Basic requirements for international adoption of a Russian child or children
- Generally will be between the ages of 25 and 55 years of age (Russian adoption law has no age requirements; however, most adoptive parents are 25 to 55 years of age)
- May be married or single; if married must show evidence of a stable marriage and if single must evidence above average financial ability and a plan for the care of the child if prospective parent works.
- Have not been married more than twice - IGAO may consider a waiver on this
- May have other children already in the family
- Must have sufficient resources to travel and stay in Russia - possibly as long as two weeks
- Must have sufficient financial resources to meet the adoptive child's needs
- Must be free of communicable disease and be in sufficient good health to raise the child to adulthood
- Must be emotionally healthy
- Must have a home that is conducive to a child's safety and well being
- Must present proof of no criminal or abuse/neglect history
- Must be willing to take a child at least one year of age since very young Russian infants are rarely available
- Must be in agreement with IGAO's Statement of Faith

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The Need:
 Since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1989, the Russian people have fallen on hard times. Currently, almost 40 percent of the population is below the poverty line of $42 a month. Few Americans know the staggering impact Russia's declining economy has had on family bonds. Many Russian parents have lost heart because of the difficulty they have had obtaining food, clothing and shelter for their children. As a result, it is reported that the number of abandoned Russian children may have doubled in the past three years to over 750,000 and more than half of all the newborns suffer from chronic illness or disease probably due to poor diet and healthcare. Once kids leave Russia's orphanages around age 17, one in three becomes homeless, one in five lands in jail and one in ten commits suicide. This same phenomenon can be seen in other countries in the region.
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  WHY IGAO?     ADOPTION SERVICES OF IGAO  
    International Guardian Angels Outreach is a state of Texas-licensed child-placing agency and non-profit Christian foundation specializing in facilitating and expediting overseas adoptions by American families and in providing humanitarian aid to children, staff and orphanages overseas. IGAO's adoptions have been predominantly from Russia.

The Russian adoption program was developed and is directed by the foundation's president, Alexandra Goode, a naturalized U.S. citizen of Russian heritage who has a sincere desire - indeed, a passion - to help children in Russia to have a better life through adoption as well as through helping to meet the needs in the orphanages there.
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       - Counseling and training regarding international adoption
- Arranging for home studies with a licensed social worker
- Obtaining referrals of available children
- Assisting with document preparation
- Providing an interpreter during visits and court proceedings
- Assisting in obtaining passports and visas
- Arranging travel accommodations
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  OVERVIEW OF THE INTERNATIONAL ADOPTION PROCESS  
    After your decision to go forward with an adoption, you will file an Application for Adoption with IGAA followed by your filing an Application for Advance Processing of Orphan Petition (form I-600A) with the U.S. Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services (BCIS, formerly the INS). You will then be scheduled by our agency for a home study that will be done for you by our licensed social worker or by a licensed social worker in your area if you live outside of the Dallas metroplex. After the home study is finished and approved by our agency it is submitted to the BCIS for U.S Government's approval of your orphan petition.

While awaiting approval from the BCIS, you will begin preparation of all your required adoption documents - called a 'dossier' -- with the guidance and assistance from the agency and social worker staff. When completed, this dossier will be presented to the adoption officials in the foreign country by IGAA staff. The foreign officials responsible for orphans will provide information to IGAA on children eligible for international adoption. Based upon your preference(s) and your petition to the foreign government, a child (or children) will be selected which meets your request as closely as possible. The family should accept a child based upon preferences (child's age and gender) stated on the adoption application and petition to the foreign government. Only after lengthy discussion and consideration with the family should the family accept a child who is different from the initial preference. IGAA staff is available to assist the family with these decisions.

 After a child has been tentatively identified for you and you have the BCIS approval of your orphan petition, the overseas government will certify in writing that the child is eligible for international adoption by you. They will allow our on-site foreign staff to take pictures, obtain available medical reports, and receive developmental evaluation on the child as appropriate. After reviewing all the information about the child on file with the agency, parents will then be asked to sign a written agreement of acceptance of the referral. Your formal petition to the foreign government and/or court to adopt the specific child (or children) will then be completed and presented later with other documents (your dossier) to the foreign officials for their approval of your adoption of this child. The adoption authorities overseas will review your application and dossier and proceed with the legal process of adoption.

 Russia, as well as many other foreign countries, requires an initial short visit by the prospective parents to meet and observe the child in person. To accomplish this, an official invitation is then issued for the parents to visit the country and the orphan. After visiting with your child and spending time with him/her and giving your final approval for the adoption, the adoption process proceeds. You will then return to the USA where the agency staff will assist you with all remaining tasks involved in the adoption process. Primarily, you will prepare some documents that are needed in order to receive a U.S. immigrant visa for your adopted child to return with you to the U.S. After receiving a court date for your adoption from the foreign government, you will make your preparations and then travel for the court hearing. The agency will assist you in all your preparations and an agency associate will be with you in the court and afterward. Following adoption, you will obtain your child's immigrant visa at the US Embassy in the foreign country and then return to the USA with your child. Citizenship is now automatically granted to your adopted child upon arrival in the USA!