US Department of State 

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS FOR ADOPTIVE PARENTS:  Officially, Kazakhstan allows both single and married people to adopt, and there are no age requirements other than that an unmarried prospective adoptive parent must be at least 16 years older than the child s/he intends to adopt.  In practice, however, some unmarried prospective adoptive parents have found it difficult to adopt, as have prospective parents over age 60.

Prospective adoptive parents who have any type of arrest record, regardless of how minor or how long ago an offense occurred, should consult with an adoption professional before deciding to adopt from Kazakhstan.  In several cases adoptive parents have faced lengthy and costly delays in finalizing their adoptions in Kazakhstani courts because of decades-old arrest records.  An approved home study citing the arrest does not guarantee a favorable court decision.

RESIDENCE REQUIREMENTS:  Prospective adoptive parents must reside with the child for a minimum of 14 days at the child’s habitual place of residence in Kazakhstan prior to the adoption (“the Bonding Period”).  This pre-adoption bonding period cannot be waived.  Kazakhstani law also provides for a 15-day waiting period (“the Appeal Period”) after the court hearing, before the adoption becomes final.  A judge can waive this period at his or her discretion but this is a rare occurrence.  The court decision, adoption certificate, post-adoption birth certificate and child’s Kazakhstani passport cannot be obtained until the judge finalizes the adoption.

TIME FRAME:  Prospective adoptive parents should expect to stay in Kazakhstan a minimum of 60 days (sometimes longer) to complete Kazakhstani adoption requirements.  This period includes those listed under the “Residence Requirements” section above as well as the completion of all post-adoption and U.S. immigration paperwork.

ADOPTION AGENCIES AND ATTORNEYS: Kazakhstani law does not recognize the role of adoption agencies or assume that an intermediary represents adoptive parents.  However, the regulations allow foreign adoptive parents to have assistants, such as interpreters or lawyers, to help them through the process.  The result is that adoptive parents may work with any agency or individual they choose, but should be aware that there is no formal registration or oversight process for adoption intermediaries working in Kazakhstan.

Prospective adoptive parents are advised to fully research any adoption agency or facilitator they plan to use for adoption services.  For U.S.-based agencies, it is suggested that prospective adoptive parents contact the Better Business Bureau and/or the licensing office of the appropriate state government agency in the U.S. state where the agency is located or licensed.

Please also see the Important Notice Regarding Adoption Agents and Facilitators on the Bureau of Consular Affairs web site at www.travel.state.gov.

ADOPTION FEES IN KAZAKHSTAN:  U.S. citizen parents who have completed adoptions in Kazakhstan report that the total cost, including fees for services charged by U.S.-based agencies, averages approximately $18,000 to $25,000 per child. The amount includes the following official fees: application to court $4; new birth certificate $17; adoption certificate $17; exit stamp from Migration Police of Kazakhstan $8; registration of the child with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan $84. Expedited passport issuance is optional but available for $80. Regular passport issuance takes one month.

Post from: Blisstree

Country Requirements: Kazakhstan

From the US Department of State

The China Center for Adoption Affairs (CCAA) has issued the following new regulations for foreigners who wish to adopt children in China. These regulations become effective for all application received after May 1, 2007.

Adoption is limited to married couples, made up of a man and a woman, who fit the following criteria:

