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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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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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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The Romanian Office for Adoptions has submitted legislation to Parliament that would lift certain restrictions currently placed on inter-country adoptions. The law currently prohibits certain relatives from adopting children who have lost their parents.

"Currently, a child may be adopted by up to the third closest relative. We want to allow fourth closest relatives as well as Romanian citizens married to foreign citizens to adopt Romanian children," [Secretary of State Bogdan] Panait said. [Source: Nine OClock Daily (Romania)]

A petition that had been filed, claiming the proposed legislation violated the Hague Convention, was closed Tuesday by the European Parliament, allowing it to move closer towards becoming law.

Labels: international, adoption laws

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In her new novel, Secret Daughter, writer Shilpi Somaya Gowda touches on topics that will likely be of interest to many members of adoptive families.

According to a Mreview by Lisa Orkin Emmanuel of the Associated Press, Secret Daughter involves a clandestine international adoption, and the impact that it has on two families:

Boys are the prized possession in the Indian village where Kavita Merchant gives birth to a daughter. She loves this child and cannot bear to have her husband, Jasu, leave her to die, as he did with their first girl.

In secret, she names her Usha, or dawn, and painstakingly makes her way from her village to then-Bombay when the baby is just 3 days old. She leaves the child at an orphanage, and every day for the rest of her life, she lives with the pain of her decision. For Kavita, it was the only way to save the girl.

The child is renamed Asha, meaning hope, and adopted by a couple -- an Indian man and his American wife -- who live in California. Krishnan and Somer Thakkar are both doctors. Slowly, Somer begins to realize what it means to be a mother, about the small and large sacrifices. Her child doesn't look like her, and Somer worries that she will one day lose Asha to her native land.

The relationship between the couple begins to unravel as Somer refuses to accept the Indian culture, rarely visiting her husband's family. This also strains her relationship with Asha.

Labels: international, fiction

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A Canadian couple has been living apart for several months as they try to clear up an unexpected snag in their adoption of two boys from Ghana. According to a March 9 article by Steve Mertl of the Canadian Press, Andrea Bastin and Michael Segal have been working since August 2009 to unravel what Mertl termed "a bureaucratic nightmare."

Ghana's Social Welfare Department had approved an interim adoption and the couple began the paperwork to bring the children to Canada. The requirement included a copy of the mother's death certificate.

That's where things went wrong.

Bastin said the twins' 24-year-old "senior brother'' went to the family's village to get the document but was told he had to go to Accra. There, he paid an official to get the death certificate, which turned out to be invalid. Bastin and Segal said they later learned the bureaucrat had no authority to issue the document, which should have come from local officials in the first place.

The invalid death certificate raised alarms at Canada's high commission in Ghana, which handles visa and immigration files from a dozen African countries. Ghana is a hub for human trafficking, including children taken out of the country.

The couple said Canadian officials refused to provide documents allowing Bastin to take the twins back to Canada until the 44-year-old mother's death was confirmed.

Both Bastin and the boys' older brother obtained copies of the genuine death certificate from officials of the village, along with hospital records confirming how she died and affidavits from relatives saying she was indeed dead.

The boys' father, who Bastin said is in his 70s, also formally gave up his parental rights.

Labels: international, ghana, Canada, paperwork

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When Adreinne and Johan Mellisen traveled from their home in Canada to Sierra Leone, they were simply planning to help out at the local school and the medical clinic. But a month after their arrival, they met Mariama.

In a March 4 article on BCLocalNews.com, Justine Drummond described what happened next:

[Mariama] was 16 weeks old when her aunts brought her to their doorstep.

"They handed me a note which said, "This girls mother is dead,'" Adrienne says. ... "When she came to live with us, she was 11 months and 11 pounds," Johan says.

As they nursed her back to health, the Melissens knew Mariama's chance for survival in Sierra Leone was bleak.

"She didnt have any future," Johan says. It was then the Melissens considered adoption. ...

Mariama was ultimately granted Canadian citizenship, and on Nov. 5, her new parents brought her home for the first time.

Labels: international, orphans, Canada, sierra leone

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In radical attempt to fix its child-care system, the Bulgarian government has announced plans to shut down all of its orphanages and homes for disabled children.

Citing past failed attempts to create real change in the current system, the government has set a 15-year deadline for scrapping the old and starting anew.

"According to a new strategy paper approved by the cabinet on Wednesday, the country's 137 communist-era welfare homes for orphans and disabled children will be closed down," the Independent News & Media has reported. "The more than 7 500 children living in such homes will be placed in foster families or adopted to help better integrate them into society."

The government says lack of funding, and lack of "political will" has kept all but the most cosmetic changes from being made at orphanages and group homes. The new plan would give top priority to placing the more than 1,300 disabled children who are currently wards of the state.

Labels: international, orphanages

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Mia Farrow, who serves a UNICEF goodwill ambassador, has spoken out against illegal adoptions that have occurred in the aftermath of the devastating earthquake in Haiti.

A Feb. 4 Associated Press highlighted Farrow's criticisms:

The U.S. actress says groups or individuals who want to help Haiti's children should rather support orphanages or their families inside the country.

Farrow, who herself has adopted 11 children, says offering parents a better life for their children elsewhere is "completely unacceptable and immoral."

Adoption practices in Haiti are in the spotlight since a group of American missionaries was caught trying to smuggle Haitian children out of the country in the wake of the Jan. 12 quake.

Labels: international, haiti, illegal adoptions

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With the U.S. Air Force's "Year of the Air Force Family" barely more than a month old, one USAF family has taken the opportunity to expand through adoption. Chief Master Sgt. Sean Stevenson of Air Force News reported the story:

Col. John Marselus, the 607th Air and Space Operations Center commander, and his wife, Kim, traveled to Addis Adaba, Ethiopia, where they picked up their newest son Caleb, a 5-year-old orphan whom they had just adopted.

"The adoption process took about two years, but in reality this journey started well over two decades ago," Colonel Marselus said. Their trip to Ethiopia opened yet another opportunity; the opportunity to meet face-to-face with one of the many children they had sponsored worldwide for almost three decades. ...

After 25 years of sponsorship of multiple children, the Marselus family decided it was time to have an even greater impact on a needy child. It was at that point they decided to pursue the option of adoption.

"Sponsoring needy children ... is great, but we were convicted to see if there was a child who needed a family," Colonel Marselus said. "We strongly felt that the right thing to do was provide an orphaned little boy or girl the love and nurturing they so desperately deserve."

