Before I traveled to Russia for my first adoption in 1999, my agency had sent me a video of my older son and a large packet of medical information that had been compiled by the baby home. The situation was much the same in 2004, when I got the referral for my younger son, and the medical information was even more detailed. Yes, there were some worrisome details, and I may write more about them sometime, but I had quite a lot to go on. The journalist in me felt very comforted by all the information I had, and the fact that I could evaluate it at length before I accepted the referral.

But now, because of the upheaval in Russian adoptions, a lot of people are traveling blind--no information... more

The new gardening catalogs are arriving in force. Nourse Farms, Stark Bros., Seeds of Change, Burpee, White Flower Farm, Breck's, Van Bourgondien …

What does this have to do with adopting from Russia? They all kept me from going over the hedge during my second adoption.

My first adoption, in 1999, moved along faithfully from marker milestone to marker milestone like Thomas the Tank Engine. The agency said I'd have my homestudy approved at three months after I started, and I did. They said I'd get my referral at nine months... more

After putting in 3 hours of ice skating Saturday (see what happens when you adopt kids from Russia!), I unwound by reading a few Russian adoption blogs.

I was catching up on Russian Adoption Journey, which chronicles one New Jersey couple's effort to adopt two children (they are just about headed home!). One particular episode struck a note of recognition with me: Their efforts to get an apostille in New Jersey on an employment letter written in Texas.

A what, you ask?

This... more

I have traveled to Russia three times for adoptions: A three-week trip in 1999, a one-week first trip in May 2005 and a 10-day second trip in September 2005. I can distill the essential elements of first visit travel into these five points:

1) Be ready to fly on short notice. You have been waiting, sometimes not so patiently, for weeks and months to travel. Your agency has told you, more than once, not yet. Then suddenly on a Friday afternoon you get the call--be on a plane next Thursday. You hand your boss your... more

So you've decided to adopt from Russia--congratulations! Now, who's going to help you do it?

Picking the right agency is, in my opinion, the key to a successful adoption. Note my emphasis on "agency". Yes, I know of successful adoptions that have been done through independent intermediaries. But as Russia moves closer to full implementation of the Hague Convention On Intercountry Adoption, the wide-open days of the independents are drawing to a close. You need an agency. To find the right one, start by asking these 10 questions:

1) When was this agency accredited in Russia? 2) How long... more

It happened just before Christmas. A sad tale of an American family stranded by their adoption intermediaries. This family had worked for two years to welcome a new child to their family. Now instead of building a life with that child, they are suing their former agency, alleging it did not have the proper credentials at the time they began to work with it. Nobody wants their adoption journey to end like that.

What are the proper credentials? The most important word for anybody... more

This is the kind of story I wish I read more often: What becomes of child after he or she was adopted from Russia.

It popped up in the "The Oshkosh Northwestern", thanks my trusty Google Alerts. Confession: I have never read "The Oshkosh Northwestern" before, but I did spend a few days in the charming town this past summer when I took my kids there to see the gigantic EAA AirVenture show. There... more

Laura at "Confessions of a Russian Adoption" got some very good news this past week: a court date! That's something that a lot of people are waiting for these days, so we'll give a collective cheer in her family's honor.

My first court hearing, in 1999, was vastly different than the hearing that cemented my second adoption in 2005. The first hearing lasted 30 minutes, and if memory serves, it was just me, my agency rep, someone from the baby home, the judge and the court secretary. The adoption of my second child... more

On December 27, the upper house of Russia's parliament passed a long-awaited maternity incentive bill. I know there has been a lot of concern on Russia chat boards about the impact of this law--worries that it signaled the start of a crackdown on international adoptions. But I think it is good news for prospective Russian adoption parents, and here's why.

The new law will, it is true, give money to Russian families that have a second child. The amount, which will be deposited into... more

This morning, my colleague Theresa of the Adoptive Parenting Blog tackled the vexing issue of the cost of adoptions. Her post covered some of the issues in the United States, and I'd like to add some thoughts about Russia.

The fees, at first can seem daunting, ranging from about $19,000 at latest check to about $30,000. And these costs have been heavily criticized by some Russian politicians, who cite them as evidence that children are being "sold" to foreigners, since adoption in Russia, is free. That's right, if you were a Russian living in Russia your cost, in theory, would be zero. I say... more