Adopting a child can be one of life's most rewarding experiences. Unfortunately, complex policies, legal risks, and fewer available children make adopting domestically difficult. International adoption offers a solution to parents yearning for a child of their own. American parents are now adopting over 5000 children a year from Russia and Eastern Europe. John Maclean's "The Russian Adoption Handbook" is a comprehensive guide to adopting a child from overseas. From the pitfalls to the practical, the rewards to the risks, "The Russian Adoption Handbook" leads parents through the maze of: How the international adoption process works. How to start the process. What you need to know before traveling to Russia and Eastern Europe. Making the most out of your trip--the inside scoop on customs, hotels, and food. The children's homes, the courts, and the questions that need to be asked. Medical issues, special adoption doctors, and travel requirements. Post adoption procedures, and much, much more. Practical, accurate, and written with a father's sense of humor, "The Russian Adoption Handbook" is the most comprehensive and up-to-date guide to adoption yet.