Bulgaria Adoption Information from Wasatch International Adoptions

Wasatch International Adoptions
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A Child's Way Home

Ethiopia Adoption

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Bulgarian Adoption

Bulgaria child waiting for adoption The Bulgaria adoption program has many beautiful children in need of a loving family. Many of the children available for adoption are of Roma, Gypsy or Turkish ethnic background. These children have olive skin, dark hair and large brown eyes. In 2003, Bulgaria implemented the Hague Convention Treaty for their international adoption process and the adoption process has now changed dramatically. Instead of choosing a child to adopt from a photo, adoptive families are now assigned a child from the Bulgarian Ministry of Justice. More boys are available than girls. The age of children available for adoption ranges from 18 months up to 10 years old. However, young married couples with no children or only one child will be given preference over older married couples, couples with more than one child, or single women. However, all married couples and single women up to age 45 are accepted by the Bulgarian government.

The process of adoption in Bulgaria is still undergoing refinement and referrals are taking longer to be issued than under the old process. When applying to adopt a child from Bulgaria, the family can be very specific about the child they wish to adopt. When considering older and special needs children, WIA recommends talking extensively with one of our representatives regarding the risks and the adjustment of these children.

Bulgaria Adoption Timeline

Bulgaria adoption photo Part of the time it takes to complete an adoption will depend on how fast the adoptive parents gather the required documents needed for the adoption. However, from the time the dossier is submitted until the adoption is completed can take anywhere from one to two years. Please note that there are two trips required to complete an adoption from Bulgaria.

Please see our Bulgaria Adoption FAQ for more information.

“For those who want to help the orphaned children in Bulgaria in other ways please click on this link to read more about One Heart Bulgaria.” http://www.oneheart-bg.org

BREAKDOWN OF AGENCY AND FOREIGN FEES
Wasatch Agency Fees**
Application Fee	$500 - Due with application
Program Fee	$2500 (due with contracts before manual can be sent or program manager assigned)
Home Study Review Fee	$150 - Due with home study (not applicable for Utah clients)
Home Study Fee	$1200 (Utah Clients) $900-$1500 (depending on out-of-state Social Worker)
Placement Fee	$2000 - Due at acceptance of referral
Post Placement Fee	$900 (Utah Clients) $800 (Out-of-State Clients)
There is an additional $1500 agency fee when adopting a second child whether a sibling or unrelated *Agency fees are reduced in the case of special needs or older child adoption see below
Special Needs Agency Fees
Placement Fee	$1500 (for children 7 years of age and older)
Medical and Severe Medical special needs children Placement Fee is reduced on a case by case basis.
Foreign Fees
Foreign Program Fee (amount may vary more or less depending on the exchange rate of the leva). Foreign fees are broken down into four increments - one due at submission of dossier- $1660 (2000 BG leva); one due at acceptance of referral- $2190 (3000 BG leva); one due before first travel- $3795 (5200 BG leva) and one due before second travel-$1685 (2304 BG leva)	$9,330 ( Approx. 12504 BG leva) for the adoption of one healthy child. All amounts include wiring fees. $6,350 (Approx. 9504 BG leva) for the adoption of one special needs child. Fee for a second child given on a case by case basis.
Other Costs Associated With Adoption
Round Trip Airfare to Sofia	$800 -$1400 (per person depending on the time of year)
Hotel in Sofia	$70 - $120 Approximately per person per night
Food	$30 - $50 Approximately per person per day
USCIS Visa interview	$400
Medical Exam	$100
USCIS Paperwork and Fingerprints	$720 $85 (per person in household over 18 for fingerprints)
Passport	$135 Approximately
Fed-Ex Fees	$500 Approximately
Apostille of Documents for Dossier	$500 Approximately
Estimated Total Amount	$23,000 – based on mid-range air fare for one parent traveling both trips, one way ticket for child home, 5 days hotel and food. Does not include home study.
County Fees are never to be considered a stable or set fee as it is not determined nor in the control of WIA. WIA makes every effort to stay current as to fees but third party and country fees may change without notice or reason.

If you would like more information about adoptions from Bulgaria, please email Kathy Junk at kathy@wiaa.org.

Please note that the timeline for international adoption is not completely predictable and there could be many factors that might change our estimated timeline for completion. Some of these factors may include political upheaval, changes in policies and laws regarding adoption with foreign government officials or our own government, war, terrorism, natural disasters, the approval of the adoptive parents by either the U.S. government or the foreign government or possible reemergence of birth families. Wasatch does our best to help you as families to understand the realities of the international adoption process, but things can change quickly and timelines for adoption completion can lengthen through no fault of Wasatch International Adoptions.

**Note: Upon request, WIA will disclose the following: Service policy Contracts, the number of adoption placements per year for the prior 3 calendar years, the number of placements that remain intact, the number of families who apply to adopt each year, and the number of waiting children eligible for adoption. To obtain this information please call our office.

©2001 Wasatch International Adoptions
1140 36th Street, #204
Ogden, Utah 84403
Phone:801-334-8683
Fax: 801-334-0988
info@wiaa.org