How much does it cost to adopt a child in oklahoma

Oklahoma Foster Care and Adoption – AdoptUSKids

Thank you for considering becoming a foster and adoptive parent. Your desire to share your love and your life with a child will create permanency for children that will last a lifetime.

Also see information about becoming a foster parent or therapeutic foster care provider at the Oklahoma Fosters website.

State contact information

Contact the Oklahoma Department of Human Services for more information regarding foster care and adoption in Oklahoma.

Phone: 800-376-9729

Website: Oklahoma Department of Human Services

Licensing requirements for foster or adoption

Basic requirements include:

You must be at least 21 years old.
You must be in reasonably good health.
You can be single, married, divorced or widowed.
You must have or provide sufficient beds and space for personal items for additional children.
You must be able to manage your income to meet the financial needs of your family.
You must be capable of understanding, loving and accepting a child. Your role is to provide protection and nurturance to the child/children placed in your care and to act as a role model.
If you have a spouse or partner, he or she is also required to participate in the home assessment process and to attend the27-hour orientation session with you.

You must complete a home assessment, which includes:

Completion of OKDHS forms and application
Reference checks
Background checks
Medical examination report
Fingerprinting
Family assessment, including interviews with all family members;
Completion of 27-hour resource family orientation
House safety assessment
Verification of income sufficient to meet your needs
Verification of vaccination for pets
Automobile insurance verification

Costs to foster and adopt

It is always free to adopt or foster.

Post-adoption support services

See a comprehensive list of post-adoption and guardianship support services and support groups available to families who live in Oklahoma.

Agency contact and orientation information

In addition to State Department of Human Resources, the following private agencies have programs and services for children in need of a permanent home. They work with many situations, including private adoption and adopting a child from foster care. They welcome you to contact them or view their website for additional information.

Child Study Center
Phone: 405-271-5700
Address: 1100 NE 13th, Oklahoma City, OK 73117

The Children's Center
Phone: 405-440-9866
Address: 6800 NW 39th Expressway, Bethany, OK 73008

National Resource Center for Youth Services
Phone: 800-274-2687
Address: 4502 E 41st Street, Tulsa, OK 74135-2553

JD McCarty Center for Children with Developmental Disabilities
Phone: 405-307-2800 or 800-777-1272
Address: 2002 E Robinson Street, Norman, OK 73071

Oklahoma CASA Association
Phone: 405-524-8999 or 800-742-2272
Address: PO Box 54946, Oklahoma City, OK 73154

Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy
Phone: 405-236-5437
Address: 2915 N. Classen Blvd, Suite 320, Oklahoma City, OK 73118

Oklahoma Family Network (OFN)
Phone: 405-271-5072 or 877-871-5072
Mailing Address: PO Box 21072, Oklahoma City, OK 73156-1072

Private adoption agencies

Adoption Choices of Oklahoma
Phone: 405-794-7500 or 800.898.6028
Text: 405-310-8790
Address: 201 N Broadway, Suite 107, Moore, OK 73160

Crisis Pregnancy Outreach
Phone: 918-296-3377
Address: PO Box 1113 Jenks, OK 74037

Deaconess Adoption Services
Phone: 405-949-4200 or 800-567-6631
Address: 8308 N. May Avenue, Suite 100 Oklahoma City, OK 73120

Dillon International, Inc.
Phone: 918-749-4600
Address: 7335 S. Lewis Avenue, Suite 204 Tulsa, OK 74136

Eastern Oklahoma Youth Services
Phone: 918-420-5325
Address: 2626 S 14th Street, Suite A-20, McAlester, OK 74501

Nightlight Christian Adoptions
Phone: 918-491-6767
7929 E. 50^th, Suite D7, Tulsa, OK 74145

Lilyfield
Phone: 405-216-5240
Address: 501 E 15th Street, #400A, Edmond, OK 73013

Oklahoma Baptist Home for Children
Phone: 405-942-3800
Address: 3800 N. May Avenue Oklahoma City, OK 73112 (corporate office)

Information on Oklahoma's children

The Oklahoma Department of Human Services has 9,000 children in out-of-home care. We are looking for adoptive families for approximately 500 children.

