The two most common challenges that families experience with post institutionalized children relate to sleep and food. I knew this prior to adopting my darling daughter. But I didn't realize sleep or the lack of sleep would be an issue for both of us.

Natasha came home with PTSD which severely interfered with her ability to sleep. I had always read that sleeping pills were addictive or ineffective for... more

President Viktor Yushchenko and Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych have opposed each other for years. The current political crisis started in March 2007. But it is a continuation of the Orange Revolution.

April 2, President Yushchenko tried to fire Parliament (AKA Verkhovna Rada). This would force a new... more

While writing Corruption defined I thought about bananas. The creation of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) is directly tied to the United Fruit Company's behavior in Central and South America during an eighty year period. (United Fruit Company is now known as Chiquita.)

The company created a... more

I received several questions about How To Tell Difference; Bribe vs Expedite Fee. I decided to start at the beginning by looking at what corruption is and is not.

(The above picture shows voting pattern for Viktor Yushchenko and Viktor Yanukovich during the 2004 Presidential election; second run off. This run off vote was deemed to be mostly free of corruption.... more

I just heard that a new director, Mr. Shick, was finally appointed to the SDAPRC. If you know anything about him please post a comment or email me at adoptukraineblog@adoptionmail.com. Has he worked for the Ukrainian government before?

The SDAPRC (Ukrainian government adoption authority) has been leaderless for 58 days. The former director, Ms Volynets resigned March... more

I am not an lawyer nor have I played one on TV. The following blog is just my personal opinion. It is up to everyone to decide what they are ethically comfortable with.

From my Vocabulary Definitions blog:

bribe - You pay someone to act illegally.

expedite fee - You pay someone to work faster.

Let's travel back in time and... more

Over packing is a major issue for families on their Ukrainian adoption journey. I know hundreds of families who wish they had taken less. I don't know a single family who regrets packing lightly.

Prior to my adoption trip, I was provided with the following luggage test. Maybe you will find it useful. First borrow a crabby child. Hopefully the child is hungry and tired. If this fails then recuit a small child who will pretend to be crabby. Encourage them to whine and dart away from you. Now take... more

Last week I asked Natasha to create a picture. (It is posted on the right.) I wanted to see her mental life. What does a life filled with nervous feelings (anxiety disorder) look like?

Feelings can be difficult to explain. Over the years I have discovered that Natasha can draw her feelings and thoughts. And once she has the picture, she can describe... more

I mentioned about a week ago that my darling daughter came home from an Ukrainian orphanage with PTSD. She has been home for about 6.5 years now. She is a happy and loving 10 year old with an average IQ.

Her neurological issues and her mental illnesses are invisible to most folks. Heck, some were invisible to me. Natasha picked up a couple of new labels in the last... more

On April 30, 2007 I volunteered to keep statistics on how long it takes to submit a dossier and get an appointment for Ukrainian adoption.

I will be updating this page (popping it to the top) when I update the statistics.

I received an email pointing out that each adoption is different. There is no such thing as an average Ukrainian adoption. I agree with this. However as an adoptive parent, I want some guidance. And I think statistics can help with this.

I have received information from 23 American, Canadian and French families. They started their adoptions in 2005, 2006... more