Labels: international

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The devastation caused by the earthquake in Haiti has prompted many good-hearted people to inquire about adopting children who were orphaned in the disaster. It also left many adoptions in limbo, as the Haitian government tried to sort itself out.

On Feb. 1, MSNBC ran a special feature aimed at addressing some of the more common concerns, such as the following question:

Are there any new adoptions being started for children who were already orphaned or children newly orphaned in Haiti?

Reputable adoption agencies would tell you that neither the State Department nor Haitis government are considering new adoption applications at this time. Their primary concern is the safety of children who may have been separated from surviving relatives and need time to be reunited with extended family.

Only adoptions that were already in process will be completed. Neither the U.S. State Department nor the Haitian government has publicly speculated about when new adoptions can be initiated.

Labels: international, haiti

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As images of a devastated Haiti flood into the U.S., telephone calls are flooding into adoption agencies. But homes and families weren't the only things ruined by the earthquake, as KATU.com writers Susan Harding and Meghan Kalkstein reported in a Jan. 26 article:

Even before the earthquake, Haiti was considered one of the most challenging countries for adoption because of red tape and an unstable and corrupt government. ...

Adoption agency officials say people who are now flooding local agencies with calls may not have any idea what obstacles they'll encounter.

No one right now is accepting applications for adoptions because of the collapse of the (Haitian) government," said Hollen Frazier of All God's Children International.

She said she believes it will be a year before Haiti will begin to allow adoptions again and then the wait may be up to three years.

"I would just encourage people to keep the orphan in their foresight with the understanding we have orphans throughout the entire world," she said.

Labels: international, haiti

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An international organization known as the Adoptees of Color Roundtable has issued a statement calling for a stoppage on adoptions from Haiti and a refocused effort on connecting children with their families and providing all necessary aid to help Haitians rebuild after the recent earthquake that devastated their nation.

The following are excerpts from this statement:

We are a community of scholars, activists, professors, artists, lawyers, social workers and health care workers who speak with the knowledge that North Americans and Europeans are lining up to adopt the "orphaned children" of the Haitian earthquake, and who feel compelled to voice our opinion about what it means to be "saved" or "rescued" through adoption."

We understand that in a time of crisis there is a tendency to want to act quickly to support those considered the most vulnerable and directly affected, including children. However, we urge caution in determining how best to help. ...

For more than fifty years "orphaned children" have been shipped from areas of war, natural disasters, and poverty to supposedly better lives in Europe and North America. ... Like us, these "disaster orphans" will grow into adulthood and begin to grasp the magnitude of the abuse, fraud, negligence, suffering, and deprivation of human rights involved in their displacements. ...

As adoptees of color we bear a unique understanding of the trauma, and the sense of loss and abandonment that are part of the adoptee experience, and we demand that our voices be heard. All adoptions from Haiti must be stopped and all efforts to help children be refocused on giving aid to organizations working toward family reunification and caring for children in their own communities.

Labels: international, haiti

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Jill Lear and Kim Lewen both have rooms ready and waiting for children who may not occupy them for months. Both women have been in the process of adopting children from Haiti, which was devastated by a magnitude 7.0 earthquake Jan. 12.

"Though both know their children are safe ... what they don't know is when they'll be able to proceed with their dream of bringing the children to the United States. They fear for their children's safety in the days to come, and that their months-long effort to adopt the children could be stalled by the chaos." (Source: The Associated Press)

Dozens of families have been left in limbo, worried not only about the safety of their adopted children, but also about the paperwork which often takes months to sort out and may now be buried underneath the rubble. On Jan. 14, adoption advocates gathered on Capitol Hill to determine the best way forward.

Labels: international, haiti

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Margaret Fleming is a 73-year-old single mother of 12 children and a passionate adoption advocate. She is also the driving force behind an effort to ensure that HIV-positive children find loving homes.

A Jan. 6 Chicago Tribune article by Jennifer Grant provided the following insights into Fleming's work on behalf of HIV-positive children throughout the world:

Fleming is the founder of Adoption-Link Inc., an agency in Oak Park [Illinois] through which she has placed hundreds of children since 1992. During a 2002 visit to Vietnam to meet her now-9-year-old daughter, her eyes were opened to the crisis of children and HIV.

She returned to the U.S. and established Chances by Choice, a program that helps place children born with HIV.

To date, close to 60 such children have found adoptive families.

According to a UNICEF report, about 370,000 children younger than 15 around the world became infected with HIV in 2007. Most infections occur during birth or through breast-feeding. Many of these children are orphaned when their parents die of AIDS.

Labels: international, adoption_agencies, HIV

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The Haitian government has dramatically slowed its transportation of Haitian orphans to the U.S., amid fears that undocumented children may be victims of human trafficking.

"Haiti's prime minister, Jean-Max Bellerive, told the Miami Herald his government has considerable fears that children may be scooped up in the streets of Port-au-Prince by nongovernmental organizations. The government also has concerns that children may be trafficked into prostitution or slavery." [Source: The Palm Beach Post]

Lawyers and adoption agencies have been working around the clock to finalize paperwork on as many children as possible, the Post reported. Most agencies are also re-processing paperwork for potential adoptive parents, including a background check, to ensure they are legitimate.

Labels: international, haiti

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Robin Whiteley spent another holiday season away from his family this year.

When Whiteley was just a day old, a midwife gave him to Lora and Royce Whiteley who formally adopted him six years later. Today, Robin is 35-years-old, has a family of his own, and neither the United States, nor Mexico, has a record of his birth.

The Ft. Worth Star-Telegram provided the following information about Whiteley's ordeal:

Lacking a birth certificate and naturalization papers, Whiteley, who doesnt speak Spanish, was deported to Mexico on the assumption that it was his country of origin. &

The laws on migration and foreign adoptions are complicated, said Heidi Cox, executive vice president and general counsel for the Gladney Center in Forth Worth... "Your Texas adoption will establish that you are the parent, but not that the child is a citizen, she said."

Because Whiteley doesnt have proper documentation in Mexico either, he cant work. His wife and children have moved to the Rio Grande Valley to be closer to him. the Star-Telegram reported.

Labels: international

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The number of foreign children adopted by Americans fell to a 15-year low, according to the U.S. State Department.

