All orphaned children in Russia must be listed in the Federal Data Bank for six months. This allows birth-family members or unrelated Russian citizens the chance to adopt the child. To be legally free for international adoption, the child must be released from the Federal Data Bank before your adoption can proceed.

Russian adoption law requires two trips to Russia.

On the first trip, you meet the child, and spend time at the orphanage with each other. You will receive an abstract of medical information concerning your child and then return home.

Once back in the United States, a family makes their final decision to accept the child. If a family accepts, the second trip to Russia is scheduled usually a few weeks later. On this second trip to Russia, the family completes an in-country adoption, obtains a passport with the child’s American name, and this time, you bring your child home—forever.