn't perished, nor her freedom Upon us, fellow compatriots, fate shall smile once more. Our enemies will vanish, like dew in the morning sun, And we too shall rule, brothers, in a free land of our own.


CHORUS We'll lay down our souls and bodies to attain our freedom, And we'll show that we, brothers, are of the Kozak nation. We'll lay down our souls and bodies to attain our freedom, And we'll show that we, brothers, are of the Kozak nation. Credits: National Anthems Reference Page

Ukraine Adoption Alert

There have been multiple adoption alerts for Ukraine. To learn about these please read the Ukraine Adoption Alert page.


Hague Convention Information

Ukraine is not party to the Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption ( Hague Adoption Convention ). Therefore, when the Hague Adoption Convention entered into force for the United States on April 1, 2008, intercountry adoption processing for Ukraine did not change.


According to a resolution that came into effect on December 1, 2008, the Ukrainian Adoption Authority, the SDAPRC, will now have the right to refuse to register your dossier if, at the time of the dossier's submission to the SDAPRC, the central database of Ukrainian children available for intercountry adoptions will not contain any children complying with the recommendation in your home study. Given the statistics published by the SDAPRC and available on the website of the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv at: http://kyiv.usembassy.gov/amcit_adoptions_notice_0119_eng.html, there are currently no healthy children (or children with minor, correctable health problems) under three and very few under six years old. Therefore, if you are recommended for a healthy child or a child with minor/correctable health problems under six years of age, the SDAPRC is very likely to refuse even to accept and register your dossier.

Who Can Adopt

To bring an adopted child to the United States from Ukraine, you must be found eligible to adopt by the U.S. government. The U.S. government agency responsible for making this determination is the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). To learn more please read about Who Can Adopt from Ukraine.


Who Can Be Adopted

Ukraine has specific requirements that a child must meet in order to be eligible for adoption. You cannot adopt a child in Ukraine unless he or she meets these requirements, and is listed on the database of adoptable children available for intercountry adoptions maintained by the central adoption authority in Ukraine, the SDAPRC,


In addition to these requirements, a child must meet the definition of an orphan under U.S. law for you to bring him or her home back to the United States. Learn more about these U.S. requirements.

How to Adopt

Adoption Authority

Ukraine's Adoption Authority

State Department for Adoptions and Protection of Rights of the Child (SDAPRC)

The Process

The process for adopting a child from Ukraine generally includes the following steps:


  1. Choose an Adoption Service Provider
  2. Apply to be Found Eligible to Adopt
  3. Be Matched with a Child
  4. Adopt the Child in COUNTRY
  5. Apply for the Child to be Found Eligible for Adoption
  6. Bringing Your Child Home

To learn more please read about How to Adopt from Ukraine.


Traveling Abroad

Applying for Your U.S. Passport

A valid U.S. passport is required to enter and leave Ukraine. Only the U.S. Department of State has the authority to grant, issue, or verify U.S. passports. Getting or renewing a passport is easy. To learn more please read about Traveling Abroad in Ukraine.


After Adoption

What resources are available to assist families after the adoption?

Many adoptive parents find it important to find support after the adoption. Take advantage of all the resources available to your family -- whether it's another adoptive family, a support group, an advocacy organization, or your religious or community services.


Here are some good places to start your support group search:


Child Welfare Information Gateway

North American Council on Adoptable Children

Adoption Services Support Group for Adopting Persons


Contact Information

U.S. Embassy in Ukraine

U.S. Embassy 6 Pymonenko Street Kyiv, Ukraine Tel: 380-44-490-4422 Fax: 380-44-490-4040 Email: kyivadoptions@state.gov Internet: U.S. Embassy Ukraine


Ukraine's Adoption Authority

State Department for Adoptions and Protection of Rights of the Child (SDAPRC) 14 Desyatynna Street Kyiv, Ukraine 01025 Tel: (380)(44) 278-4045 Fax: (380)(44) 278-4045


Embassy of Ukraine

Embassy of Ukraine 3350 M Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20007 Tel: 202 333 0606 Fax: 202 333 0817 Internet: Embassy of Ukraine


Ukraine also has consulates general in Chicago ( www.ukrchicago.com), New York ( www.ukrconsul.org) and San Francisco ( www.UkraineSF.com).


Office of Children's Issues

U.S. Department of State CA/OCS/CI SA-17, 9th Floor Washington, DC 20522-1709 Tel: 1-888-407-4747 E-mail: AskCI@state.gov Internet: U.S. Department of State


U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)

For questions about immigration procedures, call the National Customer Service Center (NCSC)

1-800-375-5283 (TTY 1-800-767-1833)

SOURCE

Intercountry Adoption, Bureau of Consular Affairs. U.S. Department of State Country Information adoption.state.gov/country_information/country_specific_info.php?country-select=ukraine