"Big declines were recorded for all three countries that provided the most adopted children in the previous fiscal year. In China and Russia, government officials have been trying to promote domestic adoptions, while in Guatemala, a once-bustling but highly corrupt international adoption industry was shut down while reforms are implemented." [Source: The Associated Press]

Thomas DiFilipo, president of the Joint Council on International Children's Services predicted that adoptions in 2010 would fall as well.

Labels: international

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Australians who have been waiting to adopt children from Ethiopia have received devastating news that the Australian government is suspending the program.

A Dec. 9 article by Barbara Miller of Australia's ABC News provided the following details:

The Federal Attorney-General has put the adoption program on hold because of concerns over a request from Ethiopia that Australia enter into a formal aid agreement as part of the arrangement.

Adoption agencies and prospective parents say they and hundreds of children have been left in limbo for no good reason and they are calling for the suspension to be lifted.

In the past 10 years more than 450 Ethiopian children have been adopted to Australia and many more families are interested in adopting an Ethiopian child. ...

Teacher Alex Grieve and her husband Rod have been going through the adoption program for six years. About 16 months ago their application was finally sent to Ethiopia to be matched with a child.

But then came the news that the Australian Government had suspended the adoption program. ...

Ms Grieve says she is devastated by the news.

"It's been pretty crushing, pretty hard. This is our only option to become parents," she said.

Labels: international, australia, ethiopia

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By all accounts, Terri Smith and Brad Roback's Chicago-area home looks normal enough; a barking dog, an 18-month-old toddler (named Sachi), family portraits and organized chaos. But closer inspection reveals a key difference between this and many other households  a cluster of syringes and bottles on the kitchen counter.

Sachi, who is just under two years old, is HIV positive. She contracted the virus from her birth mother, a sex worker in India.

Writer Leslie Goldman wrote about Sachi's adoptive family -- and the plight of the many other HIV+ children who are still waiting for families of their own -- in a Dec. 1 Huffington Post article:

Families like Brad, Terri, and Sachi are helping to bring about that much-needed transformation. They're part of a small but growing group of would-be parents looking to bring a child into their homes and lives. Coupled with the increasing manageability of HIV in areas with access to medical care, children like Sachi are finding homes ... and thriving.

I recently had the pleasure of interviewing them for a story in Parenting magazine, "An HIV Adoption Story" (December 2009 issue.) While no hard numbers exist for HIV adoption, the field is growing by "leaps and bounds," Erin Henderson, the coordinator for HIV-positive kids at Adoption Advocates International in Port Angeles, WA, told me.

In 2005, AAI helped two HIV-positive Ethiopian children come to the U.S.; in October 2009, the agency had 45 such adoptions in process or completed.

Labels: international, HIV

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A Kentucky couples adoption of a Nepalese infant has prompted some discussion about the risks and benefits of domestic and international adoptions.

According to a Dec. 4 article on the website iSurfHopkins.com, the couple chose to adopt internationally because they were worried about the risks associated with domestic adoption:

According to Tara Whitmer, the couple has spent a considerable amount of time attempting to find local adoption possibilities, but discovered in many local private adoptions there were no guarantees. The Whitmers were concerned that there might be a chance that the estranged parents of orphaned children would come back and attempt to regain custody. The uncertainty of the possibilities frightened the couple.

iSurf news contacted Jenny Morin of the Department of Community Based Services (DCBS) in Hopkins County concerning the risks of adoption. Mrs. Morin stated that she understood the Whitmer's concerns regarding adoption, but for the birth-parents to simply change their minds was not sufficient reason for any Kentucky court to appeal and adoption.

"There are truly no guarantees," said Morin. "Three out of four private adoptions fall through because the birth parents change their minds at the last minute, prior to termination of parental rights. Once an adoption is finalized, however, it his highly unlikely that the decision will be overturned."

Labels: international, adoptive parents, kentucky

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Trans-racial adoptions, especially Caucasian families adopting African-American children, are becoming increasingly common in the United States. In an article on Examiner.com, writer Maritza Brown advised adoptive parents on ways to incorporate aspects of the child's birth culture into their family:

Since all ethnic groups maintain their own unique culture and mannerisms, it is imperative that the adopting parents not only learn their adopted child’s way of living, but they have to be willing to incorporate the child’s culture into their lives as well as appreciate and respect it. ...

The adopting parents have to venture out of their own comfort zone to meet and befriend others who look like and can identify with the adopted child. ... The child should always have access to an environment where there are people he/she can relate to and form a strong sense of self.

Needless to say that there is an added responsibility when adopting outside of one’s own race. That is why, it is imperative for the adopting parents to be prepared to embrace fully, the cultural lifestyle of the child they intend to add to their family in order to ensure the positive, well-adjusted growth of the child.

Labels: international, trans-racial, parenting

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The United Kingdom childrens charity Coram has pioneered a unique adoption system designed to help at-risk women and their children. Called concurrent planning, the plan places newborns with a potential adoptive family within days of the birth, while providing the birth mother with the support she needs.

A Nov. 2 article on the British news website TimesOnline provided the following details about the effort:

Concurrent planning runs for up to one year, during which the baby is cared for by the adoptive family while the natural mother is given a chance to turn her life around and show she could look after the child.

Unusually, the prospective adoptive parents agree regularly to bring the baby to see the mother up to five times a week so that the relationship can be maintained.

The charity offers the mother intensive support during this time to give her the best possible chance to sort out her problems. At the end of the year, if social workers judge she still poses a risk to the child, the adoption goes ahead immediately.

Labels: international, UK

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In America, adoption is widely accepted, and commonly celebrated. But in Japan, issues such as tradition, family name, and inheritance often make adoption more about practicality than anything else.

Writer Matt Holland explored the challenges facing adoptive parents and children in Japan in his Oct. 21 article on the website Global Voices Online:

There are presently a number of conflicting forces at play: a disapproval of adoption from those valuing past norms, yet many of these people are the ones adopting heirs into their family near the end of their lives. This negative viewpoint also clashes with the many younger families who are seeking to adopt, rejecting past ideals and placing the importance on their present family.

International adoptions involving Japanese children can be just as challenging. In 2008, a combination of obstacles meant that just 35 families from the United States adopted Japanese children. The Japanese government says changes are being made, Holland reported -- but the changes are happening slowly, while thousands of children wait for permanent homes.

Labels: international, japan

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The Hallahan family thought they had done everything right. Pat and Sharon knew that their adoption of Dang Quang Tran had to be finalized before he turned 16, and their lawyer told them it was.

