Looking Forward to a New Year
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We are looking forward to growth in Ukraine adoptions for 2009. There were many changes, new requirements and quotas imposed in 2008 which made it a more challenging year. Four families came home last year for a total of five children. One was an older child with physical needs who had waited so long to join his family. Two other children were 4 and 6 years old and the fourth family adopted a sibling group who were 2 and 6 years old. We are thankful for the new opportunities given these children with a home and parents to love and care for them.
In the first month of 2009 two older and/or special needs children came home with their families. One family is currently in Ukraine and another leaves the end of February. A third family's dossier has been submitted and they are waiting for an appointment date. Four additional families are working on their home study/dossier preparation and will hopefully travel in this year.
At this time Ukraine is not enforcing a quota system either for countries or age of children. We will continue to register dossiers as they come to us. There are three steps in the system of the SDA (State Department for Adoption). The first step is the registration of the dossier, the second is the submission of the dossier and the third is the scheduling of an appointment date for the family. On Mondays, dossiers are accepted for children up to the age of 6 years, on Tuesday and Wednesday, dossiers are accepted for children age 6-12 years and on Thursday for children over the age of 12 years. Recently it was reported that only 40 dossiers had been submitted for 2009. The lower number is likely due to all the new requirements for the dossier documents.
There are many children who wait for families in Ukraine. The children who wait are often part of a larger sibling group or have special needs. The sibling groups will have older children but could also include a child in the 3-4 year age range. The question was asked about children with Down Syndrome and the response was there are many in need of homes, even young children. There are not many young girls or children 3 years and under available for intercountry adoption.
Adopting from Ukraine is a good opportunity for those families who can be flexible regarding the age and gender of the child to be adopted or who can be open to older sibling groups or those children who face extra challanges in life.
Bookmark :
We are looking forward to growth in Ukraine adoptions for 2009. There were many changes, new requirements and quotas imposed in 2008 which made it a more challenging year. Four families came home last year for a total of five children. One was an older child with physical needs who had waited so long to join his family. Two other children were 4 and 6 years old and the fourth family adopted a sibling group who were 2 and 6 years old. We are thankful for the new opportunities given these children with a home and parents to love and care for them.
In the first month of 2009 two older and/or special needs children came home with their families. One family is currently in Ukraine and another leaves the end of February. A third family's dossier has been submitted and they are waiting for an appointment date. Four additional families are working on their home study/dossier preparation and will hopefully travel in this year.
At this time Ukraine is not enforcing a quota system either for countries or age of children. We will continue to register dossiers as they come to us. There are three steps in the system of the SDA (State Department for Adoption). The first step is the registration of the dossier, the second is the submission of the dossier and the third is the scheduling of an appointment date for the family. On Mondays, dossiers are accepted for children up to the age of 6 years, on Tuesday and Wednesday, dossiers are accepted for children age 6-12 years and on Thursday for children over the age of 12 years. Recently it was reported that only 40 dossiers had been submitted for 2009. The lower number is likely due to all the new requirements for the dossier documents.
There are many children who wait for families in Ukraine. The children who wait are often part of a larger sibling group or have special needs. The sibling groups will have older children but could also include a child in the 3-4 year age range. The question was asked about children with Down Syndrome and the response was there are many in need of homes, even young children. There are not many young girls or children 3 years and under available for intercountry adoption.
Adopting from Ukraine is a good opportunity for those families who can be flexible regarding the age and gender of the child to be adopted or who can be open to older sibling groups or those children who face extra challanges in life.
