Last Wednesday there was a surprise in our email inbox from our adoption agency that we were not expecting. The profile of a sweet little one with special needs needing a family. She seemed to be a good match for our family. We asked for more information on her health and history and it all seemed promising.
We decided to have a international adoption doctor at our local pediatric hospital look over her records, pictures and a short video. This being a big step as it is a costly exam. Even so, we felt confident that this doctor’s experience and input would be invaluable to our ultimate decision.
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The adoption authority in Bulgaria is The Ministry of Justice and is located in the capital city of Sofia. Married couples and singe people may adopt from Bulgaria and there is no length of marriage or age requirement. There is also great flexibility in the age of parents and family size when adopting a special needs, sibling group or older children. Adoptive parents need to be at least 15 years older than the adopted child and there may be additional requirements for adoptive families living outside the United States determined by the family’s government.
Contemporary households commonly consist of married couples or couples with children. Three generations living in one home is also very common with grandparents caring for children, cleaning, cooking and shopping. This being a necessity as both parents need to work to support the family in most urban areas. Another contributing factor is the housing shortage in Bulgaria.
Bulgaria is a beautiful and diverse culture filled with traditions that root back centuries and have stood the test of time. Our hope and prayer as a family is to weave Bulgarian traditions and customs into our own family rhythms and daily life. To celebrate similarities and differences and the unique beauty that each individual possesses as valuable and dearly loved children of God.
Since 1879 the capital of Bulgaria has been Sofia. In touring this city one would discover that it is not only the largest city and the hub of political affairs but a cornucopia of culture and history. One would witness stark contrasts between the many eras and cultures represented throughout the city as well as visual and tangible reminders at every turn of this city’s ancient origins.
Even with this hope of freedom now becoming a reality for Bulgaria they would have a long, hard road ahead to bring healing to a nation divided over its Communist past. From 1990 through 1997 Bulgaria had its first experience with democracy with Zhelyu Zhelev of the Union of Democratic Forces as the first postwar noncommunist president. Nevertheless the 1990’s were marked by constant public unrest and political instability. The economy in crisis but forging forward into the free-market after the collapse of the Soviet system.![I Am the Lucky One [Printable]](https://i0.wp.com/www.magnoliaheart.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/printable_i_am_the_lucky_one_square.jpg?fit=500%2C500&ssl=1&resize=40%2C40){kind=small}