Adopting from Ukraine is very popular due to several factors; ability to travel and select the child yourself once in Kiev, relatively healthy children with normal orphanage delays, and there are many sibling groups available for adoption. In fact, it is one of the most affordable countries for adopting sibling groups. As is our standard policy, A Love Beyond Borders does not charge a second (or third) agency service fee when a second or third biological sibling is adopted at the same time as the first child. This will greatly reduce your adoption fees if you adopt a sibling through our agency.

A Love Beyond Borders offers very affordable program fees coupled with an experienced, professional facilitator in Ukraine. Please don't assume that our affordable program means lack of quality! On the contrary, A Love Beyond Borders works hard to ensure that all country fees are kept as reasonable as possible to ensure that more children are available for adoption. Although many agencies have higher program fees, our experience has shown us and our adoptive families that it is very possible to keep fees reasonable in Ukraine, thus we do so. Using an agency does not mean paying unnecessary fees, but it does mean greater financial protection and less stress for the client.

Many people choose to adopt independently from Ukraine which is an unregulated and at times expensive and disappointing process. In Colorado where A Love Beyond Borders is located, persons or couples are not allowed to adopt independently, and all adoptions must occur through a licensed child placement agency. Potential adoptive parents in other states should be aware that not all states allow people to adopt independently, without an agency being involved. Do your home work first rather than find yourself in a legal bind down the road! Adoption is a complex and emotional process, with laws of two countries involved. Financially and emotionally there is much at stake, which is why so many prospective adoptive parents choose to work with a licensed, ethical adoption agency. There are many unlicensed, un-regulated "coordinators" or "facilitators" in the US who represent that they will volunteer to connect you with one of their facilitators in Ukraine. This supposedly saves the client money, but remember there are no protections to the consumer if you go it alone, especially in a foreign country! By the time the adoptive parents pay the higher costs to the independent facilitator, it will be as much as, maybe even more than, the adoption fees at A Love Beyond Borders. Independent adoption does not necessarily mean less expensive, but it does mean less regulated. A Love Beyond Borders is licensed by the state and seeking Hague Accreditation. We are committed to the most ethical, financially transparent and supportive adoption experience for our clients. We will tell you where the money goes and who gets paid what to provide adoption-related services to you. We encourage you to weigh the pros and cons of using an affordable, licensed (ie accountable), and experienced adoption agency verses the unknown of having to figure out complex US and foreign laws and processes yourself, and the emotionally, financially risks of using an un-regulated independent adoption facilitator. Be aware that many states do not allow adoptive parents to adopt independently. Be an informed consumer and know the laws of the US and Ukraine!

Regardless of your choice, adoptive parents must both travel to select the child and go through the bonding and court appearance. Following court and the required post-court wait, one or both parents may return to the US and then return to Ukraine 15-25 days later depending upon the region. Each year Ukraine typically sets a quota on the number of children that will be available for adoption outside of Ukraine. Typically the numbers of children are broken down by receiving country, age range, health status, and whether or not they are part of a sibling group.

Effective December 1, 2008, according to the statistics published by the SDAPRC and available on the Kyiv U.S. Embassy website, there are currently no healthy children or children with minor, correctable health problems, under the age of three available for intercountry adoption. Additionally, there are very few healthy children or children with minor, correctable health problems, under the age of six available for adoption. Please remember that being flexible to gender, age and health conditions of your potential child are the best way to be successful when adopting from Ukraine.