| For those seeking to adopt internationally, choices are | | | | and single women who previously adopted from |
| fewer and fewer with each passing year. Countries | | | | China and are either no longer eligible to adopt from |
| such as Cambodia, Vietnam, Guatemala, Bulgaria, | | | | China or those who don't want to wait years, |
| Romania, and Liberia which once approved hundreds | | | | Kazakhstan children of Asian descent are a nice |
| and in some cases, thousands, of adoptions per year | | | | complement to their siblings adopted from China. |
| have closed their doors. China, once the largest | | | | Like most international adoption programs, not all are |
| adoption program in the world is backed up for years | | | | created equal and prospective adoptive parents |
| and single women can no longer adopt from China. | | | | should exercise due diligence in seeking the right |
| The choices that remain are few and Kazakhstan | | | | agency. With fewer countries offering viable |
| stands out amongst those countries that still offer | | | | international adoption programs, there are more and |
| viable options. | | | | more prospective parents applying to adopt fewer |
| Kazakhstan is situated in Central Asia in the eastern | | | | and fewer available children. Finding the right agency |
| most reaches of Europe and borders Russia, China, | | | | with the right contacts in country becomes essential. |
| Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Kyrgyzstan. | | | | Deciding on an agency will involve both subjective, |
| Kazakhstan is the ninth largest country in the world | | | | personal decisions such as whether a large, medium |
| and was formerly a member of the Soviet Union. | | | | or small agency fits the best. Large agencies often |
| Available children range in age from six months | | | | offer a sense of security in the process which is |
| through school age. Kazakhstan requires that families | | | | both emotionally and financially draining though families |
| travel to meet their child and then spend a two | | | | working with large agencies often have much less |
| week bonding period visiting the orphanage each day. | | | | access to the top management who often have the |
| While the requirement of a two week bonding period | | | | greatest knowledge and expertise in adoption. Small |
| extends travel time and may seem burdensome to | | | | and medium agencies may seem less secure than |
| families trying to adopt, the requirement is actually | | | | large agencies but may offer better communication |
| quite appropriate. Adopting a chld is a life changing | | | | with those who manage the agency and the |
| event both for the child and the adoptive parent(s) | | | | programs. Travel to Kazakhstan is challenging and |
| and spending a two week period ensuring that the | | | | time differences mean that agency personnel must |
| decision is the right one really pales in comparison to | | | | be available at all hours. There are many guides on |
| the gravity of the decision. Most families decide to do | | | | standard questions to ask an agency; however, a |
| two trips with the second trip requiring five days or | | | | sometimes overlooked and very important issue is |
| less typically. | | | | how an agency deals with difficult adoption situations. |
| Children are of European and Asian descent, some | | | | Ask for examples. |
| appearing Russian and some more Asian. For families | | | | |