Children come into the care of the state child welfare system due to abuse or neglect. Many are sibling groups and are from all cultural and socio-economic backgrounds. Some, but not all, of the children are already legally free for adoption.

Adoption Frequently Asked Questions

The Oklahoma Department of Human Services (OKDHS) provides foster care and adoption services for children who are in the custody of OKDHS and cannot live in their own homes.

When a child is removed for his or her safety and protection, the State of Oklahoma will assist the child’s family and provide support in an effort to reunify the family. In some cases, despite everyone’s effort this is not a safe plan for children.

While we are working with the family to correct the conditions that led to the child being removed, the child is placed with a “Resource Family.” The resource family is the “BRIDGE” that connects the child and the family while working toward reunification.

The resource family makes a commitment to be the permanent placement for the child and or help that child maintain connections to those important people in their life, if the conditions cannot be corrected for the child to be reunified with the family.

If it is determined that reunification is not in the best interest of the child, the court can terminate parental rights or the family can relinquish their custody of the children. In more than three fourths of the cases where this occurs, Resource Parents eventually adopt the children they have supported through this journey.

The children who are currently waiting to be adopted often have special needs. The plan to reunify the children with the family is no longer the goal due the family’s inability to provide a safe and nurturing environment. The children currently needing adoptive homes range in age from infants to 17 years of age, they are often part of a sibling group needing to be placed together, they are from various ethnic backgrounds, some have special emotional, medical or physical needs and many of them have experienced multiple moves since they have been in care.

If you are an Oklahoma resident and would like to learn more about becoming a Bridge Resource family through OKDHS, you may contact OKDHS Adoption Services by either calling the hotline or complete the on-line inquiry sheet and someone will contact you within 72 hours.

If you live in a state other than Oklahoma and wish to be considered for an Oklahoma child waiting for adoption please contact Andrea Rue at (580) 310-7051.

The process is extensive. You have to attend 27 hours of Pre-Service training and have a home study completed along with fingerprint background checks. If you are identified as a Bridge Resource Parent, have a relationship with the child placed in your home and reunification is no longer the goal, the adoption can take less than 6 months once the termination of parental rights have occurred and all legal matters have been resolved.

If you are a Bridge Resource Parent that has a specific preference for the child you would like to adopt, such as age, sex, no siblings, it could take a longer period of time. Your family will have a greater chance of adopting quicker if you choose a waiting child rather than an infant or the “perfect” child. Your family is recommended along with other families and selected based on your family’s ability to meet the needs of the child waiting for a placement. In these cases your name is submitted with other available families across the state and the child’s worker selects the family they feel will best meet the child's needs.

OKDHS does not charge a fee for families adopting a child in our OKDHS foster care program. Your family will incur the cost of getting medical exams completed. Everyone in the home will need to have a medical exam. This fee depends on your doctor and is paid by you.

No. In fact, most people who adopt waiting children work in everyday jobs. You must be able to adequately feed, clothe and house a child, just as you would if the child were born to you.

No. You can live in your own home, a rented house, an apartment or a trailer home. You must have a safe home with enough space and a bed for a child.

OKDHS is happy to work with families who already have children. Your parenting experience is valuable, and your other children will provide additional family for the adopted child.

No. Many single men and women adopt waiting children

Waiting children have been through a lot of life changing experiences in their short lives. Parents who have had some life changing experiences usually have learned coping skills to help them during those times. Divorce or any other life experience can be a learning experience that makes parents stronger and wiser. Your knowledge and experiences will provide you with valuable skills in helping children transition.

There are many variables when it comes to age. Some people are full of life at 60, while others don't seem to have much energy at age 40. Agencies who place waiting children are interested in your ability to raise a child and be involved in their activities and the likelihood you will live long enough to see your children reach adulthood.

