Payment Question

This varies by agency - we paid all of our country fees stateside but I have heard of the practice you are mentioning, typically in the case of Eastern Europe. If there is any opting out, I would try, but I am certain that there are a lot of reasons (mostly having to do with tax evasion) why some agencies operating in difficult countries expect cash and off the books payments. If you have no choice, you have no choice.

Actually, carrying cash on your adoption trip rarely has anything to do with tax evasion. In countries like China, ordinary people outside the largest cities still do not use banks, wire transfers, checking accounts, credit cards, etc. You will find when you travel, for example, that your hotels in China will accept credit cards, but that most other shops won't. While a few will accept American dollars, most will require payment in RMB (yuan). And when you present American dollars, even to a bank, your bills will be scrutinized very carefully and rejected if they have any tears, marks, etc., because there is concern that the money is not legal tender. Because they are afraid of being cheated, a lot of small orphanages are not going to accept wire transfers. They want to see cash. If your adoption agency has a trustworthy employee -- not an independent contractor whom the agency barely knows -- in the foreign country, the agency may be able to wire funds to the employee, who can then deliver the cash to the orphanage and other places where payments must be made, but in most cases, agencies prefer to have families carry the cash and directly hand it to the people who need to receive it. A good agency will give the families a list of the exact amounts they will need to pay for various purposes, and will make sure that no overseas helper asks for additional fees that are not on the list. I traveled to China without a companion, though in a great travel group, and had absolutely no problems. I carried one credit card, some travelers' checks, and some cash. I wore the cash in neck and waist bags under my clothing for travel, and put anything I didn't need for a particular day's outings in the safe in my hotel room or in the private safe deposit boxes in the cashier's office. The one "big" fee -- the orphanage fee (currently about $5,000) that every family is required to pay the orphanage that has been caring for their child -- gets paid within a day or two of arrival in China, so the family is not carrying it around for a long time. Carrying the cash is not a huge issue if a person uses the same caution that he/she would in any major American city, like New York. As an example, the person should never say his/her hotel room number or show his/her key (with the room number on it) in the presence of strangers (other than hotel employees). He/she should never flash a wad of bills in a store; ideally, he/she should separate money into envelopes, and take out only what he/she needs for a purchase. Obviously, he/she should use only licensed cabs or his/her guide/translator's vehicle. He/she should know what a legitimate cab looks like and charges, and not respond to someone who says, "I will show you the sights cheaper." Going out in a group is a good idea, especially at night, and getting good directions to where a person is going is smart, since he/she is less likely to get lost and wind up in a dangerous neighborhood. Dressing inconspicuously is always a good idea, even if the difference in your race and the fact that you are carrying a child who is not of your race automatically will make you conspicuous. Leave home any expensive jewelry and watches. A Timex will tell the time as well as a Rolex, and a plain gold band will signify your marital status as well as a diamond-encrusted one. Dressing modestly -- avoiding short, tight, or sheer clothes, for example -- and understanding local clothing customs is helpful. Try to minimize the number of articles you carry around, and never put your wallet into a diaper bag or other item that you might set down on the floor in a toilet stall or on a seat in a restaurant. The more things you carry around, the more likely it is that you will leave one behind on a counter somewhere. And "wearing" your money securely on your person makes it harder for thieves to access. Find out from your agency if there are areas in which pickpockets are rampant -- as an example, in the area around the U.S. Consulate at Guangzhou, because there are a lot of Americans there carrying U.S. passports that can be stolen and altered, then sold for large sums for illegal immigration. Be extra vigilant in those areas, and be aware that pickpockets often work in pairs, with one creating a distraction on one side, while the accomplice on the other side lifts your wallet. Learn techniques for protecting yourself against pickpockets by making it hard for them to access your wallet. Be careful if you imbibe alcohol, which can make you less aware of your surroundings, especially if you are already tired, stressed, and dealing with your new child. In some countries, the local booze has a very high "proof", and you can become falling down drunk on one drink. In China, many beverages are called "wine", when in fact, they have the proof of hard liquor. Avoiding alcohol is also a good idea because it stresses your digestive tract, already coping with new foods, stress, lack of sleep, and so on, and you could wind up with symptoms resembling a parasitic illness, even though you have not consumed tap water or contaminated food. Never, ever, exchange U.S. dollars for foreign currency anywhere except at a bank, licensed currency exchange (such as those at the airport), or a major hotel's front desk. Leave the scene quickly if someone offers to exchange money for you at a more favorable exchange rate, etc. First off, such actions are illegal, and could land you at the police station -- not a good place to be in some of the foreign countries from which Americans adopt. And second, you could wind up dealing with a person or group that will cheat or rob you. And, of course, choosing an adoption agency that works with reputable in-country staff is always important to avoid being cheated. My agency always worked with China Women's Travel, an arm of the Chinese government (though I think it has since been privatized.) The local CWT guide in my daughter's city happened to be an accounting graduate of the local, highly ranked university. He held a meeting every day to let our group know the proposed activities and tours and how much they would cost; omitting or changing a non-adoption activity was always permitted. And we received receipts for even the smallest expenditures, such as a ride on a carousel at a local park. He watched our transactions at the orphanage carefully, and would have been on his ubiquitous cell phone instantly, if he had seen any attempts to offer or request a bribe. And our Guangzhou guide knew more about U.S. Consulate procedures than some U.S. adoption agencies, checked our paperwork meticulously for accuracy, and made sure that there was not the slightest "glitch". All in all, it is very possible to travel safely for your adoption, even when carrying cash. And it is possible to be very prudent, so you reduce the chances of losing your money. Just be sure you choose an agency that has impeccable in-country staff, or uses a very reputable guide/translator service. And follow the same procedures that serve you well if you must carry cash or valuables while traveling in a large American city. Sharon