Kazakhstan Adoption Program FAQ's:
• How do I start the adoption process?
• What makes Children At Heart different from other agencies?
• How long does the process take?
• Where do the children come from?
• How old are the children?
• Is a child(ren) selected for me?
• How long must we be overseas?
• Who will help us during our stay overseas?
• How do I know the child is healthy?
• Can I adopt if I am single?
• Can we contact others who have adopted through Children At Heart?
• What expenses are involved in an international adoption?
• What if I wish to adopt now but do not have the necessary resources?
How do I start the adoption process?
Complete the request for information form on this site, send us an e-mail or give us a call. We will send you information about our programs, answer any questions you might have (now and at any time thereafter), as well as send you our pre-application to get you started.
What makes Children At Heart different from other agencies?
For one, as Directors, we have 5 wonderful children who we adopted from Russia and Ukraine. We adopted them as infants and older children. We understand adoption from both the personal and professional perspectives. This is a life-long commitment to serve those in need. Please see "about us" page for additional information.
For another, we are a small, family-run agency, with only 4 employees in the US. We each read every email that is sent to the office, and discuss every phone call that we receive. We have weekly meetings to go over the status of all of our pending adoptions, which allows each of us to get to know all of our adoptive parents on a first-name basis. So during your adoption process, whoever answers a phone call or email from you will know who you are. You will not have one particular employee assigned to your adoption, all of us will be working with you.
How long does the entire adoption process take?
If you are prompt in completing your paper work, etc. you can have your child(ren) home within 8 to 11 months from the time you initially contact us. Of course if you wish to take more time, you can. You help set the pace of your adoption.
Where do the children come from?
All the children are currently living in government run orphanages. Every child is pre-approved for adoption by the appropriate government agency. The adoption is finalized in the child's country before you leave to come home.
How old are the children?
The children available for adoption in Kazakhstan are normally between 6 months and 2 years, and occasionally there are sibling groups available with the oldest child being up to age 5.
Is a child(ren) selected for me?
No, our program in Kazakhstan is such that you personally interact with and select your own child(ren) from the children available in the orphanage. We do not know how many children you will see on your visit. The children available for adoption are normally between six months and one year old - sometimes there are children up to the age of two years. You must be open to Caucasian, Asian, and Bi-racial (Caucasian/Asian) race children, of either sex, up to the age of two years old if adopting through this program. We may not know in advance what the race or sex of the children are who are available when you travel. They are all beautiful and in need of your love!
How long must we be overseas?
Presently, our program requires you to be in country for 20-25 days and then return home after having completed your adoption in country. After being home for about 5 weeks, you will return to Kazakhstan to complete the Embassy process with your child(ren) and return home - this is about a one week trip. Presently, escorting of your child back to the States is permitted, which eliminates the second trip to Kazkakhstan - please ask us about this option.
Who will help us during our stay overseas?
Our network of facilitators, drivers and interpreters will be with you every step of the way. The only time you are alone is while on public air transportation and in your hotel - or when you choose to venture out and about to explore Karaganda. Our translator will take you to a nearby grocery store after your arrival in Karaganda, to help you do some shopping, until you are comfortable shopping on your own. Our facilitator and translators all live right in Karaganda. They are known by the local adoption officials as well as the orphanage directors. A driver will bring you to and from your daily orphanage visits. We have staff who will help you through the medical clinic and US Embassy appointments in Almaty. And we will provide you with a list of phone numbers for all of our overseas staff, as well as an emergency number to reach us in the US at any hour - day or night.
How do I know the child is healthy?
You will receive all available medical reports on the child you choose while overseas. You will be given opportunities to ask questions to find out more information with the help of the orphanage doctors, your pediatrician and/or a doctor in the US who specializes in internationally adopted children.
Can I adopt if I am single?
Yes. We have a number of single mothers who have successfully adopted.
Can we contact others who have adopted through Children At Heart?
Absolutely. We encourage you to do just that. We will give you names, phone numbers, e-mail addresses, etc. of families in your area as well as families with similar pre and post adoption circumstances. If no one is available in your area, we will give you contact information for families elsewhere in the country.
What expenses are involved in an international adoption?
Expenses in the US: Passports, Visas, Home Study and post-adoption visits. Citizenship and Immigration form I-600A, FBI fingerprints, securing all the necessary papers and signatures, translation of all the documents, round-trip international airfare (includes in-country flights to adoption city), agency fee.*
Expenses Abroad: Lodging, meals, taxis/ground transportation, orphanage donation
*Note: Our Agency expenses include such things as rent, utilities, telephone, postage, printing, supplies, office equipment, insurance, advertising, document translations (here and abroad), website and e-mail maintenance, staff salaries, foreign facilitator fees, humanitarian aid for children who are not adopted, etc. Our fees must cover all operation expenses and provide sufficient reserves to cover the time without placements. We must also budget for travel to foreign countries to establish new programs or to work with the foreign adoption officials as countries make changes to existing programs.
What if I wish to adopt now but do not have the necessary resources?
We have put together a listing of "Possible Ways to Finance An International Adoption" which we would be glad to share with you. We can also direct you to several of our adoptive parents who have been very successful at raising funds to support the costs of their own adoptions - they are more than willing to share their furndraising strategies with future adoptive parents.