Age question

As far as I can tell (someone will correct me if I am wrong), children are not able to be adopted by anyone in Ukraine for the first 2 months and then have to be registered on the databank at NAC for 12 months before being eligible for international adoption. So, the absolute youngest child you would get is 14 to 16 months.In my opinion, the advantage of Ukraine is that it is one trip and you come home with your child, there is not the uncertainty of losing your child between trips 1 and 2 in Russia or the risk that things change in the country and you get held up between trips. The disadvantage is an older child (if yuo want as young as possible), plus having no idea about the availability of children on the day you go to NAC.We were originally going to go to Russia, but after the slow down last year and increase in databank time, we decided to go back to Ukraine. I don't think I could stand the wait between the two trips and I am just hoping there will be a younger child available on our NAC visiting date. We also have a son adopted from Ukraine in 2001, so it will be nice for our children to be from the same Country

Age of children: minimum of 14mo, but seldom younger than 16mo. These are children relinquished at birth. The child is available within their city to Ukrainians only for 1 month, then within their oblast (state) to Ukrainians only for 1 month, then nationally at the NAC for 12 months. Since it usually takes a month or 2 for a child to initially be registered in their city the youngest children are usually not available before 16mo, once in a while younger, but seldom.For those children whose parental rights are terminated, there may be as long as 2-3 years before the parental rights are terminated and then the 14mo registration period begins. So, say the child is 6mo when removed from parental care...takes 18 months to terminate parental rights...then another 14mo to be eligible for international adoption...that child would be 38mo when available for IA.Another situation is when the children are voluntarily placed in the orphanage due to family circumstances and the family continues to visit the child sometimes for years before relinquishing rights. In this situation the child may have been in the orphanage for several years before being put on the registry to begin the 14 month registration period.Don't plan on a one-trip adoption in Ukraine. Waiving of the 30-day appeal period is dependent on the judge. Some oblasts never waive the 30 days, others usually waive it, and others are a coin toss. From recent adoptions, it appears to currently be waived about 60-70% of the time, so plan on it NOT being waived and be pleasantly surprised if it is. The average trip length if 30 days waived and first referral accepted is about 3-4 weeks. If 30 days not waived or you don't accept the first referral the trip quickly becomes either 6wks+ or 2 trips. And in the greater scheme of things, what is 6 weeks when compared to the rest of your child's life?Blessings,Hannah