But according to an article in the Delano (MN) Herald Journal paperwork discrepancies threaten the Hallahan's family and their son's ability to remain in the United States:

Now, looking back, there were some red flags that made Pat and Sharon concerned about the adoption, according to Pat. One of them was when they received Trans birth certificate saying he was adopted, but at the bottom, it said, this is not proof of citizenship, Pat said.

It wasnt until the Hallahans filed Trans citizenship papers that they found out his adoption hadnt been completed until after he was 16, the Herald-Journal reported. Pat and Sharon have contacted their senator, who has recommended an immigration attorney and is now helping walk the process through the proper channels.

Labels: international

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According to a Sept. 25 article by Richard Foot of Canwest News Service, a Canadian mother is worried that her adopted daughter may have been kidnapped from her birth parents:

"I'm very, very scared," says Cathy Wagner, who wants the federal government to stop all Canadian adoptions from China until fears about the true origins of orphans there can be properly investigated.

This week the Los Angeles Times published explosive evidence that Chinese babies, particularly those in rural villages, had been kidnapped from their parents and sold to orphanages by corrupt adoption officials cashing in on the vast sums of money made available by the foreign demand for Chinese children.

The newspaper also said local authorities had tricked or coerced Chinese families into giving up newborns for adoption, only to sell those children to orphanages.

The paper quoted parents in the provinces of Guizhou and Hunan who said their babies had been stolen, sold, and adopted overseas in recent years.

Officials from the Chinese Center for Adoption Affairs have told foreign diplomats that, while there have been abuses in the past, they no longer occur, Foot reported.

Labels: international, China

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Some parents in China are making claims that their infant children (mostly daughters) were forcibly taken from them and placed for adoption with foreign families. The Boston Globe reports that the claims are fueling speculation about the legitimacy of some adoptions.

A Sept. 30 article on the Medical News Today reported the following:

The conventional wisdom is that the infants, mostly girls, were abandoned by their parents because of Chinas one-child policy and a cultural preference for boys, the Globe reports.

Although this is likely true for tens of thousands of the adoptions, some Chinese say that government officials took their children by coercion, fraud or kidnapping to collect money from orphanages.

The Chinese Center for Adoption Affairs declined to comment on the allegations, Medical News Today reported.

Labels: international, adoption fraud

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A law that has been promoted by Uruguay's gay rights groups may not actually allow same-sex couples to adopt. According to a Sept. 15 article by Associated Press writer Raul O. Garces, thelaw -- which is currently awaiting President Tabare Vazquez's signature --does not directly address the rights of gay or lesbian couples:

[G]ay rights groups have been celebrating the prospect that Uruguay could become the first country in Latin America to give gay and lesbian couples the opportunity to adopt.

But nowhere in the law does it specifically say that homosexual couples have a right to adopt. And in some places, it suggests otherwise - for example by specifying how the child should take a mother and father's surnames.

Lawyers, judges and even the law's own authors now have doubts about how the law will be applied.

Though many are questioning the ability of the law to provide for same-sex adoption, the bill's author said that it will accomplish just that, Garces reported:

Deputy Margarita Percovich, who wrote the law, acknowledged that it doesn't directly mention same-sex adoptions, but said it would enable them because gays and lesbians already can legally form civil unions, and "the law enables couples in civil unions to adopt children without impediment."

Labels: international, same-sex couples

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Elton John has experienced a setback in his efforts to adopt an HIV-positive youngster from Ukraine. According to a Sept. 14 article in the British newspaper The Sun, Ukranian officials have cited the singer's age and sexual orientation as reasons for denying the adoption:

Elton John faces a legal battle over his dream to adopt a Ukrainian tot -- because the country bans gay couples from doing so.

The superstar [age 62] and partner David Furnish, 46, are also deemed too old under national laws.

Their only hope would be a presidential dispensation to take home 14-month-old Lev - after 62-year-old Elton declared at the weekend: "He has stolen my heart."

It was also revealed that if Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko were to grant their wish the pair would have to adopt Lev's brother as well. He too is in care -- and Ukrainian law states siblings must be adopted together.

Labels: international, same-sex couples

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The South African Minister of Social Development is encouraging people to consider adoption. As the number of children orphaned by AIDS continues to increase, the need for loving, permanent homes increases, too.

The website of South Africa's Bush Radio 89.5 provided the following details about the minister's adoption appeal:

• KwaZulu Natal, Eastern Cape and Gauteng have the largest number of vulnerable children and with an estimated 1.5 million orphans in South Africa
• The number of vulnerable children is expected to reach two million by 2010.
• Minister of Social Development Edna Molewa said that the economic downturn has resulted in dramatic increases in cases of child abandonment, with the majority of children becoming vulnerable to poverty.

A general lack of information, combined with lengthy court proceedings, has led to a decrease in adoption, the radio station's website reported. As of July, 2009, more than 500,000 South African children were living in foster care.

Labels: international, foster_care

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The British Association for Adoption and Fostering (BAAF) has announced that it will be hosting "adoption parties" in an effort to connect would-be adoptive parents with children from traditionally hard-to-place demographic groups.

Amelia Hill of The Guardian reported on the controversial effort in an Aug. 30 article:

The agency hopes that the controversial events will increase the chances of finding homes for young people repeatedly passed over by potential adoptive parents, such as those aged over five, sibling groups, children of black and minority ethnic origin, and those with mental and physical disabilities.

"This is not just about putting some jelly and ice-cream in a parish hall and inviting everyone along," [said Mo O'Reilly, director of child placement for the BAAF]. "We are going to hold these parties professionally and in the best way that we know how, and we are pretty optimistic that these parties could be a success."

About 10 families and 20 children will be invited to each event, which will take the form of a children's party, hosted in community centres by the prospective parents themselves, who will organise group games and one-to-one activities.

There will be no prior matching between children and adults, but the families invited will have expressed interest in the "type" of children present. The BAAF hopes that at least two children will find a new family at each event.

Sue Cotton, who heads the British charity Action for Children, told The Guardian that she was concerned about the effect that the parties will have on children who attend but do not end up being adopted. However, she did acknowledge that new ideas are needed in the effort to place more children in adoptive homes.

"Children who know that families are being sought for them will always risk feeling rejection, but meeting the adults at the party will make the letdown even stronger," she said. "We can't welcome this idea because we don't know the effect on the children. But it is clear that staying as we are is not an option."

Labels: international, hard-to-place youth

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A Chinese orphan who was born with a disfiguring growth on her face called a Hemangioma has a new home and a new life in Georgia thanks to the concerted efforts of a nurse from the U.S. and an adoptive mother.

