Ukraine...again...Neve?

[Melanie]

You're the local expert here...have you read anything about what would make someone considered Ukrainian enough to waive the 14 month waiting period? Not that I am necessarily thinking that a newborn is necessary...just thinking about it.

Dh is 25% Ukrainian as his great-grandparents migrated. I wonder if it is a citizen issue or a heritage issue?

Thank you. =)

[NEVE and TRISTAN]

There is talk about possilby lowering the age...also as they start to honor the Haque Convention and only use agencies which is also widely rumored this too might change, as well as pre selection.

There is a list somewhere that I posted here with a list of diagnosis that will enable one to adopt younger than 14 months. Many of their diagnosis are evidently not "true" diagnosis...but I think in the catagory of allowing one to adopt a younger than 14 month old those diagnosis are pretty obvious ones...and true.
Cleft palete, cross eyes etc... are NOT diagnosis where this 14months is waived, it is major illnesses, and maybe even missing limbs that allow it.

If I run across it I will share...I also know of the team that assist these special needs adoptions.

Again this appears it will change sometime in the not so far future...but one never really knows.
Keep in mind they are behind so much that to adopt an 18 month old is much like a younger child...if that is important.
Neve
http://home.nc.rr.com/ourbabytristan
AKA "mama2be"-forgot password
and Baby Boy Tristan born @UNC
Feb 25, 2003
Brother to 3 pups "gees" and 2 kitties

[Melanie]

Yes, I saw that about the diagnosis. I was disappointed b/c I thought that crossed-eyes were on the list, maybe it's Russia.

Anyway, I was thinking more a long the lines of a child who had been institutionalized for less of a time, not their age.

What do you mean by "honor the hague convention?" How will that affect it?

I guess Russia uses under-the-table-preselection. I spoke with a woman who'd recently returned with a young infant. It was interesting and frightening at the same time. Her baby also had a false-diagnosis...I forget what it was, but it was totally made-up, not even a real condition.

ETA: The frightening part was she saw a child who'd had parents who had begun to adopt them and they were still in the orphanage months later. Her facilitator/whatever-they-call-them-there said it was because their's didn't know what they were doing.

[NEVE and TRISTAN]

Melanie,
The Ukraine has recently started to do things and practices that are along with the practices of other countries...adoption is one of the things that is starting to be handled differently there and in more of a streamlined way as other countries. This has involved the signing of certain items under the Hague Convention. I am not to familiar with it other than how it has effected us. So over time they are starting to handle adoptions similiar to other European countries.

MANY MANY folks are left to hire facilitators that are not the "it" facilitators...one should research research research facilitators. Many can't afford the "better" ones (this is just my take) and thus hire ones that are less expensive, who have made promises and then they get over there and have to bribe their way around thus not saving money at all.
The single most important thing I have done is to hire the facilitator that I have, his journals of folks travel convinced me of that. We will be paying a lot more than some folks BUT I feel safe to say I will be treated better, many of the bribes that others pay I will not have to pay etc...

Again my guy appears to be the "it" guy now...a turn over at the NAC can change it...

It really is so much to explain, I try to explain what I can, but it is so much that it is hard to. I totally beleive the story the gals has said. Now I did think agencies wee the norm in Russia... and thus a pre selection of sorts. My moms neighbor just adopted a boy from Russia, and I guess now that I look back I think you have a point in that it is "under the table" for she said when you go to court (or I should stay one part of the process not certain it is court) they have a pile of pictures and they "randomly select one"...and that that is the child you have been told about (thus meaning some bribing action is going on I assume.

Now in Ukraine you don't even have that "under table" preselection from all I can tell (and need I say I spent HOURS on this a week)others research some things, I research this...

My facilitator might be doing some leg work to help me find what I am looking for...but I suspect it is no more (IF) then getting to see the registry of children becoming available that week, day, hours and maybe having some priveledge there. If that is the case it has never been shared...but from what I can tell there is no extra bene than that maybe...which alone is great in my eyes.

It will be interesting if you are comtemplating such a choice to read the journal we are about to start...it will show the story I am certain, a typical one. You'll hear over and over "nothing is predictable in Ukraine adoptions", and from my months of research I have concluded this is correct.

But folks hire their facilitators and I can only suggest to hire the "best" the "it" person. There are a few in Ukraine, and not just my guy...


Neve
http://home.nc.rr.com/ourbabytristan
AKA "mama2be"-forgot password
and Baby Boy Tristan born @UNC
Feb 25, 2003
Brother to 3 pups "gees" and 2 kitties

[Melanie]

I can't wait to read your story! You must be getting very excited. I've been lurking on the Yahoo list and reading when I can. There definitely seems to be a Cathy camp and an Oleg camp. I did read one story, which seemed so heartbreaking, I can't even remember who they were and do not know whom they'd hired, but they came back with no children and kept hearing about a "VIP list" they could be put on to come back another time and be guaranteed a child? I assume it was an older story.

Oh, and I forgot to mention about the Russian story that I heard. Their person videoed the baby at the orphanage (again, not legal but they look the other way) and sent it to them. Somehow the child is "saved" for them (I missed this part). Then they go to court and pretend almost as if they just happened to be walking by and decided to stop in to adopt a child. They swear over and over again that they had no idea about the child ahead of time and understand the child is very ill. Then they go to the US and swear the child is perfectly healthy.