[hipretty]

I posted this in another area and was suggested to post here.

I hear that some families plan to adopt one child and come home with more than one...and some plan to adopt more than one, and then when the child's overwhelmingly obvious special needs require such attention, they adopt the one.

I guess what I have here are a few questions.

In Russia, when you get a referrel for a child, can you get a second child when you get there? Or do you have to do a 3rd trip back (as the first trip out of 2 more in addition to) for a second child, on top of the 2nd trip back for the first? I am sorry... confusing?

In Ukraine if you go to Ukraine, planning to adopt one, (but you are homestudy approved for 2) and you fall in love with another child (and I am sure it easy to fall in love with more than one, but if you have narrowed it down to one) can you adopt a second child if you did not have their room all ready?? Or do you have to have a room all ready for 2, all the clothes brought to Ukraine for the 2nd child even if you don't get a 2nd child???


We have not decided what typ of adoption we will be doing, still trying to have all questions clearer to see what is the best fit for our family....but here is my dilemna.

If we planned on adopting a little girl, we would put up a wall in our large family roon and make that a bedroom (I am trying to determine if we shold do that ahead of time) If we adopted a boy, we would have the boys in the same large boys bedroom.

I realize in Russia that would be predetermined right? (Unless you are allowed to add another child once you got there)

In Ukraine suppose we planned on adopting a boy. And the bedroom is set up to accomodate the 2 boys..can we adopt a girl also when we get there if the other bedroom is not set up yet? Can I call my mother for example and say "Ma get the crib?" Or does that need to be shown as ready when you get there. Do we need to have another bed, and a crib bought allready? But then if we only adopt the 1 there is an extra bed (and clothes) that need to be returned?

I hear many families say they went for 1 and came back with a sibling group how was that done?

I would appreciate any and all input you have! Thanks-ahead-of-time!
Love & Light, Tee

[hipretty]

...I was anxious to post this before I left the house, hoping to get some answers.

My husband and I have heavily considered Russian or Ukraine as an International choice. Or State of Florida.

Most of my big questions concern International though!

We are not Homestudy ready really, we moved into this house a couple of months ago, we were still doing things around this (not too bad) fixer-upper. It is cute, but sorta still in disarray. But not anything like costruction or anything dangerous. Just putting up shelves, blinds, changing things out. Then we got slammed with hurricanes, one after another, like a string of beads! We had some minor damage. Which is being taken care of on the weekends, when my DH is home.

I need to know, PLEASE! If we get homestudy approved for 2 children, does the room need to be ready (all things in 2 rooms) for 2 children when we arrive in their country. I have so many questions. What if we bought a bed and a crib and the younger one we end up with is not crib age? Everything seems so vague. Do we show pictures of completed rooms to the people in their country? You go their with clothes /stroller for both children (what size what age what sex??? and what if you end up adopting something completely different than you thought.

For example you go to Ukraine for a boy child and maybe a girl baby toddler, do you set up a boys room and a girls with a crib...and you may end up with 2 older boys or 2 girls, or no baby but 3 siblings? When do you really feel you have prepared for the children you are coming home with if the room does not match the child.

Do you keep the room/s generic...buy a crib, buy 2 beds, and then return the one not needed? What have y'all done? I would not want to show them a room with a bed if the child should still be in a crib.

Please help, we feel we would FiNaLlY make a decision about what direction we need to move in, if we understood the best way to go about this.

Thanks-ahead-of-time!
Love & Light, Tee

[packerpatriot]

I can only answer your questions regarding Ukraine. The general advice is to get preapproval in your homestudy for one more child than you are considering. That way if you change your mind down the road you won't have to scramble for paperwork. But if you do want to adopt more than you have been approved for it is possible with some rushed paperwork and approvals from Ukraine....not sure of the exact process though but I know people have done it.

As for the room....in the homestudy they will just verify that you have available space for the child or children you are seeking to adopt. It doesn't matter how you have it set up or even if you have it set up at all since Ukraine doesn't require pictures of this in their dossier etc...

Good luck with the decision. We adopted a lovely little girl in Ukraine in April 2004 and are getting ready to go back for another one.

Cristin
http://americanexpat.blog-city.com

[wwjdmelissa]

Hey Tee,
Ukraine has changed their policies with adopting 2 or more children. They now have to be siblings in order for you to adopt. You also have to have as many children you want to adopt on the I-600 A form so it's best to put 2-3 to get approval (this is for your homestudy as well) . You also have to have a dossier for EACH child you adopt so you can't go up there with only one dossier and adopt 2 or 3 children. This stinks because it costs more money to prepare more documents, but better to be safe than sorry. Best of luck to you!!!

[hipretty]

Thanks Cristin & Melissa,

Those are just the answers I was looking for.

I did know you should be homestudy approved for 2, but I did not know what that entailed (rooms all set up and ready?)

I was also unaware that Ukraine no longer allows adoption of non-siblings. So I gues unless I find a sibling group if Ukraine is where we go it will probably be one!

Thank you for both your answers. Sorry for any desperastion and rambling I may have done!

Good luck to you both in your adoption journeys!

Love & Light, Tee

[wwjdmelissa]

Hey Tee,
Your inbox is full so I will try again later to send you Cheri's email address if you would like it.