Moldova

SPENCE-CHAPIN WAS REACCREDITED BY THE Moldovan Adoption Committee in 2008, and we are excited to be accepting families for this program. The Republic of Moldova is a small and lovely landlocked nation in Eastern Europe favorably situated between Romania to the west and the Ukraine to the east. In its history, Moldova has been part of Romania as well as the Soviet Union and has been an independent nation since 1991. The people of Moldova speak Moldovan (Romanian) and are intensely proud of their country. Moldova enjoys a favorable climate, good farmland, and is famous for its wines; however, it remains the poorest country in Europe, accounting for the placement of many children in orphanages.

Program Criteria

Married couples and single women, where at least one member of the couple is under 50-years-old at adoption completion.
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 may be screened on an individual basis.
Applicants should be in good mental health and may not be using any psychotropic medications. Mental heath conditions may be screened on an individual basis.
Applicants should have no arrest history, though a youthful indiscretion may be acceptable. Applicants must be prepared to appear in court and explain the situation to the judge assigned to their case.
Applicants must be financially stable with limited debt.

Children in Need of Homes

Children of both genders and of all ages are in need of homes, though there are generally more boys than girls. The youngest children are typically at least 1 to 4-years-old, and siblings groups are available as well. Additionally, adopting a child with special needs may be possible. Children are cared for in institutional settings in Moldova.

Timing and Travel: From Application to Homecoming

Timing: After your dossier has been sent to Moldova, the wait time for a referral can vary, depending on your child request, though you can expect about 12 months on average.
Referral: At the time of referral you will receive basic preliminary information about a child, learning more when you travel to Moldova on your first trip.
Travel: 2 to 3 months after you accept a referral, you will travel to your child’s region to meet him/her and attend court in either the local city or in the Chisinau to complete the adoption. This trip typically lasts about 1 week. When in Moldova, you are fully guided through all adoption-related activities by Spence-Chapin’s bilingual representatives. Your second trip is typically 3 to 4 weeks later and lasts about 1 week. After finalization, you will travel to Chisinau for an interview at the U.S. Consulate and then travel to Bucharest, Romania, to obtain a visa for your child.
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 Moldovan Adoption Committee requires families to register at the Embassy of Moldova in Washington, D.C. and to submit reports at 6, 12, 18, 24, and 36 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.

Families Outside of the NY/NJ Metro Area

Spence-Chapin welcomes families outside of our direct New York/New Jersey metropolitan service area to adopt through our program in Moldova. To adopt from Moldova, your homestudy agency must also be Hague accredited. Spence-Chapin collaborates with other reputable agencies around the U.S., but not all are Hague accredited. 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.

Humanitarian Aid to Moldova

In 2005, a Granny Program was launched at the Chisinau Municipal Special Children's Orphanage. Thanks to the attention of the loving grannies, 40 young children have shown consistent improvement in behavior, speaking ability, and motor skills. Additional Humanitarian Aid projects in Moldova have included supporting the orphanage’s annual holiday party for the children along with meeting very basic needs for food and clothing.

To learn more about our humanitarian aid programs and how you can support them, please view our Helping Children Abroad page.

Cost Guidelines

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 which varies. For Moldova it is $17,100.

Celebration for Children Adopted Internationally

Every year the agency hosts parties for Spence-Chapin families formed through international adoption. Families come together to celebrate with traditional food, crafts, and entertainment, which offers children an opportunity to explore their common heritage. For information about this year's celebration, please contact Spence-Chapin's Events Hotline at 212-360-0274.

Moldova's

Granny Program

Two Grannies take their children on an outing near the Municipal Special Children's Orphanage in Chisinau, Moldova.

410 East 92nd Street, New York, NY 10128 212.369.0300