[Katie63011]

Kate -

Just my opinion, but I would put your efforts into researching a new agency. You don't know how long agencies will be allowed to umbrella. I believe in some regions they are already not allowing it.

Katie

[k8c]

That's what I'm afraid of...I guess I hoped I was being irrational and overly cautious...

[nungesser]

Here are a some more questions that came to mind reading posts by some of the other forum participants:

• What are the three worst situations yoru agency has had with adoptions in Russia and how did your agency respond?
• If things go wrong, especially while I am in Russia, contingency plans will you have in place? For example, If on trip #1 I decline my referral after meeting him/her in person, will you have an alternate(s) available while I am still in Russia? (here is an example: Report #5: Disappointed in Ulyanovsk).
• When you find people who used an agency independently, and you will, ask them why they would, or would not (as the case may be) use that agency again. Get into the sepcifics of their likes and dislikes. Just becuase they would use that agency again does not mean there were things about the agency the did not like. And vise-versa for someone who would not use the agency again.