We adopted our daughter in Ukraine in 2005. The biggest hurdle for us was getting all the dossier information together as we needed to collect and certify it from 3 states. Throughout the entire 11 month dossier process, About A Child and Victoria Kats was in sync with us and guiding us every step of the way. Once we had the dossier completed, the rest of the process flowed quickly and smoothly. The coordinating team we worked with in Ukraine had the process completely under control and they managed every aspect with impressive tact, talent, and troubleshooting expertise. Despite some minor glitches, our team was able to jump those hurdles and produce a remarkable result. Our daughter has turned out to be a diamond in the rough. She came to us having no knowledge of English, and no expectations for herself about what she could become. Her transition to living in a new country and culture was nothing short of miraculous. Today, she is fully fluent, no longer requires special ed support in school, is studying Spanish and goes to Russian school on Sundays, plays soccer like a David Beckham groupie, learned to play the piano and clarinet and is carrying an A average in school. She is now looking forward to going to college, a possibility she never even thought of in Ukraine. What a delight she is!!
This could never have been possible without the supportive effort and expertise of Victoria Kats and About A Child. Their total understanding of the adoption process and their sensitivity to adoptive parents was, for us, the single most important ingredient for our going forward and coming to the great place where we are today with our daughter. We endorse About A Child fully and without any reservations.
Brian and Deborah Rizzo-Wittlin
How wonderful to stumble upon a site that allows me to post my experiences with my agency!!!
For those of you wandering the internet looking for that one outstanding agency to assist you in making your dreams come true, you can stop your search at AAC (About A Child). I have completed two separate adoptions (Our most recent being our daughter from Russia, and two years ago our son from the Ukraine) and have had outstanding service and results that far out did our expectations. When considering our most recent adoption, we actually called AAC to see WHICH countries THEY worked in, picking from them, as I would not ever consider working with anyone else. Once you find the golden key that opens the waiting door, you don’t go looking for the lesser bronze one!
Of course everything was not roses, as International Adoption never is - but that was the country and the Gov’t, not AAC. Victoria and AAC is what I have heard and seen so many others have complained that other agencies are not…compassionate, attentive and supportive. I feel that AAC works with the best teams and facilitators – I know because I was there….I saw what the other prospective parents were going through…I would have been discouraged had I had the same experience as they.
In my opinion AAC’s reputation is set upon honesty and integrity. We never felt like a number, and we were told in advance what to expect – both good and no so enjoyable – and we felt 100% prepared for our adoption journey. We brought home our son from the Ukraine in record time, when unfortunately other families that had long before started their journey were still waiting when we returned home. Our VERY healthy toddler daughter from Moscow Russia was a dream come true…and outside of all the ‘normal’ wait times and expectations set forth by typical Russian adoption standards.
I by no means want to discourage prospective families from seeking IA, but the truth is all agencies ARE NOT created equal. Do your homework, have realistic expectations, and if at all possible, use AAC. You won’t be sorry.
I would not hesitate to recommend AAC for any adoption needs. My blog lists my journeys with both…www.kympatterson2.blogspot.com…hope it helps...
With 'About a Child' you are never just a case number or a name on a set of documents... Victoria stays very involved with each family and personally oversees each step of the adoption process. I've talked to/e-mailed with Victoria during days, evenings, weekends and even holidays. She does everything she can to make sure that every child gets to come home with their new family.
We adopted two children from a country that has been known to be difficult to complete adoptions from. There were many delays and issues along the way, but our agency always kept us completely informed of everything that was going on. Victoria has always kept the lines of communication open and even has a weekly chat for all of the families with the agency (past & present).
Never forget that an adoption agency is only as good as their overseas/in-country facilitators! Victoria has assembled the best team of adoption facilitators in each country that About a Child does adoptions in. I personally witnessed the near miracles that our in-country facilitator performed to bring our kids home. I wholeheartedly 100% recommend 'About a Child'!!!!
About A Child is an outstanding adoption agency! Victoria was an amazing guide through all the dossier preparations and a tremendous in country support. She was willing to help in every way possible. And we loved our facilitator in Ukraine as well. She worked tirelessly on behalf of our family and our 2 new little girls!
I want everyone to know I highly recommend Aboutachild adoption agency. I have 15 adopted kids with the last 3 from Latvia through About a child. I have nothing to say but good things. This is the only adoption agency I would recommend to others. Victoria is very compassionate and caring. I feel this is a ministry not a business. Victoria is there for you all the way, and is easily reached at any time, unlike most adoption agencies. I can't wait til I can adopt again through AboutAChild.
We adopted our daughter from Ukraine in 2005 through About A Child. We had a wonderful experience.
