[Chad&Julie]

Could somebody tell me how Cathy Harris' organization works as far as the process and the cost. I had heard that you could get two children for $12,500. Is this true?? Not a whole lot of information on her website regarding cost and the process. Any help would be appreciated!! Thank you!

Julie

[Chad&Julie]

I wondered about this. I thought I read someplace that she works with a lawyer. Not sure about this. I am very leary about her but there seems to be a lot of people that are happy with her. I'm just afraid of getting screwed over. Not just by her but anybody!

[mommy2be]

I recommend visiting the FRUA "chat" boards at www.frua.org . You will find skeptics, supporters, and lots of other info too on adopting from Ukraine.
Best wishes,
Mary

[schroeder]

Hi

I would just like to add that in some states you do need to hire another agency. The first agency I am using for the adopting is not lienced (sp) in CA so I also had to hire another agency for my homestudy due to the lience.

Anna

[BrycenRileigh]

Hello. I completed an adoption with Cathy in February of 2002. If you want to talk to other families, just let me know. I'll send you my story (just send me your email address publicly or in a PM), and I'll also be glad to ask other families in or around your area to email you also. If you are around SC, I'd love for you to meet my son and share my experience with you. Cathy tells you how to do it and you do it. She will answer your questions, check your paperwork for you and put you in touch with a facilitation team in Ukraine. I have done two adoptions, one independent (Ukraine) and one agency (Guatemala). If you are not comfortable doing an independent adoption, I wholeheartedly hope you will still go to Ukraine with an agency. I just hope the children I met and did not adopt find their parents. Above, losing a referral was mentioned. I just want to let you know that referrals are illegal in Ukraine. You go to Ukraine and are referred to the child at the National Adoption Center in Kiev and you then go visit the child, but it is illegal to be given a referral before you leave for Ukraine. I had an independent social worker do my homestudy ($500), no problem there at all. In fact, Cathy is the one who gave me her name and number. Please PM me if you would like to talk. I'd love to talk to you, if you would like. Again, just PM me and I'll give you my number. Best of luck to you in your decision.

Elizabeth
Family 468

[UAH]

As with any independent adoption from Ukraine, you need to secure your own homestudy from a licensed social worker. Some agencies do homestudies for independent adoptions, some won't unless you use them for your adoption. Licensed social workers that do international homestudies can do them. Sometimes SW who work for agencies do them "on the side" for independent adoptions.

Adoption advisors like CH and myself ADVISE people once they have a completed homestudy.

[annpot2]

"With regards to References, Any Licensed Agency or Attorney should freely give you References instead of the line Cathy used of "I will consult people." What this means is she will pick people whose Adoptions she did not have any problems with."

And all agencies and attorneys will pick people they had problems with?


References can be obtained in a number of ways. First you can ask an adoption advisor or agency or attorney for references. They will have people contact you. Cathy sends an email to the group of adopters. Those wishing to respond contact the family asking for the reference.

Or you can post on a forum like this, or a more frequented forum like frua, or still a much more comprehensive email list like Adoption from Ukraine @ yahoo. Then, the EEAC has a registry list which families signed up for on their own. This list is to provide information, both positive and negative about any source as it is the adopters who register there.

I would strongly urge anyone to make use of ALL sources to obtain information on the person providing the service. There are many posts on all boards and email lists asking for additional references on agencies and such because the statement above would ring true for any adoption provider (agency, attorney, advisor).

Best wishes,


Ann Potthast
volunteer IUAFN (http://www.ukrainianangels.org)
mom to two Ukrainian Angels

[annpot2]

Chad and Julie:

About your original question: My brother adopted 2 children in 1999 for around $12,000 inclusive of all paperwork in the states, travel, translations, accommodations, etc. However, since that time the Ukrainian Consulate does not allow full bundling of the dossier into one document and has raised prices on authenticating each separate document. In addition, adoption costs can vary based on the state you live in. For example, CA and Mass. have a very expensive home study process. Illinois is up there too. Florida is very cheap because you can hire a licensed social worker directly to do your homestudy.

Our adoption costs in 1998 for one child were just under $11,000. I would add about $2,000 to $4,000 to that depending on the time of year you travel (cheaper in winter) and what state you live in. Some people wish to expedite both in the USA and in Ukraine. We didn't expedite much on either end, but our homestudy was expensive.

BTW, when speaking of adopting two children we are speaking of adopting two children from the same orphanage in one court hearing. Our group has had several families adopt two children from two different regions (more expensive) and I can have them get in touch with you if you are interested in their total costs. My email address is annpot2@yahoo.com.

