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Originally Posted By Darcia

  We got our 2 boys (then 6 & 11) from an orphanage in Haiti. They were very reasonably priced. I paid $7,500 for three kids plus our stateside costs, which were around $2,000. I did have to stay a month for finalization, but I don't think that's always the case. The orphanage was (still is) notoriously slow.

  Of course, there are always risks. Our daughter is still there and just now (4 years later) declared "unadoptable" for lack of proper documentation. The money spent on her will never be refunded. Not to mention the heartache of a "stillborn" adoption and a child still in our hearts we will never hold.

  However, I would do it again in a heartbeat. Our boys are a joy (most days!). The older is MMR and has emotional problems, but it's so worth the challenges. The younger boy has fully recovered from his institutionalization (is that a word?) and shows not ill effects. He's sharp as a tack and leads his class at school.

  I understand being broke and looking for a way to make it happen. Just don't give up and someday it will. Then you will have the privilege of watching the world open up for a child who has nothing. To be a part of a little life is great joy.