SPENCE-CHAPIN BEGAN PLACING CHILDREN FROM BULGARIA IN 1995. New
adoption laws in Bulgaria have opened up the process once again.
Spence-Chapin partners with ANIDO, a Bulgarian nongovernmental
organization. They are an intercountry adoption intermediary licensed
by the Ministry of Justice, Bulgaria's central authority for adoption.
Bulgaria is located in South-East Europe and bordered by the Black
Sea. It is a small and very beautiful country with landscapes that
range from snow-covered mountains to stretches of coastal shores. It
has a rich history dating back to the 7th century, and many of the
customs and traditions of its 8 million people can be traced back to
ancient times. Bulgaria has shifted from being a former communist
outpost to a successful democratic state and member of the European
Union. Unfortunately, both social and economic reasons account for
children being placed in orphanages.
- Married couples, single woman and single men preferably under
50-years-old at the time of dossier submission to Bulgaria.
- Applicants should be in a good physical health without diagnosis
of a chronic medical issue that would impact the parenting of a
child. Heath conditions are screened on an individual basis.
- Applicants should be in good mental health and no psychiatric
hospitalizations.
- Applicants should have no recent arrest history, though youthful
indiscretion may be acceptable.
- Applicants must be financially stable.
In Bulgaria, children of both genders from 18 months through school
age are in need of families. Children are primarily Roma, an ethnic
minority within the country, and are typically cared for in
institutional settings. While families may request an 18 month old,
the majority of children matched with international families are
around the age of 4. The wait for a referral will depend on the age
and the health status of the child requested. Please note: All wait
times are estimates and are not completely predictable.
- Timing: For a child 18 months to 2 years at the
time of referral, please prepare to wait 3 years or more for a
referral. The exact timing on this request is difficult to predict.
For a child 2 to 3 years old, prepare to wait 2 to 3 years for a
referral. For a child 4 to 7 years old, prepare to wait 2 years for a
referral. For a child 7 years or older, or a child of any age with
identified medical needs, prepare to wait 6 to 9 months for a
referral. For a sibling set of any age, prepare for the wait time
listed above in relation to the oldest child. Families will be asked
to specify the age range of siblings they would consider.
- Referral: At the time of referral you will
receive a photo and information about a child, learning more when you
travel to Bulgaria on your first trip.
- Travel: Upon receipt of a referral and
expressing interest to meet the child, both members of the couple
should be prepared to travel to the child's region as soon as
possible. For the first trip, families will spend 5 days bonding with
the child. It is only after meeting the child in person that a family
can officially accept the referral. The adoption will be finalized in
court by proxy 3 to 4 months later. Soon after, at least one parent
will travel back to Bulgaria for about 1 week to bring the child
home. During this trip you will spend 2 to 3 days in Sofia to obtain
a visa for your child from the U.S. embassy. When in Bulgaria, you
are fully guided through all adoption-related activities by
Spence-Chapin's English speaking partners.
- Post-Placement: Upon returning home, your child
will be an automatic citizen of the U.S. and you will receive a
certificate of citizenship in the mail. The Bulgarian Ministry of
Justice requires reports at 6, 12, 18, and 24 months after
finalization. These reports must be written by the social worker
based on an office visit with your family. On-going support through
the Spence-Chapin Adoption Resource Center is available throughout
the lifetime of your family and is available at no additional cost
for one year.
Spence-Chapin welcomes families outside of our direct New York/New
Jersey metropolitan service area to adopt through our program in
Bulgaria. Spence-Chapin collaborates with other reputable agencies
around the U.S. For more information about networking and a list of Spence-Chapin Network
Agencies, click on the link or contact our International Inquiry
Coordinator at 212-400-8150.
There are several categories of fees and expenses that adoptive
families should anticipate when considering an international adoption.
For an explanation of these, please refer to the Understanding Fees
and Expenses page. Included in these fees is a separate foreign
country program fee. For Bulgaria the program fee for the adoption of
one child is EUR 5,573 (The dollar equivalent may vary based on the
exchange rate). In addition, Families are encouraged to consider
making a voluntary contribution to the orphanage.
Ministry of Justice
http://www.justice.government.bg
Intercountry adoption department at Ministry of Justice
http://www.justice.government.bg/new/Pages/Adoptions/Default.aspx
Bulgarian Government
http://www.government.bg/
Bulgaria in pictures
http://www.bulgariaphotos.net
http://imagesfrombulgaria.com
http://www.senseofbulgaria.org
Tourism in Bulgaria
http://www.bulgariatravel.org/eng/index.php
http://www.bulgariainside.eu
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Tourism-g294452-Sofia-Vacations.html
http://www.skiguidebg.com
http://www.summerguidebg.com/
History of Bulgaria
http://www.bulgaria-embassy.org/History_of_Bulgaria.htm
http://www.visitbulgaria.net/en/articles/history.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Bulgaria
News about Bulgaria
http://bta.bg/en
http://sofiaecho.com/
Families interested in learning more about the history and trends in
Bulgarian adoptions can see up-to-date statistics from the US Embassy
here:
http://bulgaria.usembassy.gov/adoption3.html.
The US Embassy in Sofia has posted the following information: "An
adoption council at the Ministry of Justice reviews applications and
matches children to families, with priority given to parents wishing
to adopt a child with an identified medical condition. Approximately
80% of the children adopted from Bulgaria have been considered
"special need" which includes older children (over age 7), children
with medical needs, or a combination of both." The Bulgarian Adoption
program has seen an increase in placements in the past few years,
showing the country's commitment to the de-institutionalization of and
finding permanency for the children in their care. Children ages 7 and
up, as well as children with identified special needs are presented
through separate waiting list maintained by the Ministry of Justice. A
family can express interest in a listed child prior to submitting a
dossier, and if moving forward with the adoption of that child, must
submit dossier within 2 months.
