Adopting from Russia

More than 1,400 families have adopted in Russia through Children's Hope since 1996.

Children's Hope International received reaccreditation in 2007. This grants us authority to place children for adoption from within the territory of the Russian Federation.

We make it our goal to be well informed and in touch, with a view of giving very personal care to families in preparation, in travel and in successfully finalizing their Russian adoption. We have worked and traveled widely in Russia establishing relationships and working out all the adoption details with officials in the central and regional governments as well as with orphanage directors.

We have a Russian adoption office with a National Coordinator and Travel Coordinator and staff in Moscow with full-time representatives in different regions throughout Russia. Children's Hope gives special attention to Russian adoption and we recommend you contact CHI families regarding their experience.

How to Begin Russian Adoption

Send in your application. Download, print and either fax or mail to CHI.
A Full Russian Adoption Guide on Adopting in Russia will be sent to you.
Your personal Russia Adoption Consultant will be assigned from the home office in St. Louis or a regional office near you.
Your Home Study will be scheduled either from our main office or coordinated by one of our regional offices. We assist families in all 50 states.
Apply to Citizenship and Immigration Services (CIS).
Collect the necessary papers using the directions given in your Russia Adoption Guide and from your Children's Hope consultant.
Get the papers documented, notarized and apostilled.
Send the documented papers (dossier) to our main office.

What Happens Then?

Children's Hope will look over your dossier to make sure everything is correct. We add several documents to each dossier from our office that are required by the Russian government and then send your Dossier to our office in Russia.
Our representative will register your dossier with the Regional Ministry of Education who will begin the process of identifying a child as closely as possible according to your request as to age and gender that was presented on your Petition to Adopt.
When a child is identified, the family will be invited for their first travel to meet the child and receive all information about the child which has been chosen for them. It is no longer possible to send information about the child, including pictures, video and medicals to the family prior to their first trip. After accepting the child, you will return to the United States to wait for your return to Russia for a Court Hearing which will finalize the adoption.
A Court Date will be set and you will travel to Russia to get your child. All arrangements can be made by CHI for your convenience.
You will be met in Russia by your CHI representative who will guide you through the finalization of the adoption process in the region.
You will fly to Moscow to be met by our Moscow representative who will assist you in getting a medical exam of your child and going through the immigration interview in the American Embassy.
You will fly home! CHI will be here to serve you as long as you need us.
We will continue to work with you through the post-placement process. Russia requires 4 Post Placement visits. (6 months after court, 1 year after, 2 years after and 3 years after)