Factsheet, Page 2
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ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS FOR ADOPTIVE PARENTS: There must be a minimum of 18 years between adoptive parents and child. Adoptive parents cannot be over the age of 50. In addition, international adoption of Lithuanian children is generally restricted to married couples. A single parent may be considered in exceptional cases when 1) the individual has been the foster parent of the particular child to be adopted, 2) the child has extremely serious health problems, or 3) the child is older and unable to be placed with another family.
The Government of Lithuania publishes a list of medical conditions which would disqualify a prospective adoptive parent from adopting in Lithuania. The list is maintained on the Adoptions Agency's website and includes: dipsomania (a form of alcoholism), drug addiction "absent steady remission", mental diseases (not specified), AIDS, HIV positive status, infectious tuberculosis, chronic kidney insufficiency when dialysis is obligatory, Alzheimer's disease, Huntington's chorea, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease), epilepsy with mental and personality changes, "multi-degeneration", and third or fourth stage cancer.
RESIDENTIAL REQUIREMENTS: There are no residency requirements for prospective adoptive parents in Lithuania.
TIME FRAME: Once a family is approved to adopt, it can take several years for a child eligible for international adoption to be matched with prospective adoptive parents’ preferences. After a referral has been made and accepted, an adoption petition can be filed with the court, there is a 40-day waiting period from the time an adoption petition is filed with the judge and when it becomes final.
ADOPTION AGENCIES AND ATTORNEYS: Prospective adoptive parents may contact the U.S. Embassy in Lithuania to obtain a list oflocal attorneysactive in Lithuanian adoption. Neither the U.S. Department of State nor the U.S. Embassy in Lithuania can make any claims to the efficacy or professionalism of these attorneys.
NOTE: Citizens of those countries which have not ratified the Hague Convention of 1993 on the Protection of Children and Cooperation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption, but comply with its requirements, may be represented by the adoption agencies or other accredited body of their State. Under Lithuanian laws such agencies or accredited body must submit a copy of their license permitting them to work in the sphere of intercountry adoption. The license must be issued by the State Authority and according to the laws of that State in which this agency functions. The adoptive parents, whose interests they represent, must authorize these agencies to act on their behalf.
The Lithuanian Adoption Agency has a co-operative agreement with several overseas adoption agencies. The current list is available at the Lithuanian Adoption Agency web site at http://www.ivaikinimas.lt./
Prospective adopting parents are advised to fully research any adoption agency or facilitator they plan to use for adoption services. For U.S.- based agencies, it is suggested that prospective adopting parents contact the Better Business Bureau and licensing office of the Department of Health and Family Services in the state where the agency is located.
Please seeImportant Notice Regarding Adoption Agents and Facilitatorsat our Web sitetravel.state.gov.
ADOPTION FEES IN LITHUANIA: There is a 100 Lt filing fee with the court for the adoption hearing. Adoptive parents can expect to pay adoption agencies for services rendered. Reliable information on the total average cost of an adoption from Lithuania is not available at this time.
Credits: U.S. Department of State