Reporter Jaime Dailey of Savannah's WTOC 11 provided the following details about the obstacle-laden international adoption:

It all started about two years ago when a nurse from Beaufort went to work at a Chinese orphanage for a few weeks. She saw baby Emma and knew she had some medical issues that needed addressing and made it her mission to help Emma get the treatment she needed with the hopes of giving her a better life. ...

"She was being put aside as a baby that was essentially going to die if not taken care of or at least grown up in an orphanage being kind of the rejected one," said Beaufort nurse, Mariah ByWater. ...

"She was deemed unadoptable because of her Hemangioma and so her paperwork was not even processed. She wasn't even in the system, adoption system," said [Emma's eventual adoptive mother, Colleen] Brant.

Emma officially became a member of the Brant family in May.

Labels: international

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A couple whose adoption hopes had been dashed when the company they were working with went bankrupt is headed to Ethiopia to pick up their adopted son. Jodi and Joel Thurmeier leave this week, thanks to help from immigration officials and a lawyer.

"Ontario-based Kids Link, which operates Imagine Adoption, went belly-up last month when the Thurmeiers were close to the end of their process," The Calgary Sun reported. "The couple, who also have a five-year-old daughter and four-year-old son, are scheduled to fly home Aug. 25 with their new baby in their arms."

The Thurmeiers told the Sun that they are excited, but are trying to prepare themselves for any outcome. They are told that their babys visa could be ready by the time they arrive in Ethiopia on Wednesday. "Its going to be a whirlwind," Jodi Thurmeier said.

Labels: international

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A new directive from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has angered proponents of international adoption. The directive requires all immigrants from Ethiopia and China who are over the age of two to be tested for tuberculosis.

According to an Aug. 10 Associated Press article, "adoption advocates say the required testing procedures  and treatment in the case of positive tests  could cause delays ranging from several weeks to 12 months for obtaining a visa to bring adopted children back to the U.S."

A petition is being circulated among several major adoption organizations, asking the CDC to exempt adopted children from its TB test requirement. Many argue that children who test positive would receive better medical treatment in the United States than they would in their countries of origin.

Labels: international, health

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Would-be adoptive parents in Canada are hopeful that their adoption plans will be finalized now that a group of families have agreed to help rescue an adoption agency from bankruptcy. The move comes after nearly 200 people met to discuss the fate of the agency, and their pending adoptions.

After the meeting, Christine Starr, chairwoman of Families of Imagine Adoption, told the Winnipeg Free Press that it was "a moving moment ... to see all 189 people present vote in favour of working towards taking the agency out of bankruptcy."

Kids Link International Adoption Agency, which operated under the name Imagine Adoption, went into receivership on July 14, sending hundreds of pending adoptions into limbo. A group of adoptive parents quickly joined forces to find out what their options were and determine their response.

Labels: international, Canada

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When Chloe Cohen returns to school this year, her "How I Spent My Summer Vacation" story is likely to top anything her classmates will have to share. While others traveled to amusement parks, national monuments and relatives' homes, Chloe was visiting her home country and former foster parents.

"The journey took off thanks to a mighty convergence of curiosity and restlessness at the Cohen household this year," the Philadelphia Inquirer reported.

"Chloe had been asking more questions about Guatemala [her birth country]. ... At the same time, Amy Cohen, a world geography teacher at Julia R. Masterman Middle and High School in Spring Garden, yearned to travel again."

Amy and her daughter found an organization -- The Ties Program -- that arranges trips for adoptees to their home countries. The Cohens spent two weeks in Guatemala learning about the culture and meeting the foster family that cared for Chloe during the first seven months of her life.

Labels: international

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Canadian couples who have been dreaming of adopting a child, preparing rooms, buying clothes and making announcements now find themselves in limbo. During the second week of July, the Ontario-based Kids Link International went into receivership.

A July 17 Winnipeg Free Press article provided the following details:

Kids Link operated Imagine Adoption, which organized adoptions from Ethiopia and co-ordinated them in Manitoba with Winnipeg-based Adoption Options. BDO Dunwoody, a bankruptcy trustee, has been assigned to take over Kids Link's files, but nine Manitoba couples and hundreds of other Canadians have no idea what will come of their parenting hopes.

Manitoba's assistant deputy minister of Child and Family Services Carolyn Loeppky said the agency learned of the problems with Kids Link on Monday. The province is expected to take part in a cross-country teleconference next week to see what can be done, she said.

"We know that families are probably anxious right now, and we do feel for them, because this is a very important life decision that families make," she said.
The Province of Alberta has promised to help families there affected by the bankruptcy, but Loeppky said Manitoba is still waiting for information from BDO Dunwoody "to give good advice to Manitoba families."

Kids Link operated an agency called Imagine Adoption, which organized adoptions from Ethiopia. There are currently about 20 adoptions that had been initiated through Kids Link which will now need to be completed through other means. An additional 30 children have been matched with parents as well.

Labels: international, Canada

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A June 15 article on The Local (an English-language Swedish news website) featured one couple's experience with Sweden's "stressful and draining" adoption process:

Brett, originally from Australia, met Eleonore, a Swede, 12 years ago while he was backpacking across Europe and she was on holiday with friends. They married in 2000 and spent time living between Sweden and Australia before settling in Stockholm to start a family. After many failed attempts to conceive, they decided to research the option of adoption.

They say the process was long, stressful, and mentally draining. Before applying to an adoption agency, couples must be approved by government social welfare services (Socialtjansten), which can take up to six months. Social workers assess aspects of the couples suitability, including economic status, reference and police checks, health, and living conditions, including house visits.

Once a couple is approved to adopt, the approval is good for two years. The process took a little longer for Brett and Eleonore than it does for most. But when they held their new daughter, just nine months old, for the first time, they said, all the "hardship of waiting and being stressed" disappeared.

Labels: international, sweden

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The family planning laws in China are very strict. Each couple is allowed to have just one child, and those do not follow this rule are required to pay a $2,000 fine for each additional child. Reports have begun to surface about children being taken from parents who can't pay the fine, and then being sold into adoptive families.

Tang Jian, leader of Birth Control Administrative Bureau Inspection Team of Ahenyuan county apparently admitted the practice was prevalent at the time [from 2004-2006].

"It is true that some baby girls were forced be brought [sic] into the charity house and then send abroad," he was quoted as saying. (Source: The Telegraph News)

No one has yet determined how prevalent the practice has been, but Chinese officials ensure international adoption agencies that it has been stopped.

