Bulgarian Adoption Story

Charlotte Mom Finishes Bulgarian Adoption in 18 months!

One of our moms completed her adoption in just 18 months.

If you are open to adopting a waiting child, you could qualify for the expedited procedures allowed by the Bulgarian Ministry of Justice.

Mom feeds her adopted son lunch.
Mom hugging her newly adopted son.
Mom takes her son out of the orphanage.

Lori’s Adoption – 18 Months

Finish Home Study 10 Months
Schedule First Trip 2 Months Notice
Final Trip 6 Months Later
Total Time:  18 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

Adoptive mom spends time with her son.

A Closer Look at Lori’s Timeline

Step 1:  Paperwork Ready!

Lori completed finished her home study and got her CIS approval in about 10 months. (If you are a US citizen living abroad, the home study is a bit different. You can read about that process here)

Step 2:  Meeting Her Son!

Lori adopted a waiting child, so after getting her CIS approval, we turned in her dossier to the Bulgarian Ministry of Justice who accepted her application and invited her to go meet her son!  Lori had about 2 months notice as to when she would go to Bulgaria to meet her son.  See the video below from her first trip! First trips are usually 5 – 7 days long. 

Step 3:  In Between Trips!

WIth the Bulgarian legal proceedings, once you meet your child and agree to adopt them, the case has to go through the Bulgarian court system.  This process usually takes about 3 to 6 months.  

Step 4:  Picking Her Son Up!

The second trip to Bulgaria usually takes about 9 or 10 days. We love watching our parents leave the orphanage with their kids! To Christ Jesus be the glory for each child saved through adoption!  Watch Lori leave the orphanage with her 3 year old son!   To learn more about Lori’s steps, please see them explained here. To understand when costs become due with the process, please see it explained here.

Lori Shares Her Thoughts on Orphanages

Because we know that parents are sometimes are concerned with the care children receive in orphanages, we sometimes ask our parents to share their thoughts on their experience.  If you’d like to see another interview, like Lori’s above, we invite you to see Jessica’s Interview from 2019 and Christian and Cassie’s Interview from 2021.

Post Adoption

Bulgaria requires post adoption reports every 6 months for 2 years.  During a post adoption report, preferably the same social worker who helped you with your home study will visit you and see how the child is doing and how you’re bonding as a family.

Post Adoption – 6 Months:

The report was a good one! The social worker notes that he is “showing a strong connection to his mom and brother”.  The post adoption report says that he is “adjusting to his new environment very well”.  He loves to be held and wants to be near his mom and his brother. He explores his environment some and sweeks out his mom when uncertain or uncomfortable.  He is able to comprehend most of what is said to him.  He has learned too many English words to count and is able to put together four word sentences.  The social workers says that Lori has done a great job providing all the resources needed for him to be successful!

Adopted child blossoms after coming home.
child improves dramatically after being adopted.
Adopted child riding a horse for fun.

Post Adoption – 12 Months:

A wonderful report!  Without disclosing too much info about this family, we’d like to say that part of the post adoption report addresses how the child is doig medically.  In this case, the doctor caring for the child has said that the diagnosis which was suspected for him while in the orphanage is not correct.  That is wonderful news!   The social worker says that he is adjusting well!  He has quickly attached to Lori and adores his big brother.  He has become very verbal and active, reaching out and initiating hugs or attention.  He prefers his mom over any one else.  The family is loving and they are adjusting well to the additional family member.  Lori is very commited to providing the best for her children! 

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.

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