A U.S. delegation that was scheduled to travel to Moscow today has had to postpone its trip due to flight restrictions caused by the cloud of volcanic ash hovering above many European countries. Cancelation of the trip means further delays in working out an adoption agreement between the two nations.

The discussions follow the latest incident involving a Russian child adopted in the United States. Artyom Savelyev, adopted just six months ago, was put on a one-way flight to Russia earlier this month with a note from his U.S. adoptive mother claiming the 7-year-old was psychopathic,'" the Russian News Service RIA Novosti reported

About 10 percent of U.S. foreign adoptions are of Russian children, and there are currently thousands of adoptions in process. Solidifying the legal framework around the adoption of Russia children is a priority for both countries.

Labels: international, Russia

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Orphans are more likely to thrive in foster care than in orphanages, according to a new study from the University of Minnesota.

• Dr. Dana Johnson and his colleagues studied 136 babies in Romanian orphanages. The average age of the children was 21 months.
  
• Half the children stayed in the orphanages, where they got very little individual attention but adequate food, the other half were placed in foster care.
  
• Dr. Johnson's team assessed both groups of orphans on a regular basis starting in 1999.
• The children in foster care increased their heights and weights, as well as their IQs.
  
• After one year, all were in the normal range for height and 90 percent were normal for weight, although the children in the orphanages were behind in both measurements.
  

"Psychosocial stimulus interacts with the physiological system," said Prof. Nathan Fox, a member of the research team. "It increases the production of growth hormone and reduces stress. Providing adequate psychosocial stimulus is necessary for growth."

This study appeared in the Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine.

Labels: orphans, orphanages, foster care

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The story about a Kentucky woman who sent her adopted son back to Russia has adoption advocates worried. In an effort to keep adoption possibilities open, some advocates are petitioning the leaders of both Russia and the United States not to halt adoptions.

According to an April 13 Associated Press article, the adoption petition has already amassed more than 11,000 signatures:

Poignant pleas from would-be adoptive parents were included in the petition to President Barack Obama and his Russian counterpart, Dmitri Medvedev, that was being coordinated Tuesday by the Joint Council on International Children's Services. The council, which represents many U.S. agencies engaged in international adoption, estimates there are about 3,000 pending U.S. applications for adoptions from Russia.

"My husband and I have been working toward a Russian adoption for two years now," wrote Susan Busek, a teacher from Loveland, Colo. "Please know that there are many would-be parents like us, who want only the opportunity to be parents and give our love."

Labels: international, Russia

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According to a March 24 article by Rebecca Martinez of newsleader.com, adoption advocates in Virginia are working to change the state's foster care system to provide additional services for youth who "age out" of the system without adequate support:

In 2007, 62 percent of foster children left the system to live permanently with either a relative or adopted family.

A study by the Pew Research Center that year found older youths who age out or are emancipated from the system spend nearly five years without a permanent home. Twenty five percent will be incarcerated within two years and 20 percent will become homeless.

"The impact, just simply from not having a family is just tremendous," said Ray Ratke, Virginias Special Advisor for Children's Services, who oversees state agencies' compliance with Childrens Services System Transformation, a subsequent initiative to improve care in 13 localities. "Let's develop a plan to keep that family together."

Labels: foster care, laws

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Between 1995 and 2005, more than 60,000 Chinese children were adopted by Americans. As China has eased its one-child policy, the number of kids available for adoption has decreased, and adoption of special needs children has begun to rise.

Amy Eldridge of the Oklahoma-based Love Without Boundaries Foundation, which oversees several programs to aid Chinese orphans, says many children with birth defects  boys as well as girls  are abandoned, and they now comprise a majority of the orphan population. "Some parents feel the child will bring bad luck to their family," said Eldridge. [Source: Chicago Post-Tribune]

In addition, a Chinese family planning commission reported that birth defects increased 50 percent between 2001 and 2006. Adoption agencies that place special needs children urge potential adoptive parents to carefully consider the benefits and challenges of adopting a special needs child.