Labels: international, China

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Adopting a child can be a decidedly circuitous process -- an experience that can be much more confusing (and frustrating) for parents who are attempting to adopt a child from a foreign country.

To help clarify the process -- and to provide a source of comfort for those who are trying to adopt internationally -- a group of women in Rochester, N.Y. have formed an international adoption support group.

A group of Rochester women began gathering once a month more than a year ago to talk about their experiences and offer emotional support to one another.

Who else, after all, would understand a process in which certified documents and dossiers can be so critical in adopting a foreign-born child? Or how a missed signature can suddenly throw the process out of whack for weeks, if not months? How those months and even years add up to an emotional rollercoaster ride few would understand except those who have been through it.

"It's just nice to have somebody else that understands the process, that you're not constantly explaining something to people. You just talk about your feelings without giving some type of explanation," said Elyse Mitchell, who, along with her husband, adopted a girl from Korea last summer. (Source: WCCO Rochester, June 27)

According to the WCCO article, the U.S. State Department estimates that more than 17,000 foreign children were adopted by U.S. parents in 2008, a reduction from more than 22,000 in 2004.

Labels: international, support

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A British tribunal has ruled that Catholic adoption programs cannot refuse service to same-sex couples who wish to adopt. According to a June 3 article by Steve Doughty of the Daily Mail Online, some Catholic adoption agencies may close as a result of the decision:

Judges ruled in a test case that the charities, which find homes for hundreds of children each year, will be breaking the law if they refuse to accept same-sex couples as adoptive parents.

The ruling means some Catholic agencies face a choice between abandoning their adoption services or their religious principles. ...

Following the ruling a spokesman for the diocese said: 'As the charities cannot provide unrestricted services without being in breach of their obligations to act in accordance with the tenets of the Roman Catholic Church, it seems likely that the charities will need to close their adoption services and a flagship service of the charities will be lost.

In the United States, laws governing same-sex adoption adopt vary from state to state.

Labels: international, same-sex couples

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The lawyer for pop singer Madonna appeared in front of the Malawi Supreme Court June 12 and was told that his client can proceed with her adoption plans. Madonna had been seeking to adopt Chifundo "Mercy" James from an orphanage when a lower court ruled she had not be in the country long enough to adopt.

An article on the CBS News website reported that "Chief Justice Lovemore Munlo, reading the three-judge panel's ruling, said the singers commitment to helping disadvantaged children should have been taken into account when deciding on Madonna's request."

Children's welfare groups are still concerned about the matter, with many believing that bending the country's laws for Madonna will make poor and orphaned kids more vulnerable to traffickers. However, because this latest ruling was issued by the Malawi Supreme Court, it cannot be appealed or challenged.

Labels: international

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When Tricia Parrish invited a monk from Nepal to speak to a community organization about his orphanage, she had no plans of adopting one of the children. But she took one look at little Dolker and felt an immediate connection. The monk agreed to adoption request by Tricia and her husband, Philip Kaake, and Dolker flew to the United States to begin her new life.

But as Lucinda Ryan reported in an April 25 article in the Contra Costa Times, governmental red tape has intruded upon the family's hopes for a "happily ever after" ending to their international adoption experience:

The family needed to finalize the adoption earlier this year. The four of them packed their bags and went to Nepal, anticipating they would all return to the U.S. But Nepal's new government hasn't yet completed developing its adoption laws. Dolker had to be left behind.

"It's heart-breaking," Philip Kaake said.

Though the family hopes the attorneys and connections they have in Nepal will soon bring good news about the adoption and they can fly back to bring Dolker home, they have no knowledge of when that may happen.

In addition to enduring the emotional challenge of having to leave their adopted daughter in Nepal, the family is also dealing with a considerable financial burden. Ryan's April 25 article indicated that the Kaake and Parrish have already spent $21,000 in travel and adoption-related fees, and they estimate that getting their adopted daughter back will cost at least $15,000.

Labels: international, adoption_laws, Nepal

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Tracey and Jim Hoehn have two adopted daughters, Lulu and Magaly, who were born in Guatemala. The adoption processes for both children were long and drawn out, as international adoptions often are.

But the Hoehns hit a unique snag with their second daughter, when the Guatemalan government ordered that international adoptions be stopped.

By August [2008], the Hoehns had completed the steps to adopt Magaly and had a U.S. passport for her, but the authorities were not going to let her leave Guatemala ... As legal guardians, the Hoehns were responsible for supporting Magaly and began paying for her care. ...

This March, the Hoehns brought their older daughter, almost 5, to the U.S. -- Source: The Dundalk (MD) Eagle

Though Tracey and Jim have their daughters, many adopting couples do not. About 900 adoptions were in process when the Guatemalan government ceased allowing international adoptions, and those families are still in limbo.

The Hoehns plan to participate in a June 17 march Washington, D.C., to bring attention to the situation.

Labels: international

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As have many other children who were involved in international adoptions, two adopted children in Montrose, Colo., have established new lives in a new family far from the poverty-stricken village where they were born. But thanks to the efforts of their adoptive parents and many other community members, the children (now ages 8 and three) retain a connection with the nation in which they were born.

A May 17 article on The Denver Channel website described the efforts that Michael and Kimberly McGehee have made to ensure that their adopted children remain connected with the culture into which they were born:

Though their biological parents died from AIDS, the two children tested negative for the virus. Jenna and Stephen have adjusted well to life in Colorado, but Michael and Kimberley were determined to ensure the kids didn't forget their roots.

"We've always wanted to keep the kids connected to their culture, so we knew we had to do something," Michael said. The village in Uganda, where Jenna and Stephen were raised, is in the heart of a ghetto, covered in trash. Much of the population has been stricken by the AIDS virus and can hardly afford to eat meals regularly or clothe themselves. Despite the cost, the McGehees decided to raise money to help their children's homeland and make the trip to Uganda as a family.

When the family traveled to Uganda in January, the money that was contributed during a number of community- and school-based fundraisers paid for a feast for the villagers, 500 pairs of shoes, and the construction of a new playground.

Even families whose adoption stories are less dramatic than that of the McGehees are likely to experience issues related to their circumstances through which their adopted children joined the family. For teens who are continuing to struggle with these types of issues, Mount Bachelor Academy (a private boarding school in Prineville, Oregon) provides an innovative and effective therapeutic program for adopted students.

