We went the international route, through Russia. World Links,
http://www.wl-adoption.com , an adoption agency in Scranton, PA, runs a summer program and a holiday program so you can actually meet the kids prior to deciding whether to adopt or not. We hosted Ivan and Kristina during the summer of 2001. Within 3 minutes of having them in our home, we knew that they had to be ours forever. One family was living in NYC and found out quickly that the boy that they were hosting was a "country boy" and wasn't taking too well to city life. They let him go to another family who has had a wonderful experience with him and he now lives on about 20 acres with horses and dogs, etc. It's nice to get to "test drive" the kids and to let them "test drive" you, too. Our kids were originally with a family in central PA and hated it. They told the agency that they wanted to find a different family. When they found us, they didn't want to have to return to Russia until the process was completed. In the airport at JFK, Ivan was trying to sell his ticket to another man so he could stay home with us.
The process took 7 months for us. We started it in March, hosted the children in July/August, and had our court hearing on 10/22/01. We had to travel to Russia. Those who get their 10-day waiting period waived are back in the US in a week. We, of course, didn't get ours waived, so we stayed there for 3-weeks. It was interesting, to say the least, and a very good way for us to fully understand from where our children came.
I have never longed for the opportunity to carry and deliver a child. I have always said to my DH that I thought that the "right" way to have a child was to go to an agency, sign some papers and take it home with you.
That's not how all women feel, but that's how it is for me. Our kids were 5 and 6 when they came to live with us. I loved that they were past the diaper stage and that they could communicate with me when they had a problem. I studied Russian for the 7-months we waited for them. I think that it helped in our transition, but I know that I am the exception to the rule and most people only learn to say "da" and "nyet." It took the kids 3 months to speak fluent English and now, when I ask them a question in Russian they have no idea what I'm asking. We put them right into regular classes in a parochial school since I didn't want to send them to ESL classes in the school district they'd have to be shipped to. Our own district didn't offer ESL (English as a Second Language) when we completed our adoption.
I have never regretted that we got the two kids at once. It was hard at first. We were jet-lagged and needed to find a routine even though everyone was coming over to see the kids all the time. I knew I wanted a boy and a girl. I knew that I wanted to stop at 2 kids. Our kids are full-blood brother and sister, which we think is an added benefit, although not necessary. We know so many people whom we met who are going back for another child since they only adopted one from the start. One couple even found out that their DD has a brother that is eligible for adoption. They are awaiting word on their court date to adopt him, too.
Our adoptions cost about $27K. Remember, that you get an adoption tax credit, too. That's a credit, not a deduction and is now at $10K per child, adjusted for income.
If you want more information about World Links, or Russian adoption, PM me. My DH now sits on the advisory board of this agency. We are very pro-adoption and very pro-World Links.
). I can't see many people with that kind of cash just ready to be spent.