Our agency can help with the expenses of special needs children through Adoption Assistance. OHS cares about the placement of special needs children and can provide monthly adoption subsidies for sibling groups, older children and those with emotional, learning or medical problems. We can also help with the legal costs of finalizing the adoption in court.

Yes, there is some, but there is a reason for it. If you were going to be sent to live with a stranger for the rest of your life, wouldn't you want to be sure they were not going to hurt you, starve you or make you do bad things? Agencies who place the children have a responsibility to protect waiting children from abuse. Because of this responsibility, laws have been passed which require certain paperwork, background checks and questions. But OKDHS wants to help you get through all this painlessly, so they will help you fill out the required forms and will explain everything to you carefully.

OKDHS has established criteria for choosing adoptive families. We look at what is going to be in the best interest of the child and try to find a family that can meet that child’s needs. Those needs can vary in regard to educational, medical, or continued contact with birth family and other important connections in the child’s life. Adoptive parents must be willing to assist and allow the child to develop to his or her full potential, children and adolescents need the love and support of a family for a lifetime, not just during their childhood; and establishing these connections between children and positive influences in their lives creates a support system that will help children realize their dreams.

OKDHS also requires:

A family medical evaluation to ensure parents are physically capable of caring for the child;
Verification of all marriages and divorces;
Family Lifebooks;
Positive recommendations from references; and
Background checks, which includes FBI fingerprint results, Oklahoma State Bureau Investigation check, and OKDHS child welfare check.

As a result of changing federal and state laws regarding permanency for children in foster care, the number of children placed in adoptive homes by OKDHS has steadily increased. The children being placed for adoption are usually older children, those who are physically or mentally challenged, victims of abuse and neglect or sibling groups. As the challenges adoptive parents face in raising these children increases, so does the need for post adoption support services. Parenting issues do not end with the finalization of the adoption. Adoptive families are more successful when they are provided services that are tailored to their unique issues and needs.

OKDHS recognizes the need adoptive families have for support groups, respite care, easy access to medical and mental health care, therapists who are trained specifically to work with adoptive families, training and retreats. OKDHS is working to assist adoptive families with these Post Adoption Support Services.

Yes, you will need an attorney to help finalize your adoption of a child in OKDHS custody. You can choose whichever attorney you would like; however, OKDHS employs experienced attorneys to provide legal representation to our adopting families free of charge. For more information, please visit OKDHS Legal Adoption Program or submit a request to speak to one of our attorneys.

answers » Official site of the urban district of the Arkhangelsk region "Mirny"

QUESTION: Can people who are able to give birth or already have children adopt? If not, is it required to provide a certificate of impossibility to give birth to the guardianship authorities?

Surely they can! There is not a single legal restriction on adoption by people who are able to give birth and / or have children, relatives and / or adopted children, guardians, etc.

It happens, nevertheless, that applicants for adoptive parents are required to provide a certificate of infertility. However, this is completely illegal. In this case, you should demand from the guardianship specialist a regulatory document on the basis of which such a requirement is made. You can demand a written request from the guardianship authorities to the medical institution to obtain such a certificate, but with this request, do not go to the medical institution, but contact a higher authority or the district prosecutor's office to challenge this illegal requirement.

OUR OPINION: It would be terrible if someone came up with the idea to ban people who already have children from adopting. Such adoptive parents are perhaps the most valuable, they also have experience in upbringing, and the environment contributes to a better adaptation of the child, they less often insist on secrecy and more often take older children.

QUESTION: Can a single person adopt a child?

Yes, maybe. The legislation provides for adoption by a married couple, one of the spouses or a single, unmarried adoptive parent. The difference in procedure is minimal: a married couple presents a marriage certificate to the court, a single adoptive parent - a birth certificate.

It should be noted that the guardianship authorities treat single adoptive parents more carefully, carefully study the motives for adoption and the family situation in the candidate's house.

In addition, the Family Code (clause 2, art. 127 of the RF IC) prohibits persons who are not married to each other from jointly adopting the same child.

