Ledger

Issue date: 4/9/03 Section: News

Erin Frost officially adopted Sophia in Russia and brought her home Christmas Eve, Sophia´s second birthday.

According to her mother, Sophia has adjusted to life in the United States.

The new playroom was finished, complete with a big red barn painted on the wall. The nursery was decorated and fully stocked. Practically every room in the house had been cleaned from top to bottom and repainted. Everything was in place for little Sophia to come home.

“That’s got to be the hardest part. My child is over there and I’m ready over here,” said Erin Frost, a Washington State resident, who officially adopted 2-year-old Sophia this last winter.

There was nothing left to do except for wait. Frost had already met Sophia at an orphanage in Komsomolsk-na-Amure, Russia, and had decided to adopt her, but she had to wait for a court date to be set for her to be approved by Russian authorities to take Sophia out of the country. The process from the time she met Sophia till the time she took her home Christmas Eve, Sophia’s birthday, took 14 weeks.

“It’s extremely emotional. You know it is going to be, but it’s that unknown,” Frost said. “With pregnancy you know in nine months you are going to have a child. With adoption you just don’t know.”

Beginning the adoption process in October, national adoption month, of 2001, Frost attended an adoption conference at Overlake Medical Hospital so she could be connected with the right people to help her figure out where and how to get everything underway.

“I have always thought of adoption, and I am at a great point in my life,” Frost said.

Although single, Frost, a Financial Planner for Nordstrom’s, explained that she has been stable and secure for quite some time and was absolutely ready to have a child.

“There are so many children in this world. I don’t have to give birth to love a child,” Frost said. “Having Sophia, I don’t think I could have done any better.”

Before beginning the selection process, Frost and her mother, who also lives with her, both went through detailed background checks and were fingerprinted. In addition, Frost was thoroughly investigated and interviewed to determine if she would be a good mother including home inspections.

“It’s everyone’s fear, the white glove test,” Frost said.

After going through all of the legal and governmental steps, Frost was finally eligible to wait for a referral from the adoption agency. That’s when she eventually ended up in Komsomolsk-na-Amure to meet Sophia.

“She was in a really good orphanage and they took really good care of her,” said Frost. “It was a clean place, they had toys.”

Living in an orphanage with about 80 other children, Frost said the women who took care of Sophia were absolutely wonderful.

“Sophia has adapted extremely well,” Frost said. “I think she has adjusted so well because of those ladies.”

After waiting weeks for a Russian court date, Frost claims that when she came back to the orphanage to finally take Sophia home it appeared the little girl was upset with her for leaving her after the first visit.

“I know they say she’ll forget, but I think she remembered me,” said Frost. “Because the first visit she took to me instantly.”

Frost and Sophia are just one of many families being joined through international adoption. Data from the U.S. Department of State indicate there were 19,237 foreign born children adopted by Americans in 2001. This is a three-fold increase from 6,536 in 1992. Overall, Russia was the greatest source for inter-country adoptions, followed by China, Guatemala, Romania, Vietnam, India, Ukraine and Cambodia.

Frost says her overall experience in Russia was a great journey because of the people she met along the way.

“I would go back again. The people I was surrounded by were warm and caring,” said Frost. “I think they were sad to see her go out of the country.”

Although psychologists and sociologists warn adoptive parents about displacement disorders and over-stimulation in children recently adopted, Frost claims she hasn’t seen any negative symptoms in Sophia from the move.

“Music is her ultimate favorite thing to do,” Frost said. “She’s hit a real growth spurt in climbing.”

Although it has only been a little over three months, Frost says Sophia already looks bigger compared to when she first got off the plane. In addition to improvements in her motor skills, Sophia has gained at least five pounds.

“Now she really eats child size portions,” Frost said after commenting about how much she ate when she first came home.

Amazed at how much time it really takes to care for little Sophia, Frost said she is enjoying seeing the world through a child’s eyes.

“It’s been incredible. I can’t remember not having her,” Frost said.

Dreading going back to work, Frost said Sophia will be watched by Grandma Gretchen partly and a structured daycare partly. Frost said what her mother taught her about self-empowerment would be an important aspect of life she would want to teach Sophia.

“You can really do what ever you want. I want Sophia to feel empowered,” she said as Sophia climbed her toy box and told us what sound the monkey makes-”Ohh, Ohh.”

According to the International Adoption Organization, costs for adoption can range from a low of $12,000 to a high of $30,000, although most inter-country adoptions average between $15,000 and $20,000. The waiting time for inter-country adoption, including the home study and Immigration and Naturalization Services approval process, can take from one to three years.

Different countries have different regulations when it comes to allowing children to be adopted by people from other countries. However one thing is always asked. What is best for the individual child?

“I just want her to keep developing and keep growing and to continue to be the incredible little girl she is,” Frost said.

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