Orphans: New Adoption Order for Foreign Citizens

According to BelaPAN information agency

The ruling On certain issues of adoption and tutelage of children came into force on 24 February 2007. There about 12 000 children in the orphan database of Belarus. Foreign citizens can adopt those of them who are in the database for at least a year and who weren’t adopted by a Belarusian family during this term. According to the deputy Minister of Education Tatsiana Kavaliova, now the applications of foreign citizens will be first considered by regional tutelage boards and then – by the national adoption center.

T.Kavaliova also said that from now on children can be adopted only by citizens of the countries who have concluded the appropriate agreements with Belarus. At present such agreement has been concluded only with Italy. Another factor that can influence the adoption: in the case a child has brothers or sisters, these relative connections should be preserved.