Children in need of families from Bulgaria are of all ages, but there is a specific need for families to adopt older children from Bulgaria. While not every family feels qualified or able to adopt an older child, several families in our Bulgaria program have seen the benefits of doing so.
The age range of an “older child” can vary greatly depending on the country program and agency. Normally, at MLJ Adoptions, when we talk about the adoption of an older child, we’re referring to a child over the age of six. However, in our Bulgaria program, specifically, there is an increased need for families to adopt children over the age of eight. In fact, we have older children currently in need of families, and they’re on our Waiting Child Photolisting.
In 2017, we have had two families bring home children over the age of ten years old. One family was matched with a sibling set of two children by waiting for the Central Authority in Bulgaria to match them with children. Families who are open to adopting a child or sibling group over the age of eight can expect shorter timeframes than for younger children. Families in MLJ’s Bulgaria program can decide to adopt a waiting child at any point prior to receiving a referral. (If they decide to adopt a child with different characteristics than their home study and USCIS approvals, they will need to update those documents prior to the referral being issued.)
The second family pursued the adoption of a specific child that they saw on our Waiting Child Photolisting. Families seeking to adopt older children from Bulgaria may decide to look at photolistings, not just MLJ’s, but RainbowKids, and other agencies’ as well. It’s important to remember that other families are looking at these children’s information. Children from Bulgaria who are listed on a Waiting Child Photolisting haven’t been able to be matched with any of the families currently waiting on referrals. In some cases, the children may have additional medical needs in addition to being older.
If your family is seeking to learn more about how to adopt older children from Bulgaria, we would be happy to share additional information with you. Please contact us to set up your free initial consultation.
Caitlin Snyder
Caitlin Snyder works as the Director of Marketing and Outreach for MLJ Adoptions. Working in international adoption has given Caitlin the unique opportunity to pursue both a passion to advocate on behalf of vulnerable people and a profession at the same time.
Caitlin Snyder
Caitlin Snyder works as the Director of Marketing and Outreach for MLJ Adoptions. Working in international adoption has given Caitlin the unique opportunity to pursue both a passion to advocate on behalf of vulnerable people and a profession at the same time.