[az11897]

Hi - I an new to the group and I don't want to start a war but I am honestly researching whether to go with an indy adoption or an agency for Ukraine. Does anyone have any input?

[jmchowat]

You have to decide what works best for you. If you go independent, it will cost you much less, but if you use an agency there will be a lot more that can be arranged for you, such as travel, accommodation etc. Of course, different agencies will vary in what they will provide. If you are going first time, you might want to consider an agency, unless the cost is prohibitive


Jane

[hjdeth]

Having done this 4 times I wholeheartedly recommend going indy. Use a stateside helper the first time. There are several reputable ones available.

An agency will give you a list of documents to gather for your dossier...then you go get them. Same with an indy adoption. An agency will hook you up with a Ukrainian facilitator/translator (agencies do not work within Ukrainian)...same when using an indy helper. An agency will tell you when to travel...you will arrange your airline transportation. Same with indy. An agency-provided facilitator will arrange your transportation and lodging in Ukraine...sometimes you will pay, sometimes they will pay. Works the same indy. An agency-provided facilitator will take care of your adoption process in Ukraine. Same with indy.

There is a total adoption cost difference. Could be as little as $6,000 if you are comparing a high-end indy adoption helper with a low-end agency. Could be as high as $20,000 if you are comparing a mid-range indy with a high-range agency. Regardless of how you look at it...yes, the agency adoption will cost more, period. I asked many agencies (20+)what I would be getting for this extra cost and not one agency could give me any extra services that amounted to more than a $300 savings (one paid for appostille and 2 shipments of documents to Ukraine).

Agencies and Indy helpers vary in their cost, responsiveness, professionalism, and effectiveness. Get multiple references for anyone you use and talk to them in person, not just email. Make sure the references are recent, last 6 months. Then choose the route and people who best fit your needs.

[Anne123]

How do I find these higher end stateside helpers?

[Katherine K]

Hello,
We adopted from Ukraine independently over a year ago and were able to do this with help of facilitator from Ukraine. There is really not too much an agency can do for you in a Ukrainian adoption since they only put you in touch with the facilitator in Ukraine - they cannot actually operate in Ukraine.

We were really pleasantly surprised by how well we were taken care of while we were in Ukraine. Every step of the way our group had it under control - was way ahead of what I thought they should be doing next - and we were never disappointed. I have not heard of anyone in our group coming home without a child. You do have to be realistic about the kind of child you want - but even then I have seen quite a few relatively healthy young girls being adopted by our group this past year...these are the most difficult to find in Ukraine.
Good Luck and God Bless you!





Katherine

[london77]

Katherine _K,

May I ask you where to send my completed dossier? Should I send it to my facilitator to Ukraine or to UA Embassy in USA?

[Katherine K]

london77,

You should send your completed dossier to your facilitator or directly to NAC.

[2sacharm]

Hi. I am new as well, but working on a second adoption in Ukraine. Go with an independent. Your fees are usually less, and besides, no agency is recognized in Ukraine, so why use them?

[wwjdmelissa]

We adopted from Ukraine Indy two years ago and we had a great facilitator. Don't send your completed dossier to the NAC because it will need to be translated by your facilitator. They do not speak English at NAC. God Bless!