OUR OPINION: In some countries where there are enough willing to adopt, there are such restrictions and only a married couple can adopt. Such requirements are justified: a single parent faces great difficulties in raising and providing for a child. Incomplete families are at risk, and first you should think very carefully whether you can cope with psychological and financial difficulties, give a full-fledged upbringing to a child, whether your “rear” is strong enough for this and whether the risk is justified.

QUESTION: What are the age limits for adoptive parents and guardians?

Only adult citizens can adopt, there are no upper legal age limits for adoptive parents and guardians. The legislation does not stipulate the minimum age for custody or adoption of children. There is only a restriction on the minimum age difference between a single adoptive parent and a child - it must be at least 16 years old (clause 1, article 128 of the RF IC).

OUR OPINION: In addition to the norms of the law, it is necessary to take into account one's own possibilities for the future, the perception of others, and after a very short time - the opinion of the child. First of all, difficulties arise with the fact that the needs of the child increase with age both in material terms and in terms of active communication. The hardest thing for parents is with teenagers - they need to buy expensive fashionable clothes, spend money on additional classes, etc., be flexible and have a reserve of strength and patience in order to actively participate in the life of a teenager, otherwise his life will fill the street. No matter how much we want to be distracted from our own age, no matter what forces and intentions guide us, we must understand that age matters.

It would be wise for adoptive parents to focus on older children and, for starters, choose such a form of arrangement as guardianship, since it allows both the guardian and the child to receive support from the state (payment for the maintenance of the child, material assistance upon exit from under guardianship, benefits for admission to a university, provision of housing if the child is not already assigned, etc. ).

QUESTION: How much does it cost to adopt a child for Russian citizens?

All adoption procedures are free of charge. Submission of applications, medical examinations of candidates and children, obtaining all certificates - everything is free. No court fee is charged.

However, the costs associated with adoption are unavoidable. It is worth considering the costs of: transportation, if you have to look for a child in another area, and temporary accommodation there; possibly the services of lawyers and hiring a lawyer to participate in court; and, of course, preparing the house for the adoption of a child: the purchase of furniture, clothes, toys, books, etc.

QUESTION: I heard that there is a long waiting list for adoption. Is it so?

No, it is not. Unfortunately, there are many more abandoned children than those who want to adopt them. Whether or not you have to stand in line depends on the requirements you place on your child. Very often, adoptive parents want to adopt an absolutely healthy newborn girl with light eyes and hair. But there are few such children, and there are many who want to take just such a child. Some want to resort to imitation pregnancy, and picking up a newborn baby is even more difficult.

On the other hand, there are a lot of unclaimed children who are slightly older or have minor health problems that leave them without parents. Therefore, one should either prepare for an indefinite waiting period for a suitable child, or yield somewhat in their demands. Moreover, getting into a warm home environment filled with love and care, any child flourishes, and medical problems are compensated.

QUESTION: What housing benefits do adoptive parents receive?

There are no such benefits for adoptive parents. Moreover, the requirements for adoptive parents include the requirement to have a living space sufficient to accommodate a child in compliance with current sanitary standards. Additional living space or a house can only be provided to foster families who, under an agreement with local authorities, take several children to raise. Recently, some regions have adopted laws to support adoptive parents, according to which successful families can be allocated additional housing for adopted children. If the adoption is canceled, this housing remains with the child, and not with the former adoptive parents.

QUESTION: Guardianship authorities, what is this and where?

"Guardianship and guardianship authorities" is the general name of all bodies that ensure the protection of children's rights.

Specialists in the protection of the rights of children of local self-government bodies work directly with adoptive parents, guardians, foster families (clause 2, article 121 of the RF IC). In our city, specialists of the guardianship and guardianship authority are located at: st. Lenina, d. 33, room. No. 207; Reception days: Tuesday: 9.00-13.00; Thursday: 14.30-17.00. Contact phone: 5-04-20.

