[caaron]

We're getting ready to go in a couple weeks and were wondering how much time you got with your child on trip 1?

[papedge]

Originally Posted by caaron

We're getting ready to go in a couple weeks and were wondering how much time you got with your child on trip 1?

It depends on what region you go to I went to samara in March and was there from the 8th to the 11th and spent about 10 hours total....

Good luck and have a wonderful trip

[mixtim]

Yes, it completely depends on your area, and in particular the orphanage director. For us, we got to spend a grand total of about 2.5 hours over 3 days. You should probably ask your agency what the norm is at your orphanage.

[Katie63011]

We got to spend about 90 minutes each day.

[beckyww]

We got about two hours a day for three days on trip #1.

Becky
The Woodworth Family in Beautiful San Antonio TX

[Drazil]

We got 20 hours total in 5 days. We spent 2 hours each morning and then came back to spend another 2 hours each afternoon (4 hours a day) and we were there for 5 days on trip one. The baby home we went to was in St. Petersburg and only about 6 blocks from our hotel so it was really easy to get there. Alot depends on logistics as well as some people have had to travel quite far to get to the baby home from the hotel. I agree, just ask your agency and they should let you know what is the norm for that region. Good luck!

[LilyMoon]

We only got to visit once with our child on trip one for maybe 2 hours. Not nearly enough time, but we knew she was ours from the moment we saw her. We got to play for a little while and then the kids went for their afternoon nap while we talked with the orphanage director.
Our region was a 2 hour drive from the hotel, so I think that had an impact on our visit. Others in our group that didn't have to travel so far got to spend more time with their children.

[kizibits]

I got to spend about 2.5 hours with Livi over two visits in two days. Not a whole lot of time. Fortunately I had a video camera with me and my facilitator filmed it all for me. It allowed me to enjoy the moment since I knew I could review the film later for help with the big decision if I wasn't sure right away.

[Ebadge90]

We spent about 4 hours total over 2 days on trip 1. The woman we went with was introduced to her daughter first, so she was able to spend more time with her, although it was only a short time extra.

[Chris3148]

Like others have said this is very orphanage specific. Your agency should be able to let you know ahead of time.

We were allowed to visit our children every morning for 2 hours over 5 days. As soon as the clock struck 12 noon they whisked them off for lunch. Even the last day we were there with them, we barely got to say goodbye. I remember my oldest crying and asking when we would be back and the youngest running happily away to eat lunch.

We met another couple in the same region, different baby home, who were allowed to spend from 11:00-4:00 with their child every day. It really depends on the director of the home and what he/she feels will work best with the daily schedule they have in the home.

[catmele]

Since we declined the first referral who we met on DAY 1 we only got 1 hr the 2nd day & 2.5 hrs the 3rd day. I think also the fact there was another family from our agency travelling with us whose child was in another baby home cut into some of our time

[amanda_p]

We only got an hour a day for two days...So we flew all that way and only got to be with him for two hours!!!!!

[DoreenG]

I got between 60-90 each day I was in the region. To be honest though, I hated every minute of the visit...(please don't flame me without reading!)

Our region and our orphanage only allowed visits in a "gym room". This room was the one room in the entire orphanage my son was dying to try everything in. So, I would come, they'd bring him to me, and he'd spend all our time getting out every piece of PE equipment and working with it, only staying with it for ~5 or so, and then ditching it to get to the next piece of equip ASAP.

I wasn't a mom, or even a visitor to him. I was the thing that allowed him access to a room he was never allowed to go into AND I was the thing that allowed him to play with all the really cool things in there he was never allowed to touch.

Okay, that was probably too much information. Your child might be a baby or a toddler, mine is 6 now, was 5 then. And I do think every orphanage is different.

[Sally26]

We had to travel to another city about an hour a way and only got maybe fourty-five minutes in one visit, but we were lucky to go back in three weeks to get her and got one visit in for probably an hour before we took custody two day later!

[MamaChinch]

We were only about 20 minutes from hotel to Baby House and got to spend 2-3 hours each day over three days. On trip 2 I got to see her the day before court for about 2 hours and the day after court we picked up the kids first thing in the morning!