We were very nervous about trusting someone we had never met especially with the international part. We were treated great and felt totally at ease through the entire experience. Victoria walked us through absolutely every step of the way. She even called us everyday while in Ukraine and kept in touch with our family through email and phone. Her facilitator, Alex in Ukraine, was also awesome! From the day we started our paperwork until we were back home was 5 months. Our trip was only 18 days. Alex and his team were very fast and efficient. There were no hidden costs, in fact our fees were less than we expected.
I can't say enough about Victoria and her team. We would definitely use them again!
We adopted our daughter from Moscow in 2007 and I too can't say enough about Victoria and About a Child. Our adoption was complete with our adopted daughter home with us within 6 months. Everything went very smooth and we couldn't be happier with the agency, the area we adopted from and the beautiful healthy daughter we adopted. If we weren't done having children :) I would do it all again but wouldn't consider doing it without Victoria.
I can not say enough great, fantastic, wonderful things about Victoria Kats and About A Child. I am a single woman who adopted from Moscow City in early 2007. The process was so smooth and easy - my adoption was 5-1/2 months from the day I first filled out any paperwork to the day I brought my infant daughter home. Victoria was always available to answer my questions, she called me nightly while I was in Moscow City to see how the process was going, she intervened with the airline when I had flights problems, she talked me off the ceiling those few times I started getting cold feet... she was truly my rock. I know so many people who had problems with their agencies that I felt very blessed and fortunate to have signed with About A Child.
Adopting is a huge commitment and stressful by its nature. You really need an agency that makes you feel safe, protected and valued. I've recommend AAC to anyone and everyone who's ever expressed an interest in adopting internationally. I look forward to using AAC again when I'm ready to bring home #2. :)
Even if we are still in the middle of our adoption journey, I can honestly write, that About A Child is a wonderful , hard working agency, whose most important goal is to bring your child home.
We had a lot of dissapointments during this adoption, due to changes within the country, but our facilitator and our agency director kept working very hard and when we are able to pick up our son sometime in the coming months, it is only because of these people.
We adopted from Uzbekistan using About a Child. The process was long and at times incredibly frustrating since, as a pilot program, we seemed to encounter bumps and surprises throughout the journey to bring our son home. If not for the dedication and responsiveness of Victoria, the experience would have been more frustrating and we might have given up.
Always available and responding quickly to emails and phone calls, she works hard to assure that all of her families are taken care of from the beginning and post-adoption.
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Reviews
Supportive Experience with Dynamite Expertise
We adopted our daughter in Ukraine in 2005. The biggest hurdle for us was getting all the dossier information together as we needed to collect and certify it from 3 states. Throughout the entire 11 month dossier process, About A Child and Victoria Kats was in sync with us and guiding us every step of the way. Once we had the dossier completed, the rest of the process flowed quickly and smoothly. The coordinating team we worked with in Ukraine had the process completely under control and they managed every aspect with impressive tact, talent, and troubleshooting expertise. Despite some minor glitches, our team was able to jump those hurdles and produce a remarkable result. Our daughter has turned out to be a diamond in the rough. She came to us having no knowledge of English, and no expectations for herself about what she could become. Her transition to living in a new country and culture was nothing short of miraculous. Today, she is fully fluent, no longer requires special ed support in school, is studying Spanish and goes to Russian school on Sundays, plays soccer like a David Beckham groupie, learned to play the piano and clarinet and is carrying an A average in school. She is now looking forward to going to college, a possibility she never even thought of in Ukraine. What a delight she is!!
This could never have been possible without the supportive effort and expertise of Victoria Kats and About A Child. Their total understanding of the adoption process and their sensitivity to adoptive parents was, for us, the single most important ingredient for our going forward and coming to the great place where we are today with our daughter. We endorse About A Child fully and without any reservations.
Brian and Deborah Rizzo-Wittlin
AAC is the best!
How wonderful to stumble upon a site that allows me to post my experiences with my agency!!!
For those of you wandering the internet looking for that one outstanding agency to assist you in making your dreams come true, you can stop your search at AAC (About A Child). I have completed two separate adoptions (Our most recent being our daughter from Russia, and two years ago our son from the Ukraine) and have had outstanding service and results that far out did our expectations. When considering our most recent adoption, we actually called AAC to see WHICH countries THEY worked in, picking from them, as I would not ever consider working with anyone else. Once you find the golden key that opens the waiting door, you don’t go looking for the lesser bronze one!
Of course everything was not roses, as International Adoption never is - but that was the country and the Gov’t, not AAC. Victoria and AAC is what I have heard and seen so many others have complained that other agencies are not…compassionate, attentive and supportive. I feel that AAC works with the best teams and facilitators – I know because I was there….I saw what the other prospective parents were going through…I would have been discouraged had I had the same experience as they.
In my opinion AAC’s reputation is set upon honesty and integrity. We never felt like a number, and we were told in advance what to expect – both good and no so enjoyable – and we felt 100% prepared for our adoption journey. We brought home our son from the Ukraine in record time, when unfortunately other families that had long before started their journey were still waiting when we returned home. Our VERY healthy toddler daughter from Moscow Russia was a dream come true…and outside of all the ‘normal’ wait times and expectations set forth by typical Russian adoption standards.
