Kazakhstan Adoption Program

Overview

You can adopt babies from Kazakhstan, and the process can be very short — especially for a child over one year old.

You will travel to visit your child in the country, at which time you can take pictures and videos to bring home with you. Your child can also have a medical examination while you are in the country.

The paperwork process is relatively simple and Carolina Hope handles most of it. We will also assist you with your travel arrangements and assist you in applying for your visa.

If you would like print materials about any of Carolina Hope’s Kazakhstan adoption program (or any of our other programs), you can send us a request using our online form.

What children are available for adoption?

Kazakhstani children in need of families are in that situation for many of the same reasons children around the world need to be adopted: birthparent relinquishment, termination of parental rights, and abandonment.

Most Kazakhstani children in need of adoption are over the age of one. A newborn released for adoption will remain in a maternity hospital for the first 3 months of his life. After that, he must go through the process below, which applies to all Kazakhstani orphans. At the time of adoption, infants are at least 9 months old, usually older.

The children are from a variety of ethnic backgrounds. While most are Kazakh, the population of orphaned children reflects the diverse ethnicity of the country itself. Children placed for adoption may be Eurasian, Asian, or Caucasian. Children are generally in better health than is the case in many countries. Incidence of in-utero alcohol exposure is lower than in Russia, and there is a good caretaker-to-child ratio in many orphanages. Nevertheless, as is the case in all adoptions, there are medical risks that cannot be perfectly controlled for or anticipated.

It is not common for siblings to be adopted together.

The possibility of developmental delays because of time in the orphanages is strong. In fact, a family is not permitted to request a “healthy child,” because the Kazakhstan adoption authorities do not classify any of the children being placed for international adoption as “healthy.” In addition, institutionalized children who are in the best health are adopted by local families, whose requests are given first priority. Waiting lists are long for local families wishing to adopt healthy children.

How long does the process take?

Once you begin the adoption process, it can take as long as 3 or 4 months to have a home study and be approved by CIS (although it may take as little as 2 months). When you have your approval and your dossier is complete, you can have an assignment in as little as 2 months (often longer) and then spend another 2 months traveling to Kazakhstan. Plan on the entire process taking at least 9 months, and more likely a year.
Who is eligible to adopt from Kazakhstan?

Married couples and heterosexual single woman are permitted to adopt from Kazakhstan. Prospective adoptive parents must be no older than 47 years at the time of application to Carolina Hope’s program. There must be no more than 45 years between the age of the youngest adoptive parent and the child being adopted. Typically, no criminal history at all is permitted.

No more than two divorces are permitted for either adoptive parent. Both parents must be in good health, and only families who own their own home may adopt from Kazakhstan. Renters (whether house or apartment) will not be approved by Kazakhstan.

The financial requirement is approximately as follows (please contact Carolina Hope about your situation if one of these categories – assets or salary – is significantly higher than required but the other is lower):

• Minimum salary of $10,000 per family member, including child to be adopted (minimum of $40,000 in cases of childless family)

How is a child assigned to prospective adoptive parents?

After all of a family’s paperwork has been submitted, it is typically required that families travel to Kazakhstan to identify the child they will adopt. In this way, the family can meet and interact with the child they will adopt.

A family who chooses to identify their child in Kazakhstan will often be approved to travel within 2 months of submitting their dossier paperwork (including their CIS I-171H approval).

Carolina Hope strongly discourages families from stating a gender, ethnicity, or regional preferences. Prospective adoptive families must be prepared to accept a child from any region of the country. At present, families are still permitted to make one statement of preference (gender, region, or ethnicity); however, such a request can significantly delay the adoption process.

What are the travel requirements?

There are three travel options:

1. Single (long) Trip: Both parents (if a couple) must travel together to meet the child and be present for the court hearing. After the hearing, one parent can return home (after about 2.5 to 3 weeks in the country). You can take custody of your child 15 days after the court hearing (or immediately, in the rare case of a judge’s waiving the 15-day waiting period). If a parent chooses to stay the whole time, the trip will last up to 8 weeks for him or her.
2. Two Trips: Both parents travel together to meet the child and attend the court hearing. They may then leave the country, and only one is required to return to take custody and bring the child home. Typically the second trip is planned for 4 weeks (or more) after returning from the first trip.
3. Escort: Same as two trips (above), except that an escort rather than one of the parents returns to Kazakhstan to take the child to the United States. Again, there’s typically a wait of 4 or more weeks after the family returns home until the escort travels to take the child to the United States. (The escort is chosen while the parents are on the first trip. The person escorting the child may be one of the nannies or someone in the travel team from Kazakhstan.)

Are there any post-adoption requirements?

A post-placement report must be submitted to Kazakhstan by Carolina Hope every year (2 reports the first year) until your adopted child is 18 years old. Once your child has turned 18, no more reports must be submitted. The first 4 reports must be prepared by a social worker, and the remainder can be prepared by the family. Be aware that Kazakhstan or the agency can change this requirement. Please talk to Carolina Hope if you would like more information.

What are the fees for the Kazakhstan adoption program?

Total adoption costs (fees and expenses) will be between $35,000 and $43,000.
Are the children pictured on this page available for adoption?

Carolina Hope’s informational materials use photographs obtained from professional photographers and adoptive families. Apart from children pictured on a photolisting page, no children whose photos appear on this website are available for adoption.

Can I get more information?

If you would like print materials about any of Carolina Hope’s adoption programs, you can send us a request using our online form. We would also be happy for you to call or email with questions. (Our phone number and email address are available at our Contact page.)