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Process

In 2003, Bulgaria ratified the Hague Convention on Inter-Country Adoption, and created a new adoption system based strictly on the Bulgarian Family Code. The Bulgarian government requires the adoption process to be completed only by accredited Bulgarian adoption agencies. CHOICES established a professional relationship with Association "CHILDREN UNDER THE RAINBOW" which is fully licensed by the Bulgarian Ministry of Justice to operate as an intercountry adoption intermediary.

CHILDREN UNDER THE RAINBOW is a non-profit, non-governmental organization operating in a variety of welfare activities. The Association’s team of professionals has been working in the field of intercountry adoptions since 1992. Its Director is a lawyer, and his team includes lawyers, translators, psychologists, pedagogues and paediatricians.

Upon completion and approval of the homestudy, applicants will be ready to proceed with the preparation of your dossier for Bulgaria. CHOICES will provide a complete list of requirements, and will process the documents as follows:

  1. Assembling and notarizing dossier
  2. Authentication with Order In Council and Society of Notaries Public, as needed
  3. Authentication with Department of Foreign Affairs
  4. Legalization with Russian Consulate in Ottawa
  5. Notarization
  6. Courier to Bulgaria

Processing the dossier generally takes several weeks. Once the dossier is received in Bulgaria, it is translated and submitted to the Ministry of Justice, and applicants are officially on the wait list.

When a child is matched, applicants receive notification from CHOICES or your Provincial Ministry representatives, and are asked to review the information with an international medical specialist. If they chose to proceed with the referral, a travel date is discussed and travel preparation begins.

Applicants will be well supported by CHILDREN UNDER THE RAINBOW in Bulgaria for the duration of the trips. They will arrange hotel reservation, transportation, translation, and any other services that are required during the stays. They also ensure continued communication between CHOICES, the Ministry of Justice in Bulgaria, and any other agency as required and throughout the adoption process.

During the first trip to Bulgaria, which usually lasts approximately 5 business days, applicants will meet the Ministry Justice; the orphanage staff, director, and doctor; and of course the child. You should have the opportunity to ask many questions about the child’s health status and any other information that is available. At the end of the trip, applicants will be asked to sign the acceptance documents, which triggers the adoption process.

Upon arrival to Canada, a second set of documents is prepared for submission to court. The wait time between trips may vary, but is approximately three months.

Upon receipt of the court order approving the adoption, a second trip is prepared, during which adoptive parents can take custody of the child. A new birth certificate and passport are issued and the family can now apply to Citizenship and Immigration Canada for the child’s visa, and return home once it is issued.

Four post placement reports are required to be completed by a social worker once per year for four years after the adoption.