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Since the collapse of the
Soviet Union, international adoption from Russia has grown significantly. In
2001, “thirteen times as many children were adopted from Russia as when it was newly independent
in 1992” (Facts). This was caused by the poor economy as the country shifted from a centrally planned economy
to a free market system. Even today, as the country continues to rebuild, around 600,000 children live without parents
in Russia.
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Children Available - Usually abandoned or seized
- 90% social orphans (In orphanages but still
having living families)
- 10% - 15% have Fetal Alcohol Syndrom
Most of the children relinquished are infants
born to poverty-stricken mothers and are abandoned. An abandoned child is placed in a National Registry.
If a family member does not visit it within six months, the child is available for adoption (“Orphans of Russia”).
Proper relinquishment is difficult with such a short window of time for a family member to locate and visit the child.
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The Adoption System
Type of Care: Orphanage
After orphanage conditions became apparent globally, it
was discovered that “some orphanages have far less than 50 U.S. cents per day to feed each child” (Miller 54).
There are also few caregivers, meaning the children receive very little interaction and emotional support.
Red Cross explored the conditions in 2000 and painted the world a horrific picture. “The stories
are well known, kids tied to benches, lying immobile or tethered on urine-soaked sheets, corralled into wooden pens in the
height of winter, beaten, starved, abandoned” (Lowry). This is not to say that all Russian orphans
suffer these conditions. There are many orphanages that have enough food, well-trained staff, and few children
per caregiver (Miller 54). Overall, however, Russian orphans fall considerably below American children
of the same age. In children adopted by Americans from Eastern European countries, seventy percent have
gross motor skill delays, eighty-two percent have fine motor skill delays, and fifty-nine percent have language delays (Miller
199).
| Russian Orphanages |
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| The Lying-Down room |
Medical Records
Inadequate, confusing, and misleading
“Medical records from the former Soviet
Union have been some of the most confusing and difficult to evaluate” (Miller 77). The records the
prospective families receive are usually only excerpts or summaries of the child’s medical history. Medical
reports often do not include dates of tests and observations, causing determining when a problem occurred and whether it still
affects the child to be very difficult. General terms such as Oligophrenia categorize children as retarded
(they are denied the right to vote and drive in Russia) when in reality many are only lacking education (Medical).
A large number of terms used in Russian records are unknown to American doctors and are hard to translate.
Also, maternal drug, alcohol, and tobacco use are not usually addressed in medical reports, even when the child displays
obvious signs like low birth weight (Miller 77).
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Adoption Costs
Cost: 25,000 to 40,000 USD
Why?
Russian adoption is more expensive than most countries because two trips
totaling at least three weeks must be made to the country by at least one adoptive parent (Miller 137). The
large difference in cost is remnant of the older, less regulated system. Much of the extra cost comes from
orphanages begging for or requiring large donations. This is now illegal and steadily declining (Miller
54). Within the next few years, costs should become more uniform and equal to all adoptions.
Who Can Adopt?
Aside from the large number of children available, Russia is
popular because a wide range of people can adopt. The fewer restrictions are due to the country’s
need to find families for the huge orphaned population.
- Married couples and singles over twenty-five and under fifty-five are eligible to adopt
- Couples with previous biological or adopted children, regardless of how many, also qualify
- Parents can choose gender and age
- Medical
records of prospective parents are reviewed in each case but parents are only judged on their ability to care for a child
while dealing with medical conditions. Possibly disqualifying medical conditions include “TB,
active and chronic; illness of internal organs and nervous system; dysfunction of the limbs; infectious diseases; drug and
alcohol addictions; psychiatric disorders; and, any disability which prevents the person from working” (Federation)
- Many requirements, such as marriage length and
age, are flexible on a case-to-case basis
Recommendations On Russian Adoption
Russia is a good choice for singles or couples with multiple children, as they have no restriction
on how many children a family can previously have. Parents can specify age and gender. Russia's huge population
of orphaned children and lack of regulations cause adoption to generally be faster than adoption in most countries.
Prospective parents can be assigned a child in as little as two months. It is also a popular choice among parents with
medical and financial problems because adoption in on a case-to-case basis and standards are flexible. The main goal
of Russian adoption authorities is to find children families and allow adoptions that are in the best interest of the
child.
For parents wanting detailed medical records and children who will have fewer adjustment problems,
Russia is not a suitable country. The children usually reside in large orphanages (foster care is rare) and there is
a very high child to doctor ratio. Most Russian orphans have never lived in a family setting, causing much
shock when joining their new families. Russia is also not suggested for parents deciding based on cost. The actual
cost for the entire adoption varies greatly and can equal over 40,000 USD.
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