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What’s Involved in Adopting a Child From Latvia?
Latvian Adoption Law requires that a parent-child relationship be established before the court decision can be considered final. It leaves each orphan court to decide on a case-by-case basis how long it will take to establish the parent-child relationship. The interpretation of the child-parent relationship among courts might differ. The adoptive parents should be prepared that orphan courts require them to take care of the adoptive children and share a household in Latvia for some specified period of time. Also, adoptive parents should be aware that some Latvians oppose the adoption of Latvian children by foreigners.
The Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Welfare are jointly responsible for administering inter-country adoptions. International adoption of Latvian children is allowed if one or more of the following conditions is met:
- The prospective adoptive parents are relatives of the child.
- The child is ill and in need of medical treatment not available in Latvia.
- The child has health problems and has been available for adoption for one year, but no Latvian adoptive parents have expressed a willingness to adopt the child.
- The child has been rejected by at least two people who applied for adoption.
The Latvian Ministry of Justice reviews all international adoption applications and determines whether or not the applicant meets the requirements of the law. If the judgment is favorable, the application is forwarded to the Ministry of Welfare, which matches adoptable children with applicants. (The Ministry of Welfare maintains a list of children who have been abandoned by or taken away from their parents.)
Once you accept a child referral, the orphan court in the district where the child resides will review the adoption application. Under the current law, both adoptive parents must be present at the orphan court session. Once a child is chosen and the orphan court has reviewed the adoption application, the case is referred to the city court of the district where the child lives. The adoptive parents will then be required to return to Latvia to meet their adopted child and then travel with the child to Warsaw, Poland, to process the child’s U.S. visa.
In a Nut Shell
Children Available: Healthy infants, toddlers, and school age children (both boys and girls) are available for adoption from Latvia. Special needs children are also available.
Parent Requirements: Married couples, single men, and single women may adopt from Latvia. Latvia imposes no age restrictions on adoptive parents. Travel Requirements: Travel is required for both parents. Two trips must be made, with each trip lasting about four or five days.
Time Frame: Adoptions from Latvia, from initial application until you bring your child home, can take between one and two years.
Number of Children Adopted by Americans in 2004: 15
Additional Information: The children available for adoption from Latvia live in orphanages.
Credits: The International Adoption Guidebook, © Mary M. Strickert