1. They must have been married at least two years. If either person has previously divorced, the couple must have been married at least five years. No more than two divorces are allowed.
2. Both partners must be between the ages of 30 and 50. Those couples who apply to adopt a special needs child must be between the ages of 30 and 55.
3. Both partners must be physically and mentally fit, with none of the following conditions:a. AIDS;
   b. Mental disability;
   c. Infectious disease that is actively contagious;
   d. Blind in either eye;
   e. Hearing loss in both ears or loss of language function (those adopting children with hearing or language function loss are exempted from this requirement);
   f. Non-function or dysfunction of limbs or trunk caused by impairment, incomplete limbs, paralysis or deformation;
   g. Severe facial deformation;
   h. Severe diseases that require long-term treatment and that may affect life expectancy, including malignant tumors, lupus, nephrosis, epilepsy, etc;
   i. Major organ transplant within ten years;
   j. Schizophrenia;
   k. Severe mental disorders requiring medication for more than two years, including depression, mania, or anxiety neurosis;
   l. Body Mass Index (BMI) of 40 or more
4. At least one member of the couple must have stable employment. The total value of family assets must be at least $80,000. The family’s annual income equals at least $10,000 for each family member in the household (including the child to be adopted). Annual income excludes welfare, pensions, unemployment insurance, government subsidies and the like.
5. Both prospective parents must be high school graduates or have vocational training equivalent to a high school education.
6. The family must have fewer than five children under the age of 18, and the youngest is at least one year old (those adopting special needs children are exempted from this requirement).
7. Neither partner may have a significant criminal record, and both must have a history of honorable behavior and good moral character with no evidence of:
   a. Domestic violence, sexual abuse, abandonment or abuse of children;
   b. Use of narcotics or any potentially addictive medication prescribed for mental illness;
   c. Alcohol abuse, unless the individual can show she/he has been sober for at least ten years.Note: Applications from persons with past criminal records will be considered on a case-by-case basis if the individual has fewer than three minor criminal convictions (none in the last ten years) and fewer than five minor traffic violations.
8. The prospective parents must demonstrate the ability to provide a warm family environment capable of meeting the needs of an orphaned child and providing for her/his development, and an understanding of the special risks (including potential diseases, developmental delays, and post-placement maladjustment) that could come with inter-country adoption.
9. The couple must provide an adoption application letter that makes clear the applicants’ willingness to allow post-placement follow-ups and provide post-placement reports as required.Note: In each instance above where a specific age or time span is cited, it will be computed from the time that the CCAA officially logs the adoption application documents.

Post from: Blisstree

Country Requirements: China

1. Do treat your child like any other kid-  It may be difficult for adopted children to feel like they belong in their new familes but treating them like they are special, or different, because they are adopted can make it even worse. Don’t spoil them because you feel they missed out on things in their previous home/homes but offer them structure, stability, and comfort. Isn’t that how children thrive?

On the flipside, I learned from Dr. Federici that children need to be parented how they need to be parented, not how the norms says so.

2. Support them when strangers ask questions -  Sometimes strangers, or even friends and family can ask insensitive questions (like did the birth mother drink or where are the birth siblings?) and you and your child need to know how to answer those tough questions. Either tell the questioner that it is simply not an appropriate question by saying just that or gently steer them on to another topic. In these cases I have found that people just don’t know what is appropriate or not.

3. Do respect your child’s privacy- Adopted children may have difficult backgrounds and their life stories may not be something they want aired. I have always been careful not to share the intimate details of my son’s birth parents and family, as well as his intimate orphanage life. I have given some details of what we think may have happened but none of it we know for sure. Many children do not want their histories discussed and their privacy should be respected.

4.  Treat prospective parents the same as expectant parents- This was very hard for me, as an adoptive parent to handle. My husband and I were expecting a child for 9 months, the same as everyone else…but very few people took notice, even our own families. For many parents the rituals and traditions, such as baby showers, coming home outfits, baptisms, etc. are just as important but very much overlooked. My own mother did not plan a shower until I actually indicated that I wanted one.

5. Do acknowledge and celebrate the differences- celebrate the differences in culture or ethnicity, or even birth-country.

Don’ts 

1. Don’t introduce your child as adopted- your child is yours…you adopted them once and they are part of your family.

2. Don’t say how lucky your child is- I wrote about this earlier today. I did not save my child. I welcomed him into my family.

3 Don’t assume adoption is second choice- For us, adoption was second choice. We wanted a biological family. We tried to have one and could not. Does that mean my son is second choice? Never. However, some people believe adoption is the best choice for them for many reasons. Perhaps they were adopted or they feel a calling. Don’t assume they parent is infertile.

3. Don’t jump to conclusions about the birth mother- Birth mothers come from a variety of situations. Some are middle class women educated enough to know they can’t care for their children and moral enough to not want an abortion. Some are in trouble with drugs and alcohol. Some are in trouble financially. Some are young unwed mothers. But, don’t assume they are all irresponsible and worthless women. They are not.

They love their children and they grieve their children.

4. Don’t tell me I can have my own now. My child is my own. Some people will tell you that they knew so and so who adopted and then got pregnant. Well, it doesn’t happen that way (only about 3-10 percent of adoptive couples have biological children after adopting). Do I sometimes yearn to carry a child of my own? Yes. But it won’t happen and that is okay.

Post from: Blisstree

Adoption Do’s and Don’ts