Bulgarian Adoption After Covid

This family’s daughter has had an incredible transformation since she has been home. Help her continue to improve her development by supporting this family’s therapy efforts through Lifesong.

Adoption Completed – Welcome Home!

Welcome home, Stacie and Sam!  You guys are absolutely incredible!  Your daughter is lucky and blessed to have you as her parents!  It was a pleasure to serve you! 

Finish Home Study 6 Months
Get CIS Approval 2.5 Months Later
Offical Match Received 2 Months Later
Covid Delays About 2 – 3 months.
First Trip (Skype) 2 Months Later
Pick Up Trip 4 Months Later
Total 18.5 Months

See Other Parents' Timelines

We have a few other families who are happy to share their stories and their timelines.  To see how long it took them to adopt, please see:

Jessica and Jeremy's story

Sam and Stacie's story

Monica and Manuel's

Ana's story

Christian and Cassandra's

Daniel and Alexandra's

Megan and Mike's

Paul and April's

Lori's

18.5 Months From Start to Finish

Our family adopted their 4 year old daughter, in the middle of Covid, for 18.5 months, from start to finish!  That is incredible!  It is even better than our estimated timetables” for waiting child or traditional Bulgarian adoption.

Child adopted from Bulgaria.

Adoption During Thru Covid – Going Smoothly!

This family has done a phenomenal job with the paperwork!  Their home study agency, Caring Adoption Associates also did a wonderful job for them.  In addition, the Bulgarian authorities have been very flexible to help adoptive parents move forward with their procedures during Covid.

The Bulgarian Central Authority with approval from the US Embassy in Sofia has allowed Zoom visits, and taken away quarantine requirements with proof of Negative Covid Test.  Travel to Bulgaria currently is overseen by the embassy with a diplomacy note.  That is done with no delays.

Zoom Visit

Child being adopted from Bulgaria

Bulgarian Adoption Timeline Thru Covid

18.5 months is an incredible timeline for any adoption, and especially for the adoption of a younger child.  Their story is a true blessing and should serve as inspiration to future adoptive parents to begin the steps in the process.

adoption contract

Step 1 – Contract

The first step to officially begin the process is to sign our agency contract.  Doing so, initiated their process and we set out to help them meet eligibility requirements for a Bulgarian adoption.

Bulgarian Government approval for adoption.

Step 2 – MOJ Waiting Child Application

When the family is adopting a specific, “waiting child”, the priority is to submit an application directly with the Bulgarian Ministry of Justice (MOJ). In this case the MOJ approved the application quickly and the family set out to meet all eligibility requirements including an approved home study and a CIS approval.

CIS approval for adoption.

Step 3 – CIS Approval

Once the MOJ approved their initial application, the family set out to do their home study. Along with their home study, they turned in their I800-A Application to CIS who, as a result, issued their CIS approval.  This approval is a key document needed for your approval in Bulgaria.

Bulgarian Government approval for adoption.

Step 4 – Dossier to BG

2.5 months later, the family’s entire dossier including their CIS Approval and approved home study (or home study for expats) was sent to Bulgaria to be translated and submitted with the Bulgarian Central Authority (CA).   The CA then proceeded to issue their official match with their 4 year old daughter. 

Child being adopted from Bulgaria

Step 5 – Zoom w Child

Because of the pandemic, the Bulgarian authorities, with the approval of the US Embassy, allowed for parents to make first contact with their children through Zoom. These initail contacts are carried out much like as if they were in person, with there being an official representative of the orphange during the calls. Often times the child’s caregiver, or a social worker, or a child psychologist will be in attendance.  In attendance also are our partner’s representatives who are there to translate and help facilitate the meeting. The family was sweet enough to share iwth us this screenshot of their zoom. We can’t show you how cute she is quite yet, but we’ll have more to this story soon!

Child adopted from Bulgaria.

Step 6 – Back Home!

Our favorite step by far, coming back home! One less orphan!  To Christ the glory!

Post Adoption Report 

This family has done miracles for their daugher in such a short time.  Their love, patience and efforts to help her have made an incredible transformation.  As I tell them, she is lucky to have you as her parents.  They always reply, we’re lucky to have her.

If you’d like to help this family raise money for therapy, you can support them here through Lifesong.

To Christ the glory for one less orphan.  Enjoy the post adoption pics!

Two adopted girls and a proud dad.
Adopted child showing great progress after only 1 year of being home.
Adoptive family having fun at the local park.

Learn More About Orphanages in Bulgaria

See this blog with 3 separate adoptive parents share their thoughts on what the orphanage is like?

See Lori’s Interview from 2017.

See Jessica’s Interview from 2019. 

See Christian and Cassie’s Interview from 2021.

Understanding The Cost

With our agency, which we believe is unique, the cost of the adoption becomes due on your own timetable, not ours.  We call this a floating fee structure”

We also offer 37 month financing which lets you make a fixed monthly payment for 37 months.  Some of our parents love this option because it lets them spend less money before they can qualify for grants.  

Our family did get some grants during their process.  We are very grateful to Connected Hearts for helping out our family with a grant

Getting the adoption tax credit also helps parents with the cost of international adoption. 

Succes Stories

Learning about the process by seeing how different families went through each step can be a good learning experience for future adoptive parents.  We've shared several stories, each with real timelines, and steps, as they happened in real life to real families.

Christian and Sandra's Story

Finished adoption in 27 months.

Monica and Manny's Story

Finished adoption in 25 months

Jeremy and Jessica's Story

Finished adoption in 20 months

Stacy and Sam's Story

Finished adoption in 18.5 months

Lori's Story

Finished adoption in 18 Months

Ana' Story

Finished adoption in 20 months.

Paul and April's Story

Finished adoption in 28 months

Mike and Megan's Story

Finished adoption in 30 months

Daniel and Alexandra's Story

Finished adoption in 36 months