Most children eligible for adoption in Russia are relinquished by birth parents who have insufficient resources to care for them. Some children are eligible for adoption because birth parents' parental rights have been terminated. 

Russian orphanages are organized by age group, and children live within the large orphanage in smaller living units, where they eat, sleep, play, and are educated with their age mates. The orphanage director is usually a medical doctor. Staff are trained childcare workers. The child to care provider ratio ranges from 3 to 1 to 6 to 1. Children have regular play times, meal times, nap times, and are used to conforming schedules.

The orphanages from which we place children benefit from the donations of adoptive parents. Even with this extra support, resources are minimal. However, the children are being well-cared for by loving, dedicated caregivers.

The majority of children awaiting adoption in Russia are 18 months to 12 years of age.  Families interested in adopting a sibling group must be willing to consider one or both children over age three, or a longer wait. There is usually a shorter wait for boys than girls in Russia, and we encourage families to be open to gender for the shortest possible process. 

Since most of the children legally free for adoption have lived in an orphanage since they were infants,  adoptive parents should expect "orphanage delay" including some developmental delays. If there is medical information available about a child, it will be limited. Also, because diagnoses are made with limited equipment and under a different diagnostic system, it is not always easy to interpret.