How to adopt a child in Ukraine in 2025: a list of rules and necessary documents

A family that decides to adopt can take in from one to four orphans for upbringing. The Ministry of Social Policy has detailed information told, what exactly needs to be done for this and what documents should be prepared.

Who is called a foster family?

A foster family is a couple or one adult who agrees to take in one or more orphans for upbringing in their living space. Such children retain their official status, they are raised in the family until the age of 1, and if they are studying or have a disability, this period increases to 18 years.

What financial assistance does the state guarantee to a foster family?

The social cash benefit for each adopted child is 2,5 subsistence minimums, and for a child with a disability - 3,5 subsistence minimums. Cash support for adoptive parents - one subsistence minimum per child.

As for social services, support includes social support, where orphans deprived of parental care are raised, as well as social adaptation of children who have been in children's boarding schools.

Algorithm of actions for creating a foster family. What you need to do:

1. Seek advice from the children's service at your place of residence. You can do this physically or apply online through the "Dii" website. To do this, go to the services catalog, select the "Family" section, adoption advice. You can apply for advice on any form of family upbringing, not just adoption.
2. Collect a package of documents and submit it along with the application to the children's service. This can also be done physically or through the “Diya” website. Go to the service catalog, “Family” section, adoptive parents, educators, candidate registration. “Diya” usually provides the necessary documents from the registers, if necessary, you can download their scanned copies. The health report and a certificate from a psychiatrist and a narcologist should also be ready for submitting an application through the application, since you will need to download their scanned copies.
3. If a married couple wants to create a foster family, they must submit a joint application, signed by each of them.

The package of documents includes:

• passport
• RNOKPP or information about its refusal;
• a document with a unique entry number in the Unified Demographic Register (if available);
• health report;
• certificate of the presence/absence of enforcement proceedings regarding debt obligations (all of the above - from each spouse);
•  a certificate of criminal record for each applicant;
•  certificate of income or tax return filing (from the applicant);
• marriage certificate or extract from the State Register of Civil Status Acts;
• a document confirming ownership of housing or the right to use it (for example, a lease agreement);
• a document confirming the place of residence (stay) for the applicant and his family members living with him;
• a certificate from a psychiatrist and a narcologist for each family member living with the applicant;
• Written consent of adult family members living with the applicant. It must be written in the presence of the child welfare service or notarized.

How to adopt a child in Ukraine. Source: unsplash.com

Other important details

It is necessary to undergo a housing inspection. It is also mandatory to study at the regional center of social services and receive a recommendation for creating a foster family.

You also need to wait until the Children's Service enters the relevant information into the register of candidates for family forms of upbringing.

In addition, you must undergo a mutual selection of the family and the child, get to know the baby or babies, establish contact with them, obtain consent if the child can give such consent, and sign an agreement with the body that made the decision to create a foster family.

How to become foster parents in Ukraine. Source: unsplash.com