How to adopt a newborn in Ukraine

Adopting a child is a difficult task in practice for ordinary citizens, especially during martial law in the country.

Especially if the issue concerns children who were abandoned in the maternity hospital.

Where to apply and how it is possible to adopt a baby in Ukraine - experts from the Prikhodko and Partners law office will tell you about these legal aspects, with the mandatory consideration of the current provisions of regulatory and legal acts.

What are the peculiarities of adopting babies in Ukraine?

First of all, it should be noted that the provisions of the Family Code of Ukraine enshrine the legal obligation of the biological parents of a child, who have officially entered into marriage, to take the child from the maternity hospital or any other medical institution.

At the same time, such an obligation also arises:

• Citizens who are not in an officially registered marriage with each other;
• Citizens who are close relatives of the newborn child (for example, grandfather, grandmother, brother or sister, etc.), but under conditions, if the biological parents do not take their own child for a long time. Also, in order for close relatives to have the right to pick up a newborn child, they need to obtain the appropriate permission from the territorial guardianship and guardianship authorities.

Pay attention! Biological parents are released from their obligation to take a newborn child only when he has serious problems in his own mental or physical development, as well as in the presence of other significant circumstances (for example, natural phenomena, circumstances of force majeure or force majeure, etc.).

If, for a long time, no one has come to pick up a baby who is in the maternity hospital, then this child is considered to have been deprived of parental care, and therefore is subject to adoption by citizens of Ukraine.

In addition, Art. 209 of the Family Code of Ukraine distinguishes between two types of adoption of babies from the maternity hospital, namely:

• a baby who was permanently abandoned in a maternity hospital or medical institution by his biological parents or other close relatives (or such citizens refused to take this child)- in this case, the newborn child can be adopted from the moment it reaches 2 months of age;
• a baby who was abandoned and found on the territory of a medical facility or maternity hospital- in this case, the newborn child can be adopted from the moment when 2 months have passed since it was found by the relevant employees of the health care institution.

Thus, these terms are established by Ukrainian legislation in order for the biological parents of the child or her close relatives to have enough time to make a final decision about whether they will take the newborn back into the family and fully raise and support it.

Pay attention! In any of the above cases, the employees of the medical institution or the representatives of the National Police are obliged to draw up an appropriate act, in which they indicate all the known circumstances under which the child was left or dropped in the maternity hospital (time, place, date), as well as information about the person, who found her. It is on the basis of this document that further placement of a newborn child in family-type childcare facilities will be carried out.

When the 2-month period expires, already then citizens have the right to initiate the procedure for adopting a newborn child from applications go to the territorial service for children, and then to the judicial authorities of the 1st instance.

How can our company help?

Law office "Prikhodko and partners" provides comprehensive support in solving any issues that directly are related to the field of family law of Ukraine, as we have only qualified lawyers with many years of experience in this field of legal relations.

At the same time, our company always takes into account the individual needs of customers and acts only within the framework of current Ukrainian legislation.

By contacting our office, you will be able to get proper legal support and be satisfied with the result of the case.

To get legal advice or a detailed price calculation for adopting a child in Ukraine - fill out the form below and a professional lawyer will contact you soon!