What is the current procedure for adopting children?

During martial law CANNOT become adopters:

• citizens of Ukraine who temporarily or permanently live abroad;

• foreigners;

• citizens of Ukraine who are in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine.

In order to start the adoption process, you should contact the children's service at your place of permanent residence. They will help to understand all the nuances of family upbringing, tell about opportunities for those who want to become adopters, process applications and check documents and living conditions.

It is necessary to submit an application to the children's service at the place of residence. The application is accompanied by a package of documents confirming the application's compliance with the requirements for adoptive parents:

• Application for adoption

• Copy of passport

• Certificate of criminal record

• Conclusion on the state of health

• Marriage certificate (if the applicant is married)

• Consent of the other spouse for adoption (submitted if the applicant is married, but the other spouse does not intend to become an adopter)

• Documents confirming the availability of housing (on the right of ownership or on the right of use)

• Income document.

The package of documents can be submitted at a personal meeting at the children's service or online through "Dia" https://diia.gov.ua/services/usinovlennya-reyestraciya-kandidatom.

The Children's Service provides information about children who are registered. If there are no registered children in the service at the place of residence of the candidate for adoption, you can contact the regional service for children or the National Social Service.

Within 5 working days after checking the documents, the children's affairs service conducts an examination of the applicant's living conditions, based on the results of which it draws up an act.

All persons wishing to adopt a child must complete a training course on raising orphans and children deprived of parental care, organized by social service centers with the involvement of specialists in psychology, pedagogy, medicine, etc. If the applicants are relatives, guardians, custodians, adoptive parents, foster parents of the child they intend to adopt, they have the right not to undergo such training. If the information and living conditions of the applicant comply with the legislation, the children's affairs service provides a referral for training with an indication of the institution and dates of training. Upon completion of training, the applicant is issued a relevant certificate (within 10 working days).

Within 5 working days after carrying out the above-mentioned procedures, the children's affairs service prepares a conclusion on the possibility of the applicant to be an adopter and puts him on the register of candidates for adopters.

After the above steps, mutual selection of the child and the family begins.