The Russian Program
Adoption Horizons started a program in Russia in August 1995, and later became the first Canadian agency accredited by the Government of the Russian Federation.
Adoption Horizons works with seven different regions in Russia: cities in close proximity to Moscow, in various parts of Siberia, in Central Russia, and the Far Eastern part of Russia.
Children available
Russian legislation requires that all children presented for international adoption must first be registered for one month with the Regional Data Bank and for six months with the Federal Data Bank. Therefore, the youngest child available at the time of referral will be at least nine months old. However, in reality most children available for international adoption are 18 months of age and older.
Both male and female children are available for adoption with boys significantly outnumbering girls. All children reside in state-run orphanages with the ratio of caregivers to children being 1:5. All the children are tested for HIV, syphilis and Hepatitis B prior to placement. Once a child is identified, the adoptive family receives a basic medical summary along with one to three photographs. This information, although brief, is enough for a qualified paediatrician specializing in international adoption to determine the overall medical state of the child.
Immigration requirements
As of December 23, 2007, Canadian citizenship can immediately be granted to children adopted by Canadian citizens outside Canada. In result, there is no longer a need to sponsor adopted children for immigration to Canada. Adopted children will not be subject to admissibility based on medical requirements and will travel on Canadian passports instead of immigrant visas.
A medical examination of the child by a Canadian Designated Medical Practitioner is no longer mandatory. However, Adoption Horizons strongly suggests having the child examined by a DMP before finalizing the adoption. The Agency will take care of the arrangement upon the family’s consent.
Travel requirements
Russian adoption law requires two mandatory trips to complete an adoption. The first trip, which lasts five to seven days, is intended for the parents to meet and establish contact with the child. During this trip, the adoptive parents spend several days visiting the child at the orphanage, collecting all available social and medical information, as well as taking videos and pictures. The purpose of the second trip, which lasts up to 21 days, is to finalize the adoption at the Regional Court and to obtain the child’s entry visa at the Canadian Embassy in Moscow. During this trip, the adoptive parents are encouraged to visit the child twice daily at his/her orphanage while waiting for the court decision to come into effect. The gap between the two trips ranges between two to four months on average.
All international adoptions are processed by the Russian Regional Courts. Both parents must appear in court in the city where the child is residing.
Time frame
The adoption process, including waiting period, varies on a case-by-case basis. Once the Application to Search for a Child is registered with the Regional Department of Education, it may take approximately two to 12 months to receive a proposal. However, each case is unique and length of time may differ depending on the availability, age and gender of the child.
Eligibility criteria
The Russian government accepts applications from couples legally married for a length of two years, as well as single prospective adoptive parents. Applicants must be in good physical and psychological health, with no known history of cancer or mood and other mental disorders.
Adoption Horizons recommends that applicants over 42 years of age apply to adopt older children (24-36 months of age).