Remember, you can do an Independent Adoption without the support of anyone. It is smart to use an advisor to be sure you have everything you need before leaving the country or losing months because of a mistake. In rare cases, people have come back from Ukraine without children. It did not matter whether they were using an agency or adopting independently; they simply were not prepared for the culture, medical diagnosises, or were just not emotionally ready to adopt.

      Our advisor, Cathy Harris, does not charge for her assistance! When we were in Ukraine, we met several families who had horrible experiences due to their agencies. Anna and I had a wonderful experience throughout our adoption from Ukraine. Thanks to Cathy and her support group of families, we knew exactly what to expect every step of the way.

      You must trust your advisor and know what questions to ask if you want your adoption to be a success. Here are some suggested questions you should ask to protect yourself when dealing with an advisor:

• What are the requirements for adopting from Ukraine

• How many successful adoptions were completed, and which regions

• What is the age range for children available

• How do they stay on top of changes in the adoption process

• How well do they know the facilitators in Ukraine

• What is the timeline from submitting I600-A to traveling

• What types of travel restrictions does Ukraine have for adoptions

• Will INS or the state you live in require you to re-adopt in the US

• What fees go directly to the person helping you

• Will they provide you a list of itemized costs, both actual and estimated

• How are adoption fees paid throughout the adoption

• How much money will you be required to carry over to Ukraine

• Is there a support system for those in the process of adopting

• Does the support system, if any, carry over once the adoption is complete

• Will they be willing to answer questions, provide forms and help with paperwork

• Will they review your documents to ensure your paperwork is correct

• Will facilitators stay with you in Ukraine

• Are there references available of successful adoption completed using them

• How long have they been helping with Ukraine adoptions

• Have they had any failures and why

• Are they a non-profit organization

• Are they involved in child welfare efforts in Ukraine