[mom4christ]

I would also l like to know if it's better to have an agency who only does Russia and no other countries besides U.S. And is it advantageous to get an agency that works with lots of regions and orphanages or does it matter? Thanks!

[kimber413]

Hi, and welcome.

I don't believe it's that important to have an agency that works only in Russia. Lots of good agencies work in several different countries. What's more important is how strong their connections are in the country you wish to adopt from, and their status (accredited or agencies working through an accredited agency are best).

I'm sure others will have good information, and when you get your choices narrowed down to two or three agencies, post them here and get feedback from others who have adopted through them.

Hope this helps.

[waitinginnj]

I agree with Kimber on the importance of agency connections in the country that you are adopting from versus focus on only one country.

My preference was working with agency that worked in multiple/many regions. However, this could result in traveling to places that you may not be comfortable with.

Like most decisions in the adoption process there is not right or wrong answer, just the best answer for you.

[EJsDad]

Also consider that if you are working with an agency which only works in Russia, if anything were to happen with Russian adoptions, there would be no other option but to switch agencies (and lose the time, energy and money already invested). Just a thought!

[OMalley]

I think the most important thing is that the agency is reputable and that you are comfortable with them. I do not believe that the number of countries matters. As stated above, the agency's contacts in the specific country is crucial.

I would narrow your choice to a few and then really take your time in speaking with references, etc. You can NEVER be too careful!!!

OMalley

[Ktates]

I agree with what the others have said for the most part, however for us we did end up choosing an agency that works only in one region. There were a lot of things we liked about the agency but some other agencies we looked at told us they had no control over the region we would be assigned to. For us that was a problem for several reasons 1) some regions have a better track record than others in terms of giving court dates or waiving the 10 days 2)we didn't want to spend any extra time or money traveling to remote areas of the country - my husband runs his own business so the more we could predict about the process the better.

Kimber brought up a really good point about connections - we wanted to know we can depend on our translator/facilitator when we are over in another country where we don't speak the language and are going through a scary process we are unfamiliar with. You should check the track record of the agency - how long have they worked in Russia with this group of people?

Lots of information to take in - just take your time and do the best research you can. Then you will know you are in good hands! Good luck-

[kryslm]

Most important thing: They have a good Russian adoption program in place. If they so happen to work in other countries, that is just secondary.

Mike