Poland Adoptions

Situated in central Europe east of Germany and west of Belarus and the Ukraine, Poland borders the Baltic Sea. Poland implemented one of the first parliamentary systems of government in the world. Renowned for a variety of cultural and artistic achievements, the astronomer Copernicus is one of Poland's most famous sons. (Okay, here's a refresher for you: Copernicus theorized in 1543 that - gasp! - the Earth moves around the sun. Caused quite a hullabaloo in those days.)

After being invaded again and again by most of the various European powers for centuries, Poland once again was the sight of major conflict during World War II. At the Yalta Conference in February 1945, Roosevelt, Churchill, and Stalin decided to leave Poland under Soviet control and thus Poland became mired in communism and Soviet-style repression. Lech Walesa's Solidarity movement of the 1980s was the impetus that eventually brought about the end of communism in Poland.

Today, Poland is home to over 38 million people. In 2002, Americans adopted 101 children from Poland. As with most other countries, the children from Poland are available for international adoption for one of two reasons: (1) either their parents are deceased and they have no one else to care for them, or (2) their parents are unable (or unwilling) to take care of them.

What's Involved in Adopting a Child From Poland?

The Polish government office that oversees domestic and foreign adoptions of Polish children is the Central Adoption Commission (Publiczny Osrodek Adopcyjno-Opiekunczy). It maintains a list of all children residing in orphanages who are available for adoption because their parents have died, have relinquished all rights to them, or have had them relinquished by a court.

Once you complete your application (and your homestudy and compile your dossier), the Commission will review your application, typically at twice-monthly meetings. Once the Commission grants you permission to adopt, the Commission works to identify a child (or children) who meet the your criteria and for whom no Polish family can be found.

A petition to adopt is filed with the Polish court in the region where the child resides. Polish law requires both adoptive parents to be present for at least part of the court procedure, which involves two hearings. The court requires that both parents meet the child before the adoption. Once the final hearing has been held and the adoption is approved, a 21-day waiting period is imposed before the adoption is finalized. After the adoptive parents have the final court decree, they may apply for a Polish passport for the child and proceed to the U.S. Embassy for visa processing. Most parents spend at least three weeks in Poland during the final adoption process.

• Children Available: Healthy children of both genders, age 1 year and older, are available for adoption from Poland. Sibling groups and special needs children are also available for adoption from Poland.
• Parent Requirements: Parents may not be over 44 years old if they wish to adopt a child under four years old. Married couples, single women, and single men may adopt from Poland.
• Travel Requirements: Travel to Poland is required. Both parents must travel to Poland for approximately three weeks.
• Time Frame: From the time of your initial application until you bring your child home takes an average of 18 months.
• Number of Children Adopted by Americans in 2002: 101
• Additional Information: The children available for adoption from Poland live in orphanages.

Credits: Excerpted from "International Adoption Guidebook" by Mary Strickert