(Last updated 10/07)

Reaccredited in July of 2007, The Cradle is one of only a few US agencies authorized by the Russian Federation to perform adoptions from Russia. 

We place children from many regions, toddlers (from 10 months), older children and sibling groups.
 
Many children are waiting.  We need families to welcome them home.

Our Russia adoption program manager in the US and our dedicated Moscow staff will guide you through each and every step of the Russian adoption process. As in any adoption, we believe parents need to be fully informed and prepared to help their child their thrive when they arrive into their new home.

Parent Requirements
Prospective parents should be between the ages of 25-55, and 25-45 for single women, and couples both over 45 need be open to children ages 3 and up; age requirements may vary by region. Families with other children in the home are acceptable. Married couples must have been married for at least one year. All applicants will be evaluated on their physical and mental capacity to parent.

The Process
As with all international adoptions, an approved home study, clearance from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (US CIS) and the completion of a foreign dossier are required. The Cradle provides home study preparation for families in the greater Chicago area.

If you live outside the greater Chicago area, and already have a current home study, please complete and return our Interagency Application.

The dossier, which consists of various documents, certificates, verifications, and petitions to Russian Ministries, is a requirement in international adoption. Your personal Cradle adoption counselor will assist you in getting these items completed. After your dossier is submitted, the next step is a referral of a specific child from Russia, including photos and some medical information about that child. While our Russian staff will give you as much information as possible about the child being referred to you, The Cradle recommends that adoptive parents have their referrals evaluated by an experienced pediatrician prior to acceptance.

For a more detailed look at our process please click here > .

Travel
Two trips to Russia are usually required of adoptive families. Activities during both trips in Russia will be guided by our Russian staff members who are experienced in the adoption process. They will greet you upon arrival, take care of travel details and lodging, and assist you in every way that they can. They will make the arrangements necessary for translations, visiting the orphanage, scheduling court hearings, and obtaining the paperwork needed to complete your adoption.

The first trip occurs within a few weeks after your acceptance of the referred child presented to you. During this first trip, you will travel to the orphanage and visit with the child. If you wish to move forward with adopting the child, you will then need to make a second trip to Russia between one to three months later in order to legally finalize the adoption. Because an appearance before the court is required to finalize the adoption, both parents are required to travel.

While timeframes for adoption vary greatly, you should expect to wait significantly longer for a girl.

Learn More
For more information about our Russia program, please Register for a Russia Adoption Information Meeting, or contact our Adoption Service Coordinator, Marc Arneson, by phone at (847) 475-5800 or email at Marneson@Cradle.org.

Quick Reference Guide

The Russian Federation asks that we not share fee information on our website. Please click here if you would like to view a copy of our fee structure our Russia adoption program.for a detailed breakdown of our fee structure. if you have additional questions about our program please email us at Marneson@cradle.org.

The Cradle is a member of Joint Council on International Children's Services (JCICS) - the oldest and largest affiliation of licensed, non-profit international adoption organizations in the world. JCICS advocates on behalf of children in need of permanent families and promotes ethical practices in intercountry adoption.
Visit the JCICS website >

The Cradle is fully accredited by the Council on Accreditation for Children and Family Services. COA accreditation is both a significant achievement and a powerful promise. It means that we have met rigorous internationally recognized standards of excellence in the quality of services and organizational operations.
Visit COA's Website >