WHY ADOPT FROM GEORGIA?          1. It is a very quick and "stress free" adoption process. The entire time frame from the moment of arrival to Georgia to returning with the child to the United States is usually 3 to 4 weeks.            2. Married couples and singles (prior divorce is acceptable) are eligible to adopt from Georgia. By Georgian Law, there are no restrictions on the number of children already living in the home.            3. Prospective adoptive parents must be of legal age (18 years of age or older), and the difference between the age of the adopting parent and adopted child must be at least 16 years, although this can be waived if circumstances warrant. Under special circumstances, the age difference is shortened by the Georgian court decision. According to the Laws of Georgia, if the child to be adopted is 10 years old or more, the court will have to take in account the child's views.

         4. A child is only eligible for inter-country adoption after six months in the database of the Information Bank of Georgia maintained by the Ministry of Education . Younger children with medical conditions may also be available. According to Georgian Laws, prospective parents have the right to have medical evaluations that can be conducted by a private doctor.

5. All of the children reside in orphanages. Both boys and girls are available, as well as occasionally sibling groups. If parents are open to the adoption of siblings, they should have all their paperwork approved for 2 children. If siblings happen to be available when the parents are in Georgia, then they can adopt these siblings. There will not be any advance notices of the availability of siblings. Georgia does not permit the adoption of 2 unrelated children, unless parents submit two dossiers.

         6. In Georgia, only the Ministry of Education is authorized to make matches of adoptive parents with available children, and only after the adoptive parents' application for adoption is approved.

7. You will be able to personally choose your child/children in Georgia. This is done on the same trip you adopt. This means that you can personally meet and bond with the child before making the final decision to adopt. When you go to the Ministry of Education you describe the kind of child you would like and they will show you the matches to your wishes or those which are closest to them. This process can be done a few times until your decision is made.

         8. Plenty of children are waiting for you. There is no waiting list at the Ministry of Education; once your dossier is translated you can go!

FY-1993: not available FY-1994: not available FY-1995: 51  FY-1996: 77 FY-1997: not available FY-1998: 3*  FY-1999: 11*

FY-2000: 40 FY-2001: 58* FY-2002: 117* FY-2003: 150* FY-2004: 21* FY-2005: 12 FY-2006: 9

         *These statistics are from the Education Ministry of Georgia.

         **Immediate Relative (IR)-3 visas are issued to orphans adopted in Georgia. IR-4 visas are issued to orphans adopted or re-adopted in the United States. The visa requirements and paperwork are substantially the same.

         If you would like more detailed information, click here

Georgia ( Georgian: transliterated as Sakartvelo) is a Eurasian country in the Caucasus at the east coast of the Black Sea. It is bordered on the north by Russia, on the south by Turkey and Armenia, and on the east by Azerbarjan. It is a transcontinental country, located at the juncture of Eastern Europe and Western Asia. Georgia has a rich and ancient cultural heritage. Its civilization goes back more than three thousands years.

         
         The territory of modern-day Georgia has been continuously inhabited since the early Stone Age. The classic period saw the rise of the early Georgian states of Colchis and Iberia, which laid the foundation of Georgian culture and eventual statehood. The Georgian nation first appear in written history in the 12th century B.C. Archaeological finds and references in ancient sources reveal advancement of early Georgian political and state formations - their urban heritage and advanced metallurgy and goldsmith techniques that date back to the 7th century B.C. and beyond. In the 4th century B.C. a unified kingdoms of Georgia - an early example of advanced state organization under one king and the hierarchy of aristocracy, was established.

         Christianity came to Georgia with its first missionaries and it was declared the state religion as early as 337 A.D. The conversion to Christianity provided a great stimulus to literature and the arts and helped to unify the country. Early and medieval Christian scholarship, the links with the rest of the Christian world and dynamic exchange with the Islamic world, together with the development of national literature and the political consolidation of the state in the 11th century A.D. culminated in a true renaissance in the 12-13th centuries A.D.

         This early Georgian renaissance, which preceded its European analogue by several hundred years, was significant and was characterized by magnificent secular art and culture, the flourishing of a romantic- chivalric tradition, breakthroughs in philosophy, and an array of political innovations in society and state organization, including religious and ethnic toleranc. The Golden age of Georgia left a legacy of great cathedrals, romantic poetry and literature. This Golden Age was interrupted at its peak by the Mongol Invasion in the 13th century A.D. Throughout the next six centuries, Georgia fell victim to repeated invasions by Persians and Turks, resulting in disintegration of the Georgian state into small kingdoms. Due to this national crisis, in 1783 Georgia signed the Treaty of Georgievsk with Russian Empire, placing the eastern Georgian kingdom of Kartli-Kakheti under the Russian protectorate. Despite Russia's commitment to defend Georgia, it rendered no assisstance when the Turks invaded in 1785 and again in 1795. Afterwards, The Russians illegally annexed Georgia in 1801 and deposed the Bagrationi dynasty.

