A Note on the Current Status of Georgian Adoptions:

At this point Georgia is not open for adoption. The new Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili is favorably inclined to international adoption, but at this moment it is not where his priorities lie.

At present the Georgian government does not have the system or staff to implement the new rules and regulations regarding adoption that the legislature has recently passed. As soon as this new system is in place, we will notify those who are interested.

If you want more information about the Republic of Georgia and the recent political changes there, the following websites are excellent sources.

www.bbcnews.com
www.civil.ge/eng

Thank you for your interest in our program. We hope you find this information helpful.

Partners for Adoption/Adoptions & Aid Internationa

 

Frequently Asked Questions

How old are the children?
Infants are generally between 2-6 months.

How do I start the adoption process?
In order to start an international adoption, contact us and sign up for the program. We will assist you with everything from that point onward and refer you to a homestudy agency in your area.

How long will the process take?
To a large extent, the overall time frame of the adoption depends on you. It is up to you to begin and complete a homestudy and apply for and receive USCIS clearance. Some families can complete their homestudy, dossier papers and USCIS clearance in a few months, but some take much longer.

After identifying our child how long will it be before we can adopt?
Two to six weeks.

Who will help us during our stay in Georgia?
In order to facilitate your trip, we'll provide you with an adoption package that includes ticket reservations for travel within Georgia (or to Russia if necessary), drivers, translators, contacts, and apartments with three meals per day for you and your child. You will never be alone during your stay.

How long will we stay in Georgia?
About one week. Approximately 2- 4 weeks later you can fly to Moscow to meet your child or have them escorted to your city.

What options do we have in terms of escorting?
Parents can choose how and where to meet their child after the adoption is complete. An escort can take your child to Moscow and then bring them right to your city. Or, if you like, you may travel to Moscow and complete the US Embassy process with your child before returning home.

Can a single parent adopt?
In Georgia only a single mother may adopt.

What type of care will my child receive before the adoption?
Babies receive private foster care.

Georgia Program Overview

Step One: Getting to Know Us
The first step in the adoption process is for you to request and receive our information packet. Please feel free to contact any of our references. When you decide to join the program, contact us and we will send you our Retainer Agreement.

Step Two: Preparing Your Homestudy
At roughly the same time you sign up with us, you will need to select a state licensed homestudy agency to work with you in preparing the homestudy and getting USCIS clearance. We currently provide homestudy services in the state of Texas. As we place children throughout the US, we are happy to recommend homestudy agencies in your area. We will work with them to prepare an appropriate homestudy for Georgia.

Step Three: Preparing the Dossier
Once you sign up with us, you will receive a list of the paperwork needed for the Georgian government. We will tell you how to get your papers notarized and certified and walk you through the process. We pride ourselves on the personal nature of our program, and you will receive help and support every step of the way. This is also a good time to apply for a current passport if you do not already have one, as Georgian law requires that a parent or parents travel to Georgia and meet their child as well as attend the courtdate.

Step Four: Dossier Goes to Georgia
Once you have collected all your papers and had them notarized and certified, you send them to us. We check them over and work with you to correct any problems. We then send your documents to the US State Department for Federal Certification. After we receive Federal Certification, we send your Dossier to the Georgian Embassy to be authenticated. After it is authenticated, we send your dossier to Georgia to be professionally translated and notarized by a Georgian notary public. Only after this process can your documents be presented to the proper authorities.

Step Five: Child Referral
When a child becomes available, we immediately present you with a referral. You will receive a video of a child with medical records. You then accept the referral and fill out our Referral Acceptance Form. If, for some reason, your needs are not met by the baby we have available at this particular point in time, you may choose to wait until the next group of children becomes available. We work with families until they accept a referral.

Step Six: Child's Documents Prepared in Georgia
Upon your acceptance of the referral, we contact our associates in Georgia. Our associates then work with local officials (Departments of Education, local courts, etc.) to prepare the child's documents for adoption and set up your trip.

Step Seven: Travel Preparations
As you prepare for your baby's arrival, you will be reading over the Travel Packet we send you and preparing for your trip to Georgia. As soon as your child's papers are in order, we will notify you of your departure date. Again, we want to stress that we will help you through every step of the process, from suggesting a travel agency to helping you choose what to pack. You will receive details about all these things in your travel packet and during a travel meeting.

Step Eight: Your trip to Georgia
You will fly to Tbilisi and meet your child. You will then go through the court proceedings in Georgia and complete all the necessary paperwork. Your trip will be approximately one week long. Then you will return to the US and wait for everything to be completed.

Step Nine: Your child is escorted to you
According to US Embassy regulations, the only way to complete the visa process for your child is to travel from Georgia to the US Embassy in Moscow with the documents from the US embassy in Tbilisi. Your child may be escorted to you in 1 week to 1 month. If you wish, you may have your child escorted to your door. Or, you may travel to Moscow for 1-2 days to take your child through the US embassy procedures and then return home.