Kazakhstan Adoptions

Located northwest of China and south of Russia, Kazakhstan borders the Caspian and Aral seas. Famed in ancient times for the Zhezkazgan and Sayak copper mines, these very same copper mines are still actively worked today. The Grand Silk Route, which served as a reliable link joining the West and the East, ran through many ancient Kazakh cities. In addition to bringing silk to the world, the Grand Silk Route also brought dancing, painting, architecture, music, and a number of religions to the peoples of the world. Following the breakup of the former Soviet Union, the Independent Republic of Kazakhstan was founded in 1991.

Children who end up in the orphanages of Kazakhstan are typically abandoned at the hospital at birth. This means that some (albeit minimal) birthparent history may be available, along with some of the child's medical history. These children are usually abandoned due to extreme poverty - because the birthfamily is unable to provide for them.

What's Involved in Adopting a Child From Kazakhstan?

Once you have compiled your dossier, your adoption agency will assist you with filing it with the Kazakhstan Ministry of Foreign Affairs. After a tortuous round of processing, your dossier will eventually reach the Guardianship Body in the town you wish to adopt from (i.e., the town housing the orphanage that your agency works with). Once your dossier is cleared one last time and you pass a final security check, the Guardianship Body will invite you to travel to Kazakhstan.

As with Ukraine, there is no such thing as a "referral" in Kazakhstan. Even though you may wish to adopt a particular child, the Government of Kazakhstan does not match a child to the parents or in anyway refer a child to adoptive parents until the parents arrive in Kazakhstan, select a child in person, and apply to the court to adopt the child.

The Kazakhstan government requires a two-week visitation period for adoptive families prior to the court date finalizing the adoption. During this time, the family and child spend lots of one-on-one time together, getting to know each other and establishing a lifelong bond. This visitation period can not be waived.

The adoption process in Kazakhstan requires an average stay of 15 to 35 days in Kazakhstan for the adoptive parents. Typically, this time is spent identifying the child, visiting the child for a minimum of 14 days, petitioning the court for adoption, waiting for a court hearing, waiting for the adoption to become final (often 15 days after the court hearing), and completing post-adoption paperwork (new birth certificate, Kazakhstani passport, and Kazakhstani exit visa) at various government offices. Kazakhstani law requires that prospective parents be present in Kazakhstan until the adoption is complete. Some judges, however, routinely waive the 15-day post hearing period, so the total time spent in Kazakhstan can be as little as 15 to18 days.

The Government of Kazakhstan requires that Kazakhstani children adopted by foreigners be registered with the Kazakhstani Embassy in their new country of residence as soon as possible. Your adoption agency should have detailed information about the post-adoption registration process, and an agreement to register the child after adoption is usually a component of the Kazakhstani adoption process. The Government of Kazakhstan has repeatedly stated that the post-adoption registration of children is integrally related to the future of international adoptions in Kazakhstan.

• Children Available: Healthy infants, toddlers, and school age children (both girls and boys) are available for adoption. Special needs children are also available. The children in Kazakhstan represent a variety of ethnicities including Asian, Eurasian, and Caucasian.
• Parent Requirements: Kazakhstan has no restrictions on the age or marital status of adoptive parents. However, single parents must be at least 16 years older than the child being adopted.
• Travel Requirements: Both parents must travel to identify a child, for the mandatory 14 day visitation, and for the court date. One parent may return home afterward, with the other parent remaining in Kazakhstan until the adoption is completed.
• Time Frame: Infant referral usually takes two to eight months after your dossier and paperwork are completed. Referrals of older children happen more quickly.
• Number of Children Adopted by Americans in 2002: 819
• Additional Information: Childless couples must be open to a child of either gender. The children available for adoption from Kazakhstan live in orphanages. Post placement reports and supervision are required for three years.

Credits: Excerpted from "International Adoption Guidebook," by Mary Strickert