Bulgaria Updates
These country updates bring you the most current and up-to-date information from our program coordinators. One way of keeping you informed of what is going on in the country.
January 2010
Congratulations to our first family to complete an adoption in Bulgaria! They are now happily settling in after returning home at the end of December! We look forward to receiving news from our facilitators later this month after they attend the conference which the Ministry of Justice and the Association of the Organizations for Intercountry Adoptions (AOMO) will be holding.
Bulgarians have an old New Year’s Day tradition, survachka, during which children decorate sticks from a cornel tree with dried fruit, popcorn and colored thread. Once the sticks are decorated they go around and tap their friends and family with their stick while singing or reciting a song wishing each person a joyous, healthy and happy New Year. We are currently accepting applications from families hoping to adopt children 7 years and older and/or children with moderate to severe Special Needs. If you have any questions, please contact Allie Weldon.
December 2009
In November court was successfully completed for our first family to adopt from Bulgaria, we anticipate that this family will travel to complete their adoption later this month. We look forward to what is anticipated to be a busy 2010 in Bulgaria as new staff has adjusted to their positions and new laws are in place. We are currently accepting applications from families hoping to adopt children 7 years and older and/or children with moderate to severe Special Needs. If you have any questions, please contact Allie Weldon.
November 2009
October was an exciting month in Sofia as the new Intercountry Adoption Council held its first (and subsequent) meetings! The foreign organization that we work with, Happy Child is currently going through the process of reaccreditation. Over the past twelve months, more and more families have decided to pursue a Bulgarian adoption, thus the wait to be matched with a younger child is increasing. We are currently accepting applications from families hoping to adopt children 7 years and older and/or children with moderate to severe Special Needs. If you have any questions, please contact Allie Weldon.
September 2009
It is anticipated that matching sessions will resume this month with the new Ministry of Justice staff. The new Minister is Margarita Papova and the new Deputy Minister (responsible for adoptions) is Daniela Masheva. CAS will share with our families the results of the next matching session as soon as they are released. We are hopeful that adoptions will continue to be processed as successfully as they were under the former Ministry staff. Families who are hoping to adopt a child 5 years and older and/or a child with Special Needs will experience a significantly shorter wait. We are accepting additional families in this wonderful program; please contact Allie Weldon for additional information!
August 2009
We are thrilled to share that our first family has now traveled to Bulgaria! The family thought the orphanage was nice, warm, and cheery and the caregivers really care about the children there. The family was also very appreciative and impressed with our in-country facilitators’ assistance during their trip. Although adoption activity typically slows down during the summer months, the IAC and the MOJ continue to work to find the best match for the hundreds of Bulgarian children waiting for their forever families. Those families who are hoping to adopt a child 5 years and older and/or a child with Special Needs will experience a significantly shorter wait. We are accepting additional families in this wonderful program. Please contact Allie Weldon for additional information!
July 2009
We are thrilled to share that our first family will travel to complete their first trip to Bulgaria at the end of July! The Bulgarian Parliament elections were held on July 5th. Overall adoption activity has slowed down as a result of the elections. In June, the new Family Code was passed. One of the significant changes that relate to adoptions becomes effective October 1st; children may be eligible for international adoption at 6 months rather than 12 months provided there has not been any contact from the birth family. The changes to the Family Code demonstrate how the well-being of the children is always at the forefront! We have a handful of spots remaining in this wonderful program, please contact Allie, for additional information!
June 2009
Adoptions in Bulgaria have slowed down a bit as a result of the European Union elections. The Bulgarian Parliament elections are also being held this summer on July 5th. It is anticipated that adoption activity will resume soon. We are hopeful that the IAC will continue to meet on a regular basis to match waiting children with their forever families. Please contact Allie for more information about adopting from Bulgaria.
May 2009
Our Bulgaria adoption program is currently full as we wait for our first few families to complete their adoptions. However, we are accepting applications from families who are hoping to adopt older children (10 years and older) and/or children with special needs. We have been informed that the Minister of Justice has committed to matching children with families whose dossiers were submitted in 2005 by the end of June. This is great news as the number of dossiers that were submitted in 2006 and 2007, approximately 230, are far less than those submitted in 2005. We are hopeful that the IAC will continue to meet on a regular basis to match waiting children with their forever families. For more information about the Bulgaria adoption program, contact Allie Weldon.
To view past Bulgaria adoption program updates, please see our CAS Publications page and click on Monthly Country Updates.