Our Mission

We are a non-profit, volunteer-run support organization for adoptive families with children from Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Republics. FRUA INC, Washington State is a regional chapter of National FRUA INC. Our families have found that there is no roadmap to guide parents of adopted children from these countries, so we've turned to the real experts - other families.

We have families who have adopted from Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Bulgaria, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Romania, Russia and Ukraine (as well as China, India, Guatemala, Taiwan and Thailand).  

Some of our children were adopted as infants, some as pre-schoolers, some as school-aged kids, and even some as teens. Our children's' ethnic heritages include Slavic, Romani (Gypsy), Asian, Turkic, and a variety of native cultures. Our children have a variety of abilities, disabilities, and challenges.

Adoption is a never-ending journey... and our chapter has families in the "research", "waiting to travel", "just home", and "been home a long time" stages of the journey.  Connections between adoptive families are invaluable.  We organize activities that help families connect with each other.  We also can assist parents in preparing for the adoption experience, help after they return home and offer continued support in the future.

Organization Goals

From it's beginnings in 1994 as a local parent group to its growth as an international, multi-chapter support resource, FRUA INC continues to focus on the following goals:

· To improve the lives of children

· To strengthen families

· To share the culture and heritage of our children

· To provide peer group support for our children

· To provide peer group support for parents

· To promote a reality-based perception of our children

· To promote orphanage support to help children who remain in the orphanage system from which our children have come.

Family Support and Resources

As adoptive parents, FRUA INC members know the joys and the challenges that come with international adoption and can support other families in their adoption journey.  That's why FRUA INC focuses on these benefits:

A relationship structure that nurtures adopted children and their parents, providing hope for the challenging parenting stages, help when you need it and a community with which to celebrate.

A multi-layered, understanding community of international adoptive families who relate on the personal, regional chapter and national level, as well as through on line communities.

Extensive family support resources that focus on supporting families adopting in Russia, Eastern Europe and Central Asia, from the pre-adoptive and adoption journey through the all-important post-adoption life stages.

Access to relevant and current educational and development resources, including conducting an annual, nationally-recognized Education Conference where national and international experts present the latest findings directly to FRUA INC families.

Strong, cultural support that recognizes and celebrates the rich heritage of our children's birth countries.

Access to information about resources to help parents advocate in school systems on behalf of our children's capabilities and provide access to research information on the treatments and therapies that can help those children who need them live more fruitful lives.  This is available at FRUA INC's local and National levels.

Local newsletters, e-group online community, social and informative gatherings, networking , play dates, singles support group, a heritage camp and cultural events.