Best wishes,


Ann Potthast
volunteer IUAFN (http://www.ukrainianangels.org)
mom to two Ukrainian Angels

[hjdeth]

I adopted 2 children independently with Cathy's help in 9/01 and the total cost was about $16,000 after adjusting cost for 9/11 expenses. I returned in 11/02 for a 3rd child and the cost was just over $13,000.

Based on recent families traveling and rising costs, I would say the total costs to adopt 2 children will be $15,000-20,000. This is 2 children adopted at the same court hearing, probably from the same orphanage. If you were to adopt 2 children separately that will probably run $3-5k more.

Not sure where you are gettting the $12,500 number, but expenses have skyrocketed over the last 3 years. For my first adoption, I had 5 documents to authenticate, for the last one 11 documents due to discontinuing of bundling. This more than doubled the cost of preparing my dossier. Facilitation fees have doubled in the last 4 years and expediting fees have become astronomical in some regions. Some regions are as low as a few hundred while other regions can top $3000 for 1 child. Airfares have also risen sharply. In 9/01, rt STL to KIEV was $560, but in 11/02 the cheapest available was $800.

[Chad&Julie]

I want to thank you for all your help!! We have decided not to go with Ukraine because the whole situation over there is making me uneasy. I had read some more recent info on another message board and it's just not for us.

But you guys have been wonderful!! Thank you so much.

[BrycenRileigh]

Best wishes in bringing your children home, wherever they may be!!!

Elizabeth

[Neicey]

Reading the prices that you are paying to go Independant. May I ask how long you were in Ukraine? I am going in Nov, and my agency offers a program that I will only be there 7-9 days. That is very important to me. I was looking for what I was getting for the extra dollars. Anyways, glad you back with the loved ones!

Denise

[hjdeth]

I was out of the country 19 days both of my trips...1st trip 12 days in-country, 2nd trip 16 days in-country. The extra days the 2nd trip were due to Thanksgiving holiday closures at the US embassies. From what I have seen 3 weeks out of the US is pretty typical regardless of indy or agency. Here is what I have noticed lately:

Monday, Day 1 - leave US
Tuesday, Day 2 - arrive in Kiev
Wednesday, Day 3 - NAC appointment
Thursday, Day 4 - receive referral paperwork and travel to region
Friday, Day 5 - visit orphanage
Saturday, Day 6 - no paperwork, visit child
Sunday, Day 7 - no paperwork, visit child
Monday, Day 8 - start paperwork for adoption
Tuesday, Day 9 - paperwork processing
Wednesday, Day 10 - paperwork processing
Thursday, Day 11 - paperwork processing
Friday, Day 12 - paperwork processing
Saturday, Day 13 - no paperwork, visit child
Sunday, Day 14 - no paperwork, visit child
Monday, Day 15 - court, start chase for birth certificate and passport
Tuesday, Day 16 - finish birth certificate and passport, travel back to Kiev
Wednesday, Day 17 - arrive in Kiev, finalize paperwork
Thursday, Day 18 - Us Embassy in Kiev, fly to Warsaw
Friday, Day 19 - Visa physical, US Embassy in Warsaw
Saturday, Day 20 - fly home

Two considerations that could greatly lengthen your stay in Ukraine are 1) the 30 days waiting period and 2) the number of orphanages you visit to find your child. If your 30 days are not waived you need to be prepared to either sit in Ukraine or make a 2nd trip of 5-7 days to finalize the adoption. If you don't accept the first referral you are given, you go back to Kiev and write a letter stating why you did not accept the referral and get another appointment date. This process from one orphanage to another can easily take 5-7 days.

I would say to question if the agency is guaranteeing 7-9 days or if they are telling you that is their average. If that is their average, which is what I suspect, then I would be asking how they arrived at those numbers. How many completed adoptions in the last 6 months, last 1 year? Is this the average over the last 3 or 4 years? Adoption trips as short as 7-9 days were not uncommon 2 to 2.5 years ago, but are almost unheard of recently.

Best Wishes

[Neicey]

Actually someone that my social worker did his homestudy, was in and out of the country, in no time! He isn't the only one, there is not all that waiting time for the paperwork, it is done very quickly, I heard I will have a team of about 5 helping out!

Good Luck!!

[demmor]

If anyone would like to share your experiences privatley, good or bad, please PM me at waiting2adopt903@yahoo.com My husband and I are trying to decide between her and UAH.
Thanks!