         A few decades later, Georgian society produced a modernist nationalistic elite which united Georgian society around the dream of the restoration of their once glorious state. In 1918, this dream was fulfilled and the Democratic Republic of Georgia ( 1918-1921 ) was established. This democratic experiment was short-lived, as in 1921 Georgia was occupied by Bolshevik Russia. Georgia was incorporated into the Soviet Union in 1922. Georgia gained its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991 and, after a period of civil war and severe economic crisis, Georgia was mostly stable by the late 1990s. The bloodless Rose Revolution of 2003 installed a new, pro-Western reformist government that aspired to join NATO and attempted to bring the secessionist territories back under Georgia's control. These efforts resulted in a deterioration of relations with Russia, in part because of the continued presence of Russian troops. As of 2007, most Russian military forces have been withdrawn, with the last remaining base in Batumi scheduled for Russian withdrawal in 2008.

Georgia is a representative democracy, organized as a unitary.                         Georgia's landscapes range from alpine in the Caucasus Mountains to subtropical along the Black Sea coast, making the country an attractive location for tourism. Agriculture -- especially wine-making traditions -- date back to prehistoric times, and still account for an important share of the nation's economy. The recent economic developments brought the country within the scope of major Eurasian energetic projects.

         Georgia is a representative democracy, organized as a unitary, semi-presidential republic. Georgia is currently a member of the United Nations, the Council of Europe, the Commonwealth of Independent States, the World Trade Organization and the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation, and seeks integration with the European Union and NATO.
More info:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georgia_(country)

         The international child adoption agency, Adoption Plus ( API ), submits the family's dossier to the Ministry of Education for pre-approval. Once an application is approved, the Child Care Division of the Ministry of Education and Science shows them information about orphans available for international adoption within the parents' specified age range. Child Care Division of the Ministry of Education and Science then issues a letter of referral to allow the prospective parents to visit orphanages to meet, select, and establish contact with a child. Prospective parents travel to Georgia for an official meeting with the representative of the Ministry of Education. When adopting parents arrive in Georgia, they must first register with the Information Bank of Georgia. Parents will then choose a child to meet with. If the prospective parents decide to adopt that child, the international child/ren adoption process is then completed. If the parents decline that child/ren, they return to the Ministry of Education and choose another child/ren. Prospective adoptive parents must be present at the court session. After the Court hearing, once the decision takes effect, the new adopting parents are granted parental rights and legal responsibility for the child. After submitting the application to the international child adoption agency Adoption Plus, it will usually take about 5-6 months for your adopted child/ren to be home.

         ADOPTED CHILDREN MUST BE REGISTERED WITH THE LOCAL GEORGIAN CONSULATE WITHIN 30 DAYS OF ARRIVING HOME.

        Parents must send a post placement report ( PPR ) annually after adoption until the child reaches the age of 18.

         Georgia, as many other countries, does not permit pre-identification of children. International child adoption agency, Adoption Plus ( API ), submits the family's dossier to the Ministry of Education for pre-approval. Once an application is approved, the Child Care Division of the Ministry of Education and Science shows them information about orphans available for international adoption within the parents' specified age range. Child Care Division of the Ministry of Education and Science then issues a letter of referral to allow the prospective parents to visit orphanages to meet, select, and establish contact with a child. Children available for adoption include toddlers from 7 months of age or older and special needs children. The family will travel to Georgia for the completion of the legal process and to receive the child. After they arrive in Georgia, the prospective parents will provide the dossier to the Georgian attorney for registration at the Information Bank of Georgia. Approximately three weeks total time is necessary in Georgia.

         The following is a typical schedule for international adoption in Georgia based on approximately 3.5 weeks for one trip in Georgia ( the time frame may vary depending on a number of factors).

         Note: Due to the nature of international adoption, all information contained on this webpage is subject to change without notice.

Coordinator of Georgian Child Adoption Program is YURIY BEZNOSKO Please feel free to contact him with any questions regarding Georgian international child adoption by email childadoptiongeorgia@yahoo.com or through our agency.

Printing friendly version of Georgian Child Adoption Program for non-residents of the state of New York

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GEORGIAN EMBASSY IN THE UNITED STATES

U.S. Department of State Bureau of Consular Affairs

U.S. EMBASSY IN GEORGIA

Ministry Of Foreign Affairs Of Georgia

Law of Georgia on Legal Status of Foreigners

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