The duties of the guardianship authorities, among many others, include: identifying children in need of protection, placing them in institutions and families, protecting property rights, checking the situation of children.

When working with adoptive parents, guardians and foster families, specialist:

Keeps records of citizens who have expressed a desire to become adoptive parents / guardians / create a foster family (hereinafter referred to as candidates).
Advise candidates.
Conducts a survey of their living conditions and gives an opinion on the possibility of being adoptive parents / guardians.
Provides assistance to adoptive parents in the selection of a child.
Prepares an opinion for the court on the advisability of adopting a child chosen by the adoptive parents;
Prepares documents for children transferred to families, an order for the transfer of a child under guardianship and documents for the appointment of guardianship allowance.
Provides assistance to guardians and foster parents in education, organization of summer holidays.
Monitors the living conditions and health of wards and adopted children.
If necessary, prepares draft administrative documents on the release, removal of guardians from the performance of their duties, cancellation of adoption.

QUESTION: Can I adopt an adult?

Alas, the adoption of adults in Russian law is not provided. First of all, because adoption in Russia is seen as a way to protect children left without parental care, giving them a home, family and homeland. Adoption of adults was widespread in the ancient world, especially during the imperial period of Rome. Thus, property rights, patrimonial privileges and titles were transferred there. Now in some countries the adoption of adults is still preserved, for example in Japan.

QUESTION: Is there a big risk that the birth mother will persistently look for the adopted child and try to take it away from me?

Such cases are quite rare and occur more often when adoptive parents violate the elementary foundations of ethics. First of all, this happens when childless spouses, wishing to adopt a healthy newborn from a young or distressed mother, seek out unscrupulous doctors who promise to find such a child. By persuasion, and sometimes by deceit, they contribute to the thoughtless abandonment of the mother from her child. Subsequently, having matured, having come out of the crisis, such a mother, and often all her relatives, start searching for the child and even sue to cancel the adoption, and the adoptive parents are forced to hide, explain to the guardianship authorities, the grown child, or may become a victim of blackmail.

QUESTION: What is the procedure for adopting a wife's (husband's) child?

The procedure differs little from a regular adoption. However, since the child is known and the wife (husband) agrees to the adoption, the guardianship authorities do not need to draw up a separate Conclusion on the possibility of being an adoptive parent and there is no need to contact the database operator with a request to search for the child and you can immediately go to court, which means the whole procedure will pass much faster, most stepfathers of such adoptions do not take more than 1-2 months. It will be enough for you to write one application instead of three, which is much faster. For stepfathers and stepmothers, there are no housing requirements (clause 12 of article 127 of the UK) and restrictions on the age difference between the adopter and the adoptee (clause 2 of article 128 of the RF IC). Keep in mind that if the father (mother) of the child has died, then at the request of relatives on the father's side, their rights can be preserved by a court decision.

QUESTION: We have no time to deal with paperwork and search for a child, but we are wealthy people and we can pay for the services of a company, where can we turn?

Intermediary services in the selection of children for adoption are prohibited by law and there are no legal organizations, except for guardianship authorities and regional operators, authorized for such activities (Article 126.1 of the RF IC), in addition, the adoption procedure is structured in such a way that the most important and time-consuming stages are: medical examination, choice of a child, acquaintance with him and his documents, participation in court, adoptive parents are required to go through personally!

QUESTION: What is the first step in adoption?

The first step is to apply to the guardianship authorities at your place of residence to obtain a Conclusion on the possibility of being an adoptive parent.

The task of the specialist is to listen to you, find out the motive for adoption, explain the requirements of the law, the rights and obligations of adoptive parents in relation to the adopted child, outline the sequence of the registration procedure, answer your questions and issue the necessary forms.

