[SAVeronika]

I hope these don't come out too silly, but here goes.

Is Russia still a viable option for someone wanting to adopt internationally?
How long is the average wait for a referral?
How old are the kids at referral?
At homecoming?

Thanks!

[GCS]

These are all good questions.

Is Russia still a viable option for someone wanting to adopt internationally? Yes. You must use an accredited agency.

How long is the average wait for a referral? This depends. Are you asking for a child as young as possible? Are you requesting one sex over another? You can be home with a young boy very quickly through an accredited agency assuming you work very hard to get your paperwork done in a timely manner. I was paper ready in 3 months. It can be done.
How old are the kids at referral? You should not expect a child to be referred to you under 10 months old. Russia defines an infant as under 18 months old. If you want to adopt a girl you should specify under 2 years as the wait for young, healthy girls is a long one with most accredited agencies today.
At homecoming? This depends on your region, your agency and the sex of the child.


So what you are hearing me say is "it depends" to every one of your questions. Boys are more readily available than girls. You have a better chance at getting a younger child if you request a boy and your referral wait time is sure to be shorter. Some of the wait time depends on you getting your paperwork processed. Some of the wait between trips depends on your region which in most cases you will not know until you get your referral.

Good luck!
Christina

[momofMikhail]

I think Russia is still a viable option. We just came home with our son 3 months ago. Everyone's experience is different along with their wait times. It depends on the region your adopting from, if there are any complications, what time of year you are adopting (holidays usually take longer), whether you are adopting a boy or girl and so on. we waited 4 months for our referral and he was 12 months at the time of referral. But we had some complications after the referral and didn't bring our son home till he was 17 months old. Your best option is to find an agency and ask them what they feel your wait time will be. Also Russian children have to be on their database's for a total of 6 to 9 months (depending on the region) before we can adopt them.

[Jessi_76]

Our experience was FANTASTIC and very quick compared to what I have heard from some other families. If you find the right agency for your family than just about nothing is impossible - in my opinion. Keep in mind that what's right for one isn't always for another, imo. I am proof, and other families who I have recently met while traveling and on these boards that a quick - less than one year - process is possible.

My siggie tells the timeline. If you want to know more, feel free to pm me. We are waiting to go back to court now...only 15 days and we leave.

I wish you all the best on this magical journey.

[TweetyMom04]

There are no silly Questions, don't worry.

Is Russia still a viable option for someone wanting to adopt internationally?

Yes. It was and still is. We went through the process in '04.

How long is the average wait for a referral?

You should be working with an accredited agency. If the renewal is up for re-accreditation this could add some time into your wait.

How quickly you get all your paperwork processed and into your agency

On average, your criteria of the following could determing the wait time. Number of children, Gender, age, specific region (s), health of the child (what will you accept or not).


How old are the kids at referral?

When we went through the process in '04, you could request (and get) a baby - under 12 mo.

When our referral came through, the Boys were 5mo.


At homecoming?

When we came home, the Boys were 7mo, nearly 8 mo.

Now there are more trips, thus the age of the child change until homecoming.