Married couples and single women may adopt. Latvia has no age specifications.
This is primarily a program for adoption of older children (ages 8 and above), sibling groups, or children with special needs. Most of the older children available through the Latvia program are primarily healthy.
After the Latvian Ministry receives your dossier documents, they put your file in a line according to your preferences for the child or children you want to adopt. Parents hoping to adopt children with special needs, children over age 10, or children in large sibling groups can have a relatively short wait. Parents wanting one healthy child under age 8 may wait much longer. It is difficult to predict exactly how long your wait will be, and it depends on a number of factors, including the number of parents with cases already in line ahead of you at the Latvian Ministry. The important thing to remember is that the Latvian Ministry is making every effort to find the best home for each child. That means that they will be working to match you with the best child for your family and your situation.
After receiving your application and application fee we will assist you in making preparations for your home study, U.S. Immigration documents and all other necessary documents (your dossier). After Latvia receives your dossier, it will be translated and processed. Your family will be placed on a waiting list with other prospective families. Your turn will be determined by the age, gender, and availability of the children. Once a referral is issued you may accept or decline the recommendation. We do caution families not to decline more than three referrals since waiting periods are usually dramatically extended as a result. Although two to three trips are required, one parent may travel alone on the third trip to bring the child home. The first trip takes approximately two weeks. On this trip, both parents will meet and spend time with the child. On the second trip, parents will appear in Latvian court, where the adoption will be finalized. After this court hearing, Latvia requires a 20-day waiting period before the child will be able to leave with adoptive parents. Adoptive parents may stay in Latvia during that wait time, or may return to Latvia approximately 3 weeks later to obtain the child’s US visa and return with the child to the US.
Adoption Fees: $13,500
**We recommend an $8,000-$10,000 travel allowance for two-parent families.**
At your request, Premier Adoption Agency will gladly make available the following information: (a) the number of our adoption placements per year for the prior three calendar years, and the number and percentage of those placements that remain intact, are disrupted, or have been dissolved as of the time the information is provided; and (b) the number of parents who apply to adopt on a yearly basis, based on the last three calendar years. Premier Adoption Agency does not currently have any waiting child program. Parents who apply for adoption through programs with Premier Adoption Agency will not be referred a child for placement until a child becomes available through the appropriate Central Authority in the child’s country of origin.
