The Children

Many of the children in Russian orphanages are placed there by voluntary relinquishment of parental rights due to severe poverty or unemployment. Others are placed in orphanages as a result of termination of parental rights due to abuse or neglect.

Children available for adoption are generally 12 months and older at time of referral. Both boys and girls are available as well as sibling groups. There are more boys than girls waiting for families; therefore, the wait time is generally longer for the referral of a girl. Russia allows the adoption of more than one child at the same time; therefore, families can adopt siblings or unrelated children.

Children who are considered as healthy as possible as well as children with special needs are available for adoption. However, it is important to remember that these “healthy” children have spent the majority of their lives in an orphanage. Many of these children will display physical and mental developmental delays, malnutrition, colds, rashes, bug bites, etc. Medical information can be limited. It is important to remember that diagnoses are made with limited equipment and under a different diagnostic system. For the most part, these children meet average developmental milestones within one year of placement with their adoptive families. Most Russian children are Caucasian; however, occasionally a child of Asian heritage is available for adoption.

Children must be listed on the Federal Databank for nine months which allows birth family members or unrelated Russian citizens the opportunity to adopt the child. To be legally free for international adoption, the child must be released from the Federal Databank before an international adoption can proceed.