I by no means want to discourage prospective families from seeking IA, but the truth is all agencies ARE NOT created equal. Do your homework, have realistic expectations, and if at all possible, use AAC. You won’t be sorry.
I would not hesitate to recommend AAC for any adoption needs. My blog lists my journeys with both…www.kympatterson2.blogspot.com…hope it helps...
Kym Patterson
Absolutely Love 'About a Child' and Victoria Kats
With 'About a Child' you are never just a case number or a name on a set of documents... Victoria stays very involved with each family and personally oversees each step of the adoption process. I've talked to/e-mailed with Victoria during days, evenings, weekends and even holidays. She does everything she can to make sure that every child gets to come home with their new family.
We adopted two children from a country that has been known to be difficult to complete adoptions from. There were many delays and issues along the way, but our agency always kept us completely informed of everything that was going on. Victoria has always kept the lines of communication open and even has a weekly chat for all of the families with the agency (past & present).
Never forget that an adoption agency is only as good as their overseas/in-country facilitators! Victoria has assembled the best team of adoption facilitators in each country that About a Child does adoptions in. I personally witnessed the near miracles that our in-country facilitator performed to bring our kids home. I wholeheartedly 100% recommend 'About a Child'!!!!
Ukraine
About A Child is an outstanding adoption agency! Victoria was an amazing guide through all the dossier preparations and a tremendous in country support. She was willing to help in every way possible. And we loved our facilitator in Ukraine as well. She worked tirelessly on behalf of our family and our 2 new little girls!
Karen S.
Latvian Children !!!!!!!!!!! What a joy!!!!!!!!!!
I want everyone to know I highly recommend Aboutachild adoption agency. I have 15 adopted kids with the last 3 from Latvia through About a child. I have nothing to say but good things. This is the only adoption agency I would recommend to others. Victoria is very compassionate and caring. I feel this is a ministry not a business. Victoria is there for you all the way, and is easily reached at any time, unlike most adoption agencies. I can't wait til I can adopt again through AboutAChild.
Donna Jenkins
Awesome Agency!
We adopted our daughter from Ukraine in 2005 through About A Child. We had a wonderful experience.
We were very nervous about trusting someone we had never met especially with the international part. We were treated great and felt totally at ease through the entire experience. Victoria walked us through absolutely every step of the way. She even called us everyday while in Ukraine and kept in touch with our family through email and phone. Her facilitator, Alex in Ukraine, was also awesome! From the day we started our paperwork until we were back home was 5 months. Our trip was only 18 days. Alex and his team were very fast and efficient. There were no hidden costs, in fact our fees were less than we expected.
I can't say enough about Victoria and her team. We would definitely use them again!
Great adoption experience from Moscow
We adopted our daughter from Moscow in 2007 and I too can't say enough about Victoria and About a Child. Our adoption was complete with our adopted daughter home with us within 6 months. Everything went very smooth and we couldn't be happier with the agency, the area we adopted from and the beautiful healthy daughter we adopted. If we weren't done having children :) I would do it all again but wouldn't consider doing it without Victoria.
A++++!!!
I can not say enough great, fantastic, wonderful things about Victoria Kats and About A Child. I am a single woman who adopted from Moscow City in early 2007. The process was so smooth and easy - my adoption was 5-1/2 months from the day I first filled out any paperwork to the day I brought my infant daughter home. Victoria was always available to answer my questions, she called me nightly while I was in Moscow City to see how the process was going, she intervened with the airline when I had flights problems, she talked me off the ceiling those few times I started getting cold feet... she was truly my rock. I know so many people who had problems with their agencies that I felt very blessed and fortunate to have signed with About A Child.
Adopting is a huge commitment and stressful by its nature. You really need an agency that makes you feel safe, protected and valued. I've recommend AAC to anyone and everyone who's ever expressed an interest in adopting internationally. I look forward to using AAC again when I'm ready to bring home #2. :)
A very good Agency
Even if we are still in the middle of our adoption journey, I can honestly write, that About A Child is a wonderful , hard working agency, whose most important goal is to bring your child home.
We had a lot of dissapointments during this adoption, due to changes within the country, but our facilitator and our agency director kept working very hard and when we are able to pick up our son sometime in the coming months, it is only because of these people.
Great Experience
We adopted from Uzbekistan using About a Child. The process was long and at times incredibly frustrating since, as a pilot program, we seemed to encounter bumps and surprises throughout the journey to bring our son home. If not for the dedication and responsiveness of Victoria, the experience would have been more frustrating and we might have given up.
Always available and responding quickly to emails and phone calls, she works hard to assure that all of her families are taken care of from the beginning and post-adoption.