Poland Adoption – Adopting from Poland

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Country Specific Adoption Guidelines

Poland

Adoption

Advocate for Poland

Overview

Children available: Both boys and girls 1 year of age or older are available for adoption. Sibling groups are available. In general, children are considered 'healthy' (with normal orphanage delays), though special needs children are also available. The children reside in orphanages while waiting for adoption. The orphanages in Poland have an adequate staff-to-child ratio, and it is reported that the children receive above average care for an institutional setting. Most children in Poland are Caucasian, with light features.

Parents Qualification: Married couples and single women may adopt. Women may be up to 40 years older than the child, and fathers can be up to 45 years older than the child. This simply means that a mother age 44 should request a child 4 years or over (example).

Timeline: The Central Adoption Commission which is a Government Central Authority for foreign adoptions of Polish children gives consent for international adoption. Once permission is granted, the Commission identifies the child who meets the adoptive family’s criteria and the child’s best interest. The waiting time for a referral may take between 1 and 10 months. The entire process can vary in length, but on average is 16 to 24 months.

Travel: Polish law requires both adoptive parents to be present for at least part of the court procedure, which may involves usually two hearings. The court requires that both parents have seen the child before adoption. The bonding period may take from 7 days and to up to 20 days. The prospective adoptive parents may stay after the court hearing another 21 days in Poland or they may leave and make a second trip from 3 to 5 days to finalize the adoption procedure. In some instances an additional third trip may be required for additional observance of the child prior to bonding period. This trip is approximately 3 -5 days.

To contact all agencies placing children from Poland with just one form, click here

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