Labels: international, adopted children

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In a case that demonstrates the degree to which legal confusion can derail an international adoption, a North Carolina couple who traveled to Egypt to adopt twin boys have instead been arrested and put on trial for alleged child trafficking.

According to a May 13 Associated Press article, Iris Botros and Louis Andros attempted to adopt in the United States, but a number of factors including Andros' age (he is 70, she is 40) prevented them from doing so. AP writers Anna Johnson and Maggie Michael provided the following details of the events surrounding the couple's arrest:

In Muslim countries like Egypt, such adoptions are nearly impossible, snarled in religious tradition and murky laws. Botros and Andros ... also may have been caught up in an attempt by the Egyptian government to show it is cracking down on human trafficking after criticism from the United States.

On the advice of Egyptian friends, the two traveled to Cairo in the fall and were put in touch with a Coptic Christian orphanage that was caring for two newborn orphans. The orphanage gave them forged documents to say Botros had given birth to the children, and the couple donated $4,600 to the orphanage ...

But when they tried to get American passports for the babies, a U.S. Embassy employee became suspicious of them ... When asked by an embassy official, Botros admitted she wasn't the biological mother, [the couple's] lawyer said.

"Adoption experts said the case highlights the importance of being well-informed and working with governments and reputable agencies to make sure laws and social norms are followed," the AP writers reported.

Labels: international, laws, adoption rights

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A man who claims to be the father of a four-year-old girl that pop star Madonna hopes to adopt says he wants to raise the girl himself. James Kambewa said that he has never met his supposed daughter and that he thought she had died along with her mother, who was Kambewas then-girlfriend.

In an Early Show world exclusive, Kambewa tells correspondent Priya David, "I do not want my baby to be adopted because I want to take care of her and I'm capable to take care of my baby ... Mercy, she is a Malawian  so [I] need her to grow as a Malawian, as well with our culture." (Source: CBS)

Madonna's adoption bid was initially rejected by a Malawian court because she hadn't met the country-s residency requirement of 12 to 18 months before adopting. Court officials, and some human rights groups, have expressed concern over the possible bending of the rules of international adoption, saying it puts children at greater risk of being trafficked.

Labels: international, adoption rights

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Researchers with Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine have determined that vaccination records of children who were born in China, Russia, and Guatemala may not be accurate -- and, as a result, parents who have adopted children from these nations should consider having their children tested by a pediatrician to establish their true immunization status.

According to an article on Canada's CBCNews website, the Case Western researchers reached their conclusions after analyzing data on 465 children who were processed through an international adoption clinic between 2001 and 2006:

Children who are adopted from China, Russia and Guatemala may not be protected against polio, measles and other diseases even though their records suggest they are, say researchers who checked for evidence of immunity. ...

"Immunization records should not be accepted as evidence of protective immunity," the study's authors concluded. "Parents should be well informed and supported to choose between re-vaccination or vaccination, based on serologic [blood] testing."

The Case Western study was published in the journal Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.

Labels: international, adoption_agencies, health, vaccination

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An April 28, 2009, article by Time magazine writer Kayla Webley reports that adoptions of Chinese children by U.S. parents have declined dramatically over the past two years.

Webley attributes this decline to heightened standards that the Chinese government put into effect in May 2007:

The stricter guidelines, intended to limit the overwhelming number of applicants to China's well-regarded adoption program, have been effective -- adoptions of Chinese children by U.S. citizens have dropped 50 percent, according to the U.S. State Department.

The new regulations require, among other things, that adoptive parents be married, under 50, not classified as clinically obese, not have taken antidepressant medications in the past two years, not have facial deformities and meet certain educational and economic requirements.

Webley's Time article noted that the number of children who were adopted by U.S. citizens through the state-run China Center for Adoption Affairs fell from 7,906 in 2005 to 3,909 three years later.

Labels: international, adoption rights

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The Florence Crittenton League of Lowell, Massachusetts, has been approved to handle international adoptions with countries that observe the Hague Adoption Convention.

The Lowell (Mass.) Sun reported that the accreditation was issued by the Council on Accreditation in New York, which since July 2006 has been the only national accreditor that is recognized by the U.S. State Department.

The Florence Crittenton League also holds accreditation from the Russian Federation, which is required in order to facilitate the adoption of Russian children.

Labels: international, adoption_agencies, accreditation

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Pop star Madonna has appealed a court ruling which denied her request to adopt a three-year-old girl from Malawi. A Malawian court official said Monday that Madonna's appeal will be heard in early March.

Joseph Chigona, Registrar of the High Court and the Supreme Court of Appeal, said the case will come before three judges from the Supreme Court of Appeal on May 4 ...Malawi requires prospective parents to live in the country for 18 to 24 months while child welfare authorities assess their suitability.(Source: The Associated Press)

A lower court judge denied Madonna's adoption request based on the residency law, citing concerns that ignoring the law could put other children at risk of being trafficked. Madonna's appeal will be heard in a closed-door session that she is not required to attend.

Labels: international, adoption rights, malawi

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Five years ago, before Angelina Jolie brought international attention to the African nation, the Blome family adopted a six-year-old boy from Ethiopia. Since then, adoptions of Ethiopian children have soared from just 289 in 2004 to more than 1,700 last year.

Fraud concerns put a halt to adoptions from Guatemala and Vietnam in the last several months. The Kazakh Embassy has ceased processing adoption dossiers -- the inches-think binder of required home study and family background documents. ... China poses challenges as well. ... Ethiopia, by contrast, allows both married and single parents to adopt, and the process typically takes less than two years. (Source: The Contra Costa (California) Times)

The adoption agency chosen by the Blomes five years ago had an intriguing requirement -- that the couple commit to giving something back to Ethiopia. So every year, Erik Blome returns with crates of art supplies and runs workshops at eight orphanages.

Labels: international, adoption rights, ethiopia

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The adoption process is always exciting, and there's always a degree of uncertainty about just how it will all turn out. But for Lindsay, a woman from Winnipeg, Canada, the excitement and uncertainty are heightened by her decision to adopt from Kazakhstan.

"[Lindsay] did try to adopt in Canada, but she is single and has been told adopted children mostly go to married couples. She could have a baby naturally but she doesn't want to wait for the right man to come along."

So she's gathered together over $30,000 in cash - as required by the Kazakh government - and has boarded a plane to a country known for its corruption. She hopes to return in a few short weeks to introduce her child to her family and his new home. Source: CBC

Labels: international, Canada

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Oregon has put a 60-day moratorium on international adoptions. Some speculate that the move comes in response to the death of a young girl who had been living in Mexico but was under Oregonian jurisdiction.

