There's a busy thread on the Russian Adoption forum now started by a member looking for the best region for her adoption plans. She's getting a lot of interesting feedback, and since Russia has 86 governing subdivisions that are potential locations for an adoption, it's an interesting question to ask.

Back in 1999, at the time of my first adoption, I don't recall ever worrying about--or even selecting--a region. I ended up in Vladivostok, and things worked out fine. But in 2004, when I started on my second adoption, I limited my choices to places that only required a single trip. For my agency, that was Kazan and Sakhalin, if I remember correctly. Single trips aren't an option now, so if I were starting an adoption in Russia today I would add these five questions about regions to the 10 basic questions I would ask of any agency I was considering. You will note that some of them seem similar. This is one of the key points of journalism: Ask the same question in different ways and listen to the answers.

1. Is this a "blind" referral region? As I have written, many regions have interpreted Russia's new rules on adoption to mean that they may only give information on a child to the prospective parents in person, and not to their agency. Parents are said to travel to these regions "blind". But some regions still give information that you can evaluate before leaving the United States. You should think about which approach is most comfortable for you.

2. How long has your agency been working in this region? Good relationships and experience are the keys to a successful adoption. If an agency has been working in an area for a while, the chances are greater that it knows the important officials there and is better informed about the conditions in the orphanages and their children.

3. Why did your agency pick this region to work with? Again, this answer should help you learn about relationships and expertise. The more of both your agency has, the better.

4. What makes this region adoption friendly? No agency will tell you categorically that the judges in a region always wave the 10-day waiting period after the adoption hearing. This, like much else in Russian adoptions, can change on a moment's notice. And even within a region that generally waives the waiting period, there can be judges that interpret the law more strictly. But this answer should give you cues about the region's attitude toward child welfare.

5. What is travel to this region like? Russia is a vast place--Sakhalin was a nine-hour flight from Moscow. But at least it is a direct flight. Other regions may mean long train rides followed by long car rides. If you are not a good traveler, you may want to factor this into your decision making.