Bulgaria

Who can adopt from Bulgaria?

  • Married couples and single people may adopt from Bulgaria.
  • Adoptive parents must be at least fifteen (15) years older than the child to be adopted.
  • Upon consideration, Bulgaria often shows a great flexibility (in age of parents and family size) for children with special needs, sibling groups, and those at risk of ‘aging out’ of the younger orphanages, requiring them to move to orphanages for older children.  
  • Additional stipulations may be determined by your government to apply for an orphan visa if you live outside of the United States. 


Who are the Children in Bulgaria that need Adoption?

  • Children from Bulgaria may need to be placed in families through international adoption due to economic hardship, lack of acceptance of unwed mothers and medical reasons where parents lack the financial resources to meet the needs of their biological children.
  • Children are 12 months of age to school-age children.  
  • Children are primarily of Roma ethnicity or decent (and may include those of Turkish heritage). Children of fair appearance cannot be specified.
  • Sibling groups and children with special needs are waiting for families

 

Two trips are required (one to visit and one to bring the child home, approximately one week each). 

The process is not considered started until your dossier arrives in the country; the time to receive the referral is 6-18 months depending on age and gender of child desired. Referrals will be given by priority to and balanced by several variables; order of dossier received, child you are requesting (age, gender, health status), and the needs of the child will be placed first. Once the referral is accepted, the adoption will take approximately four to six months to complete. When the adoption is complete, parents can return to Bulgaria to bring the child home or the child can be escorted home by MLJ staff.


Why adopt from Bulgaria?

The Bulgarian adoption process is very stable and predictable. Bulgaria is party to the Hague Convention and has a very transparent adoption process. Innovative programs like The Grandmother From The Heart have helped children form attachments to caregivers, helping them to be better adjusted.
 
Bulgarian children who need families through international adoption are typically of Roma descent – or commonly referred to as a “gypsy” child.  While the word “gypsy” to us may drum up images of romantic and colorful fortune-telling characters, in Eastern Europe it is an extremely derogatory term and the Roma people are highly discriminated against. They are often thought of as highly uneducated, thieves, or social parasites. These children are not typically adopted by Bulgarian families.
 
In reality, these beautiful children with dark soulful eyes are born to families that may be uneducated, poor, and have little opportunity as a result of discrimination. Their parents receive very little access to basic public services, such as health care, public transportation, or sanitation. Due to poverty, the majority of Bulgarian children, upwards of 90% are abandoned at birth. Their lack of prenatal care often is the perfect setting to cause an onslaught of special needs. These special needs are often treatable or correctible in the United States.
 

Why use MLJ to adopt from Bulgaria?

MLJ is Hague approved, bonded and licensed. Additionally both our foreign and domestic staff include attorneys who are well versed in the international adoption process with full understanding of both Bulgarian law as well as the US Federal orphan code and visa regulations. Employing the services of in house attorneys, means that everyone involved in your adoption process understanding the requirements to obtain an adoption decree in Bulgaria. To date, MLJ has not had any orphan visas denied! 
 
MLJ domestic staff travels to Bulgaria once a year or has the staff from Bulgaria travel to the US to keep abreast of the latest information available and to keep the program running smoothly. We know firsthand that keeping  up to date on the most current information available and staying personally involved in each of our programs makes our programs more efficient and is of vital importance.
 
Why choose MLJ? We strive to do our best for you during your adoption process and keep abreast of all the current issues. We are a team of committed professionals, many of which are adoptive parents that personally know what you are experiencing and can relate to your adoption journey. The staff at MLJ personally cares about families and orphans. 
 
To learn more about Bulgaria please request information. General fee information regarding the Bulgarian adoption program (updated February 2013) can be found here. 

Country information is to be considered general information and subject to change. The information is based upon state, federal, foreign, and international law, as well as our own business policies.