Overview
Children available: Both boys and girls 1 year of age or older are available for adoption. Sibling groups are available. In general, young children with mild to moderate special needs are available. Children age 8 years and older with no known health issues are available. The children reside in orphanages while waiting for adoption. On some occasions they reside in foster homes. 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 for Adopting from Poland:
- Single women are allowed in some areas of Poland for special needs children
- Parents must be married at least 5 years prior to adoption
- Parents who have been divorced in the past will not be allowed to adopt from Poland
- Families with Polish heritage will have preference over other foreign families
- 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. Total time in country is approximately 6 weeks but this can be broken up into two trips. 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.
Poland Adoption Resources
Agencies Working With Poland Adoption
International Adoption Agency
International Adoption Agency
