Independent adoptions from Ukraine typically run $14,000 to $25,000, including all expenses door-to-door. A lot of the US-based costs vary based on one's State of residence and the agency/social-worker used for the homestudy. The bulk of the money goes for translation services, travel, accommodations, legal fees, courier fees, expediting fees, medical exam fees, US government bureaucracy fees, hoop-jumping costs, and bulk-order aspirin for the daily headaches.

Sometimes adopting a second child at the same time doubles the price, but usually it's cheaper to adopt two or more at once because you can save on travel, accommodations, and most fees except legal per-child paperwork.

Theoretically, once Ukraine has all of your paperwork in both English and Ukrainian editions, they then have ten working days to process your paperwork and issue you a registration number. In practice, this sometimes takes several months. It depends on how busy they are, how recently they've changed directors and office personnel, how persistent your translator/facilitator is about asking for status reports, and whether or not they lose everything and make you start all over.

After Ukraine issues your registration number, you may request an appointment. This often involves slow-boat paper mail across the Atlantic, and can add several weeks to the wait if you're unlucky.

Your appointment may be anywhere from a week to a year after you receive your registration number. It will depend on what you ask for, how busy they are, how recently they've changed directors and office personnel, how persistent your translator/facilitator is about asking for status reports, and whether or not they lose everything and make you start all over.

It's not unreasonable to assume that you will travel to Ukraine between two and six months after they receive your dossier.

Once you are actually in Ukraine, it takes about a month to find your child(ren), have your court appearance, do the paperwork, stop by the US Embassy, and return home. Some parents have reported ten days, door to door, while others have spent forty-five days. Some regions in Ukraine are more "adoption-friendly" than others, and sometimes the thirty-day waiting period is waived. You won't know until you're there. Plan on three or four weeks and remain flexible.

Many parents post timelines so others can see how their trips went. Google is your friend. You may also want to glance at my timeline for reference.