Don't be surprised if you get a cold welcome at first. The fact is that quite often people with serious mental problems or unscrupulous people apply for adoption, which requires the specialist to always be on guard. In addition, in addition to working with adoptive parents, he has a lot of other responsibilities and very often he simply lacks the time and patience. It happens to get on a specialist who is illiterate and does not care about the interests of children. Therefore, it makes sense to start with an independent study of the law and understand for yourself the requirements and restrictions for candidates, the rights and obligations of guardianship authorities and yours. In order not to be ignored in the guardianship authorities, prepare an application in advance with a request to give a Conclusion on the possibility of being an adoptive parent (s) in triplicate. Submit the first copy to the office of the institution where the specialist department is located. The second will remain with you, and on it the office is obliged to put a stamp on admission, indicating the date, incoming number and name of the recipient. Give the third copy to a specialist so that he can start working with you immediately, and not wait for someone coming from the office. Ideally, if you can immediately bring at least some of the documents required by the list, at least be sure to bring copies.

OUR OPINION: Well prepared, you will feel much more confident. Speaking the same language as a specialist will make it easier for you to communicate and convey the subtleties of your situation, and a negligent specialist will be much less likely to ignore you.

QUESTION: In what terms and from what moment should the application of citizens intending to adopt be considered in the guardianship authorities?

The law establishes a period of 15 working days (Government Decree No. 275, art. 9) from the moment of acceptance of the application and the necessary documents prepared by the future adopter. This period includes consideration, verification of these documents, examination of living conditions (if the adopter actually lives in this territory) and the issuance of a conclusion on the possibility of being an adoptive parent.

The guardianship and guardianship body shall bring to the attention of the applicant a negative conclusion and, based on it, a refusal to register as candidates for adoptive parents within 5 days from the date of its signing. At the same time, all documents are returned to the applicant and the procedure for appealing the decision is explained.

QUESTION: Our chosen child has two older brothers, can we adopt only the younger girl?

The law allows children to be separated only as a last resort, when the children do not know each other or one of the separated children is disabled and is in a specialized institution and the adoption of one of them is in his interests. The interests of the adoptive parents are not taken into account, since adoption is a form of protection for children. However, such a requirement is presented only in case of adoption (adoption). it destroys family ties and decides on the possibility or impossibility of such adoption by the court. However, the separation of children is allowed when establishing guardianship, since in this case the children do not lose family ties with each other. Nevertheless, even when establishing guardianship, they still try not to separate children if they are brought up in the same institution and are attached to each other.

QUESTION: Can the selected child be taken home before the trial?

Sometimes this is possible, but it depends on many factors. First of all, from the state of paperwork, the time remaining until the trial and the type of institution in which the child is located. It is most difficult to take a child adopted from home, mainly because this is a medical institution, the children there are small, doctors try to limit the contact of children with strangers in order to exclude diseases of children, and all the troubles associated with subsequent quarantine. Therefore, fearing the situation while the child will be with you on "bird rights", doctors may not allow this - after all, the responsibility lies entirely with them! Another thing is older children who are in orphanages, orphanages or hospitals.

If all the documents have been prepared, there are no fundamental problems left and it is only necessary to wait for the court, then everything is decided by the type of institution and the human factor: how the director of this children's institution and the specialist of guardianship authorities treat you. With a trusting relationship, you can hope that, with the consent of guardianship, the child will be transferred to you as a visitor (for adaptation) before the trial.

OUR OPINION: Each such situation is very individual. Despite your keen desire to quickly take the child into the house, still try to take into account the interests and understand the positions of all parties, and, first of all, the interests of the child. Try to understand the actions of people responsible for children, in any outcome of events, because one thing is an overcrowded hospital, where healthy abandoned children are among the sick and occupy medical places, and another is a premature baby in the maternity ward.

Getting Started | Cheboksary region of the Chuvash Republic

Question - answer

QUESTION. They say that there is a huge waiting list for adoption. Is it so?

ANSWER. No, it's not. Unfortunately, there are many more abandoned children than those who want to adopt them. The search for a child can only be delayed if you make strict demands - for example, you want an absolutely healthy girl under one year old and always with blue eyes and blond hair. Or you want to resort to imitation of pregnancy, but the abandoned baby is not on time.

