[sak9645]

1. First off, relatively few countries allow escort. Most require at least one parent to travel and finalize the adoption in-country. As an example, Russia requires both parents to travel. China requires at least one parent to travel.

2. If a country allows escort, your agency will arrange to have your child escorted. The escort is often someone from the agency -- staffer or adoptive parent -- or from the foreign welfare institution.

3. You will usually pay the escort's round trip airfare and your child's airfare, plus the cost of lodging, meals, etc. This generally works out to less than the cost of travel, simply because the escort does not stay in the foreign country more than a day or two, and because only one adult is traveling.

4. The escort will usually bring the child to a major international airport -- not directly to your city, unless he/she happens to be going there. If you don't live near an international airport, you may have to fly or drive some distance.

5. Depending on the country, escort can extend the process by anywhere from a week to a month or more. Check with an agency working in the country of your choice.

6. I would strongly recommend travel instead of escort. The visit to your child's country is the trip of a lifetime. You will develop memories that you can use, as your child grows, to help him gain an appreciation of his/her birth culture.

Sharon