Armenia
Adopting from Armenia
Hopscotch’s most successful and oldest adoption program assists in the placement of Armenian children from 6 months to 12 years of age. Children can be cleared for intercountry adoption after remaining on a government registry for a period of six months, allowing them the opportunity to return to their families of origin or to be adopted domestically. Armenian children waiting to be adopted by foreign families are referred via the Ministry of Justice, which is Armenia’s Central Adoption Authority. Common diagnoses among Armenian children eligible for intercountry adoption include Down Syndrome and other genetic syndromes, epilepsy, hydrocephalus, Dandy-Walker malformation, Agenesis of the Corpus Callosum, kidney disease/failure, microcephaly, spina bifida, and schizophrenia, encephalopathy. Armenian children in state care reside in orphanages and the care is noted as good. Families will want to know the most common health risks in Armenia include TB, Familial Mediterranean Fever, Thalassemia, Ischemia of the heart, lung and breast cancer, chronic respiratory disease, and diabetes.
Eligible Applicants
Married couples and single women of any heritage or mainstream faith are eligible to adopt children, with moderate to non-correctable special needs. Applicant family size should be no more than 2-3 children presently in the home, but each case is uniquely evaluated. While there is no law requiring a specific income for an applicant family, please speak to Hopscotch further about a potential bias for families with higher incomes. The minimum age difference between adoptive parent and child is 18 years, applied to the youngest spouse in a couple, while the maximum age difference between adoptive parent and child is 50 years, applied to the older spouse in a couple at the time of referral. Hopscotch is not currently accepting applications of families seeking to adopt a healthy child.
Program & Process
Important: The following timelines are only estimates, and are subject to change without notice, per the Armenian Central Authority.
Upon collection of the required documents, your completed dossier, including the home study and USCIS i-800A approval, is sent to Armenia and translated into Eastern Armenian. If approved upon review by the Central Authority, a family will begin the wait for a child referral meeting the parameters set forth in the family’s home study. Referral wait times vary, depending on the specific age and health criteria the prospective adoptive family has expressed.
Families open to children with non-correctable special needs should expect an expedient process. Once the Ministry of Justice refers a child to your family and makes this child known to Hopscotch, the Ministry of Justice will provide a summary of the child’s medical, social, and developmental history, photos, and a video.
Soon afterwards and if proceeding with the child presented, families will receive a travel notification for a 5-7 day trip to Armenia. You will be met at the airport by an English speaking host and reside in a private host apartment. You will be assisted every step of the way with an English-speaking representative. In-country services include a private apartment, transportation, and translator. All necessary appointments are made on your behalf. Sightseeing is optional, but we hope you take full advantage of coming to know and love Armenia.
Once there, you will meet with the Ministry of Justice and receive permission to personally meet your assigned referral. You may choose to have the referred child undergo an independent medical evaluation. Hopscotch encourages families to contract with an International Adoption Specialist to assist them in the evaluation of the referred child while in country where many questions can be answered by the orphanage director or the attending physician. If proceeding with the adoption, your official acceptance will be recorded with the Ministry of Justice.
Next, the child’s documents and your dossier begin the final approval process. This process can take approximately 3-5 months, or more. Your case file will return to the PM office for a final approval. This process can take between 1-2 months. Once your final PM approval has been obtained, our in-country partners will be permitted to obtain several documents that comprise the Article 16 package. These documents undergo a certified translation to English and are shipped to Hopscotch. This step can take 2-4 weeks.
Once Hopscotch receives your Article 16 package, we will review the contents for accuracy and completeness, complete the required documentation for the I-800 package and send a copy to you for review and edit. Once completed, Hopscotch sends your I-800 package to USCIS for processing. USCIS may take up to 2 weeks to scan and register your package in their electronic filing system. You will receive a notification of the package receipt directly from USCIS. The file is then forwarded to the National Benefits Center (NBC), where an assigned officer will review and adjudicate the pre-approval for the child you intend to adopt. NBC may take up to 90 days to complete this step.
Once NBC issues the pre-approval, a cable will be forward to the National Visa Center (NVC) and then on to the US Embassy in Yerevan. In the meantime, expect to receive a case identification and invoice numbers in about 10-12 days from your pre-approval date, which will allow Hopscotch to file the DS-260 on your behalf. After this step has been completed, the US embassy will review your file and communicate with Armenia’s Ministry of Justice. Once complete, your case will be issued an Article 5 letter and our in-country partners are invited to submit documentation on your behalf. The US embassy will then give notice and permission for your court date to be assigned.
Typically, families should expect a 2-3 week notice to arrive in Armenia for a child’s adoption hearing at the court. If married, both parents must attend court. If one parent needs to return home, a power of attorney should be left with the remaining spouse. There is a 30-day wait following court; however, the judge typically waives the period although it can still take 1-10 days to issue a favorable opinion. Timelines can never be guaranteed, families should make plans accordingly. After obtaining the court decree, the US visa process will begin and conclude in approximately 14-21 days. During this time, a newly adopted child will be in the care of his/her family.
Post Adoption Requirements
Upon arrival home, complete this Department of State’s case data verification form and make sure your social worker is aware and your first post adoption report visit has been scheduled. Keeping on schedule for your post adoption reporting is critical to the ongoing ability for other children in Armenia to have a loving family such as yours!
The Country
The ancient and historically significant country of Armenia borders Azerbaijan, Republic of Georgia and Turkey. The climate is similar to the southeastern section of the United States. The terrain is rocky and dry, as evidenced by the architecture and striking structural use of stone. Armenia is the first nation to adopt Christianity as the national faith. The primary Church is the Armenian Apostolic Church. Armenians are physically beautiful people with creamy fair to dark olive complexion, dark hair and dark eyes.
Fees
Contact Hopscotch Adoptions directly to request a fee schedule.
Recommended Reading
For Children
Armenia for Kids: Armenia by Lisa Menasian Colloca
A Weave of Words: An Armenian Tale by Robert D. San Souci & Raul Colon
The Contest: An Armenian Folktale by Nonny Hogrogian
The Golden Bracelet by David Kherdian & Nonny Horogian
Drop of Honey by Djemma Bider, Armen Kojoyian
General
The Sandcastle Girls by Chris Bohjalian
Three Apples Fell From Heaven by Micheline Aharonian
Black Dog of Fate: An American Son Uncovers His Armenian Past by Peter Balakian
The Road From Home: A True Story of Courage, Survival and Hope by David Kherdian
Armenia: Portraits of Survival and Hope by Donald E. Miller, Lorna Touryan Miller & Jerry Bernt
Edge of Time: Traveling in Armenia and Karabagh by Matthew Karanian & Robert Kurkjian
Armenia: The Bradt Travel Guide by Nicholas Holding
Armenia: A Rugged Land, an Enduring People by Lucine Kasbarian
Lonely Planet Georgia, Armenia & Azerbaijan by Tom Masters, Richard Plunkett
The Stone Garden Guide: Armenia and Karabagh by Matthew Karanian, et al
Little Armenias: The Travel Guide of the Armenian Diaspora by Ruben Mikael Koulaksezian
Armenia: A Brief History Paperback by University Press (Author)
Additional Resources
Anthony Bourdain, Parts Unknown – Armenia the Land of Noah | Full Documentaries