1. Meet Your Adoption Specialist and Complete a New Client Packet

If you’re ready to apply for our Bulgaria program, fill out the application here | New Window.

Once your application is submitted and approved, an adoption specialist will be assigned to your family. Your adoption specialist will be your primary contact to answer questions, provide information, and support your family throughout the adoption process.

2. Complete Pre-Adoptive Training

Training and preparation are absolutely essential for a successful adoption, and at Gladney, we’re proud to offer some of the most comprehensive and meaningful training opportunities available. As part of your adoption process, you’ll complete both pre-adoptive training, child specific training, and participate in Gladney’s exclusive Pathways training | New Window held at our Fort Worth campus.

These trainings are a true benefit—an investment in your family’s long-term success. They deepen your understanding of the adoption journey and the unique needs of children, while equipping you with the skills and confidence to provide a safe, nurturing, and stable home. Our approach is trauma-informed and child-centered, ensuring you receive the very best preparation possible. We take great pride in empowering our prospective adoptive parents with the tools they need to thrive as they welcome a child into their lives.

3. Complete an International Home Study

If you live in a Gladney-licensed state, your adoption specialist will assign a home study worker to your case. The home study department will then contact you directly to schedule appointments. As of 2024, Gladney home studies service hopeful adoptive parents in Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, and Texas. If you live in one of these listed states and are ready to start your home study, fill out our home study form here | New Window.

If you do not live in a Gladney-licensed state, you will need to choose a home study provider who meets Gladney’s criteria. Check with your adoption specialist to ensure your home study will be eligible for the adoption process.

4. Choose Your Tract (Waiting Child or Traditional Program)

Traditional Program

In the Traditional Program, families create a dossier detailing the characteristics of the child they are eligible to adopt (See Step 6). The Ministry of Justice (MOJ) then reviews this dossier and provides the family with a referral. Children eligible through this program generally have less severe special needs than those in the Waiting Child Program.

Waiting Child Program

In the Waiting Child Program, families express interest in a specific child from the Waiting Child list by submitting commitment paperwork to the Ministry of Justice (MOJ). Upon approval, the family is asked to provide a dossier for the child. Throughout this period, Gladney continues to advocate for the child until the family has an approved and valid home study. This program often includes children with more complex special needs.

5. Prepare your Dossier

Your adoption specialist and Gladney support staff will guide you through the dossier process. A dossier is a collection of essential documents for adoption. It could include an application letter, home study report, notarized references, certified birth and marriage certificates, medical reports, FBI fingerprints, USCIS approval, and various agreements and photos. These documents give adoption authorities a complete overview of your family.

6. Travel to Bulgaria

Adoptive parents must make two trips to Bulgaria. After receiving the official referral, the family will travel for a 5-day visit to meet the child (this does not include 2-3 days of travel time).

If the hopeful adoptive parents decide to proceed, the adoption process will start in Bulgaria while the immigration/visa process (I-800) takes place in the US. Once both countries complete their steps, the final trip to Bulgaria will be scheduled to unite the family and complete the visa process. This trip lasts about 7-10 days and typically occurs 3-4 months following the first trip. Gladney and our Bulgarian partners will coordinate all travel appointments.