So you have decided to adopt internationally. And you have decided adopt from Ukraine with the help from an agency.

(50% of Americans adopt from Ukraine via an agency and the other 50% adopt independently.)

If you can, you need to remove your emotions from the picture. Research, research and then research agencies some more. Ask for negative references. Knowing how an agency dealt with a difficult situation is more telling then knowing how they dealt with happy news.

What You Want and Don't Want to Hear from Adoption Agencies article has some good food for thought during your research.

1. You don't want hear an adoption agency say that adopted children:

• just need love, good food, and stability in their life.



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This means the agency isn't acknowledging the damage that institutionalized settings do. And they aren't acknowledging that children enter an orphanage setting for the same reason they enter the US foster care; neglect and abuse. Love and food really doesn't solve everything.

2. You don't want hear an adoption agency say:

• We've never had a child placed through our agency that had RAD (reactive attachment disorder) or attachment issues.


• None of the kids from China (Kazakhstan) have attachment issues because they're so well loved by their caregivers.

The agency just told you that they don't provide post adoption support. All children will have some type attachment issues. Attachment is about trust. Trust doesn't happen overnight. It gets built.

3. You don't want hear an adoption agency say:

• All those indecipherable diagnoses on the medical reports…don't worry. They don't mean anything. Those things are written into the medical records of all children in orphanages.

The diagnoses do mean something and they should be translated into Western medicine. The cultural issues should be explained. Adoptive parents should never be encouraged to ignore any information on their potential child.

Because Ukraine is a blind referral system.... You don't get a referral to a child until you travel to Ukraine, you really need to prepare for the medical terms.

You can read about medical terms here and here.