[need_answers]

My husband and I are investigating the possibility of adopting from the Republic of Georgia. If anyone here has done that, we'd really like to hear about your experience: what the children are like, the wait time, the paperwork, and any other information that might be helpful.

[sak9645]

You can find the details on the website of the U.S. State Department, at Georgia.

Be aware that, at least in the recent past, there was a good deal of opposition to international adoption in Georgia. One public official actually said that it would be better for a child to die in Georgia than to be placed with an overseas family and lose his/her birth culture.

The good news, however, is that this is a Hague country. While the paperwork will be greater -- and you should pay very careful attention to the warnings in red on the State Department site -- there is greater assurance that the process will be ethical and that the rights of the child, his/her birth family, and your adoptive family will be protected.


Sharon

[Boulderbabe]

Hi---I just got back from spending almost 18 months in Georgia. It's a great country, and my son and I really enjoyed our time there.

Right now, Georgia's in the middle of a big UNICEF-funded child welfare reform project. Most kids who were in state-run orphanages are being sent out to foster homes, which will basically keep them for their entire childhoods. Georgia really frowns on foreign adoption, and the only ones I've heard of in the last few years were of kids with significant special needs.

If you're interested, you might check out UNICEF's website and read what they've got about child welfare reform. Although there's some talk of re-legalizing foreign adoptions, my guess is that it would be an extremely difficult and expensive process, unless you are looking for a special needs child.

(And, I have to tell you---basically everything in Georgia is run on a totally ad hoc basis, so you can expect plenty of frustration and delay if you get involved with any of the government ministries.)

[Boulderbabe]

PS: Have you seen their alphabet? It's wild.

გაუმარჯოს! იმედი მაკვს, რომ ჩქარა გეკნევატ ბავშვი! (Hi, I hope you will soon have a child!)

[Boulderbabe]

I just got the most recent numbers for foreign adoptions in Georgia. In 2008, it was only 7 kids.

[need_answers]

Thanks so much for your replies. I didn't know what to expect, but I didn't really think I'd get such quick responses to my question. Sounds like Georgia may not be the place for us to try. We're considering Bulgaria as well, but the wait time there (at least in the past) seems to be somewhat longer than most other countries. And as I'm sure many of you understand, once you've made up your mind that you want to adopt, the desire to get it done quickly competes with the realization that it takes time to make a careful and informed decision about where you adopt from and the agency you use, etc. Just trying to sort through all the information on the web about domestic vs. international, one country vs. another, and one agency vs. another (with either little or no information about them or conflicting reviews) is so overwhelming.
Anyway, I appreciate the info about Georgia.

[Boulderbabe]

There's just no such thing as a fast adoption any more, I think. That's probably a good thing---adoption is something that you should research carefully and really think about.

Have you thought about fost/adopt? The advantage with fost/adopt is that it can be quite quick to placement (under a year, depending on where you are), and that you get a lot of support. Plus, you don't have to make a lifetime decision about a child you hardly know, because the fostering period is also a "see how you fit in this family" period.

[Mommy2T]

Hi ..
We were in ROG in 2008 and adopted one of the lucky 7. Georgia is a beautiful country with very strong cultural and religious ties. It was a pleasure visiting ROG and is an honor to parent one of their children. Our little one is 6 now. Beautiful, smart and talented. She has a heart of gold and a smile that can brighten the gloomiest of days.
The ROG was our 7th country and our 7th agency. After reviewing hundreds of child profiles and watching hundreds of videos we found our daughter in ROG. When you find your child you will know. We found her in Jan. 08 and brought her home 4 months later. Please don't be discouraged by the delay in referrals in ROG. That will change.. it's just a matter of time. While in country we had the pleasure of visiting the baby house in Tbilisi. The children are adorable, sweet and all they're really looking for is someone to give them a chance. While I was there I must have heard about a dozen preschool age children reach out to me and call me Dada (Mommy in Georgian). They really want a mommy. I can tell you from personal experience you really want a child that wants you too. Take your time in finding the love of your life and then when you find your child move heaven and earth to bring them home.
You can do this. International adoption is not for the faint of heart and it is not an easy road to travel. But it is a journey worth taking. Good Luck and God's Speed to your little one.