On the other hand, there are a lot of adorable, slightly older babies with minor health problems, which are often found in children at home.

QUESTION. How much does it cost to adopt a child for Russian citizens?

ANSWER. All adoption procedures are free of charge. Submission of applications, medical examinations of candidates and children, obtaining all certificates - all free of charge. No court fee is charged. Naturally, other expenses associated with the purchase of furniture, clothes, toys, books, etc. are inevitable, just like with the birth of your child.

QUESTION. Can a single person adopt a child?

ANSWER. Yes, maybe. The legislation provides for adoption by a married couple, one of the spouses or a single, unmarried adopter. The difference in procedure is minimal. But it should be noted that the guardianship authorities treat single adoptive parents more carefully, carefully studying the motives for adoption and the family situation in the candidate's house.

First steps

In accordance with the current legislation (Family Code of the Russian Federation), adoption (adoption) is a priority form of placement of orphans. Adoption (adoption) is the adoption of a child into the family on the basis of blood rights with all the ensuing rights and obligations. Adopted children and their offspring in relation to adoptive parents and their relatives are equated in personal non-property and property rights and obligations to relatives by origin. Features of this form include:0003

- the fact of adoption is approved by a civil court;

- after adoption, the state does not provide assistance to parents, except for the provision of postnatal leave and payments in connection with the birth of a child in the event that an infant is adopted. In the event that the child at the time of adoption had the right to a pension and benefits due to him in connection with the death of his parents, then he retains this right after adoption;

- when adopting, certain requirements are imposed on the financial situation of candidates for adoptive parents and their housing;

- upon adoption, it is possible to change the child's surname, first name, patronymic and, in some cases, the date of birth. Adoptive parents may be recorded in the birth register as the parents of an adopted child (a new birth certificate is issued). All these changes are indicated in the court decision on establishing the adoption of the child;

- not every child deprived of parental care can be adopted. The first part of the adoption procedure includes the preparation of the necessary documents, including a medical report. A medical opinion on the possibility of being an adoptive parent for health reasons is issued by the head physician of a state medical institution based on the opinions of eight specialists (therapist, infectious disease specialist, phthisiatrician, etc.). Adoptive parents should not have any medical conditions that would limit their ability to care for a child now or in the near future. These diseases include cancer, tuberculosis, alcoholism, etc. The total earnings of adoptive parents must be at least one subsistence minimum for each family member, including the child. An adopted child is registered and lives in the living space of the adoptive parents. The legislation does not provide for adopted children any benefits for providing him or his new family with additional housing either immediately or upon reaching the age of majority. In this regard, citizens who intend to adopt a child are required to immediately be able to provide the child with housing that meets a certain minimum social standard. The Family Code does not establish strict housing standards, however, such a minimum social standard is spelled out in the articles of the Housing Code of the Russian Federation: the norm of living space is set at twelve square meters per person. Living space refers to the total area of the apartment/house owned by the family and used for living, including utility rooms, kitchen, corridors and other common areas. The terms "general" and "residential" area, which are operated by real estate agencies, are not legalized. Non-residential premises and utility buildings, attics, balconies, sheds, etc. are not included in the living space. The calculation of the footage per “capita” is carried out by dividing the footage belonging to the adoptive family by the number of people registered on this area, including the unborn child.

After submitting all the documents to the guardianship authority at the place of residence, a commission will have to inspect your housing. This is necessary so that the representatives of guardianship are sure that you have the conditions determined by law that are suitable for the comfortable life of the unborn child. As a result, the guardianship authorities issue a conclusion on the possibility of being an adoptive parent, an act of examining living conditions and a referral to get to know the child. If there are no suitable children in your area, you can contact any child welfare authority. Usually, it takes 2-3 months to collect all the documents, undergo a medical examination, check housing conditions and search for a child. The final stage of the procedure is the consideration of your application for the desire to adopt a child by a civil court. By court order, you become a mom and dad and can take the child home on the day when the court decision comes into force (usually ten days after the court session).