Labels: international, China

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Mellie Klinger expected her adoption of one-year-old Davey to happen fairly quickly. His sister had died after being violently shaken by one of their biological parents. Mellie thought removing Davey from the home and completing his adoption would be open and shut. But it took two years.

Yvonne Wenger reported on Klinger's experience -- and efforts to streamline the adoption process in South Carolina -- in a March 20 Post and Courier article:

About a quarter of the children in South Carolina foster care are left in limbo for an average of 39 months, while the state is torn between its responsibility to respect the rights of biological parents and make sure kids are in permanent, loving homes. ...

Child advocates want kids to spend no more than two birthdays in temporary custody, and several efforts are under way to reach that goal. The national average is more than 3 1/2 years, according to 2007 data, the latest available.

Since 2007, the state has shaved six months off the average time a child spends in foster care before an adoption is final, said Kathleen Hayes, director of the state Department of Social Services. Advocates credit her for helping reach that accomplishment.

Labels: adoption process

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A new study out of Purdue University has found that some adoptive parents suffer from a condition similar to postpartum depression. They report decreased interest or pleasure in activities, difficulty sleeping, depressed feelings, and feelings of agitation.

"Many adoptive parents spend their time during the adoption process demonstrating they are not only going to be fit parents, but super parents, and then they struggle with trying to be the worlds best parent when the child is placed in the home& Parents may also experience feelings about their legitimacy as a parent, or even surprise if they dont really bond with the infant or child." [Source: Purdue University]

Researchers also found that many adoptive parents were reluctant to admit their struggles, because they felt guilty or ashamed. The studys authors are encouraging communities to make post-adoption support groups available to parents that will give them the help and reassurance they need.

Labels: depression, adoptive parents

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A Tennessee woman, who says she was misled about the mental stability of her adopted son, decided she couldn’t handle him and sent him back to Russia. Not long after the news broke, hundreds of potential adoptive parents were sent into stressful confusion when the Russian Foreign Minister announced that U.S. adoptions of Russian children were being suspended.

“Within hours after Nesterenko’s briefing, the reported suspension was cast into doubt. Russia’s Education Ministry, which oversees international adoptions, said it had no knowledge of a freeze. So did a spokeswoman for the Kremlin’s children’s rights ombudsman.” (Source: The Associated Press)

The U.S. State Department has announced that it will send a high-level delegation to Russia next week to address the controversy and gain clarity about the current state of international adoptions.


 

Labels: international

Posted By: Stefanie Hamilton 0 Comments

Suzanne Gardener Stott has spent 30 years facilitating adoptions. She says it’s rare for adoptive parents to terminate their parental rights, but that it has been done -- and there is a right (and legal) way to do it:

“’The same way you get a divorce; you legally go to court and have your rights terminated,’ Stott explains. But she says that happens only after sometimes years of efforts, and most of the time the child goes directly to another adoptive family.” Source: KSL News Radio (UT)

International adoptions have been in the media spotlight lately, after a Tennessee woman put her adoptive son on a plane back to Russia – his birth country. She claimed the boy had severe psychological problems and had threatened her family. Stott, who is familiar with the agency that facilitated this adoption, said she’s surprised the woman didn’t take advantage of the support services offered by the agency.
 

Labels: international, russia

Posted By: Stefanie Hamilton 0 Comments

The purpose of non-profit adoption agencies is to serve children and their potential adoptive families, right? According to an investigation by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the financial statements of some agencies indicate that caring for children may be secondary.

“The newspaper’s review of federal tax returns and other public documents found numerous examples where top executives’ compensation accounted for one-fourth to one-third of agencies’ budgets. In many instances, administrative costs exceeded expenses on direct services for children.”

The Journal-Constitution obtained its information by reviewing the tax returns of nearly all 336 private foster care and adoption agencies licensed to operate in Georgia. Though phone calls and emails were made, few agency executives responded to requests for comment.

 

Labels: agencies

Posted By: Stefanie Hamilton 0 Comments