"Oregon has sent 27 children to relatives outside the United States since October 1999, The Oregonian reported. About half went to Mexico."

The interim director of the Children's, Adults and Families division of the state's Human Services agency has sought legal guidance on complying with The Hague Adoption Convention. The Hague agreement is an international adoption treaty designed to prevent trafficking in humans. Source: The Associated Press

Labels: international, oregon

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Two months ago, Nepal's Ministry of Women, Children, and Social Welfare lifted an inter-country adoption ban. This action marked the first time in two years that Nepalese children were permitted to be adopted by people from other countries. However, bureaucratic red tape is still preventing adoptions.

"According to a ministry official, the joint-secretary responsible for looking after adoptions, Prakash Adhikari, left for the United States... and is yet to return. Similarly, joint-secretary Ratna Kaji Bajracharya, who was deputed to shoulder Adhikari's responsibilities in his absence, is currently in Pokhara [Nepal, near the Chinese border.]"

In October the government released a list of 58 agencies that had been authorized to facilitate inter-country adoptions in Nepal, but none of these organizations have placed a single child in a permanent home yet. Source: Republica (Nepal)

Labels: international, foreign_adoption

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When Dulcie and John Becker headed to Columbia to finalize the adoption of their five-month-old son, they expected to be gone for a few days. Instead, they've been out of the country for nearly seven weeks.

"The Beckers have been keeping friends and family updated by a website, as they've waited for the end of a 44-day-long Columbian court workers' strike that has prevented them from getting the judge's signature they need to bring [their son] home to Minnetonka."

Dozens of families are in the same situation, waiting first for the strike to end and then for the courts to catch up on a backlog of cases. Strikes aren't unusual in Columbia - but they typically last only a few days. Now that the strike is over, the Beckers and families who are in similar situations are hoping for swift returns to the United States. Source: KARE 11 News (MN)

Labels: international

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At a recent conference on international adoption that was held in Moravia, a panel of European experts stressed the importance of encouraging the adoption of Czech children by foreigners.

"A mere 277 Czech kids have been adopted by foreign families since 2000, when the Czech Republic ratified a Hague convention on adoption and child protection. These children, predominantly of Roma origin, often find their new homes in Denmark, Germany or Italy."

Lenka Pavlova, director of the government Office for International Legal Protection of Children, cited prejudice on the part of many Czech parents as a main reason that international adoption of Czech children needs to be made easier. Racism and prejudice against underprivileged children prevent many Czech families from adopting, Pavlova said. Source: Prague Post

Labels: international, foreign_adoption

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Since 1998, U.S. families have adopted more than 2,500 children from Guatemala. Every adoptive parent has their own reasons, whether spiritual, humanitarian, or cultural. Regardless of why they decided to adopt, these parents have provided their children with opportunities that weren't available in the kids' birth country.

"Joel Neikirk said the world already had a lot of orphans, and instead of bringing another child into the world, they would take care of one from a Third World country. Neikirk said he had always wanted to adopt because he had been adopted."

International adoptions can cost up to $25,000 or $30,000 dollars, which puts them out of reach for many couples. But tax credits and employer reimbursement programs can help make it possible. Source: The Hays (Kansas) Daily News

Labels: international

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Tracy had no plans to become a mother; but her visit to a Croatian orphanage changed that. While she was there, she met Mishi - a three-year-old boy who stole her heart. Thus began her four-year journey to adopt Mishi and bring him back to Wales.

"She wrote to the Croatian Ambassador, but embassy officials told her she couldn't adopt Mishi because the countries had no adoption agreement. So she contacted the Rijeka hospital, where bosses welcomed her dream - and persuaded government officials to authorize the adoption."

Back in Wales, Tracy met just as much resistance from her home country's government. Her social services representative had never even heard of Croatia. But, four years later, Mishi is home and settling well into his new life. Source: Wales on Sunday

Labels: international, obstacles

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China has issued a new policy which allows people to register children who have been adopted illegally. The unusual move is intended to protect the children by guaranteeing their legal rights.

"The guideline, jointly issued by five ministries and made public on Monday, allows people to register their illegally adopted children without fear of punishment... The legal rights of these children are not currently guaranteed, such as permanent residence of a city, schooling, and inheritance."

People who have adopted illegally will not have to meet strict requirements regarding age and health. The new policy also requires anyone who finds an abandoned infant to hand the child over to police immediately. Source: Xinhua News (China)

Labels: international, China

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An agreement between the United States and Vietnam that has enabled the adoptions of hundreds of Vietnamese children came to an end last week as a result of corruption revelations that came to light during an April investigation by the U.S. embassy in Hanoi.

"The six-month investigation of 300 cases unearthed disturbing situations, including hospitals sending babies to orphanages for overseas adoption in the wake of parents being unable to pay medical bills for the birth. Health officials also got financial inducement. In one case a grandmother sent a baby girl for adoption without the knowledge of the parents, though in that instance the baby was reunited with her mother."

The adoption agreement between the two countries has been suspended indefinitely, until both sides can resolve disagreements over the program. Source: KazinForm

Labels: international, corruption, Vietnam

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A Nepalese woman who unknowingly signed a document giving her children up for adoption may not be able to get them back, according to a local news report that says illegal trafficking is a major concern in the country.

"Activists are concerned that the lucrative business of inter-country adoption of Nepalese children - with clients from Europe and the USA willing to spend as much as $25,000 per child - increases the risk of abduction, trafficking and the illegal sale of children by children's homes."

While the government is committed to protect children from being illegally adopted, monitoring of adoption agencies and orphanages is sparse. Source: IRIN (Integrated Regional Information Networks)

Labels: international, Nepal, activists

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Vietnam's National Assembly's Standing Committee has agreed to fully support the signing and ratifying of the Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Cooperation in Respect of Inter-country Adoption. The Hague Convention, as this document is more commonly known, is a set of policies meant to ensure the protection of adopted children.

"Since 2003, with the Government's 68/202/ND-CP decree coming into force, a number of agreements on child adoption with other countries have been signed and an International Adoption Department under the Ministry of Justice has been set up."

Ratification of the Hague Convention took several years. Vietnam had to set several policies in place to ensure conditions were in line with the convention's requirements. Source: Vietnam Bridge

Labels: international, Vietnam, protection

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Jackie Semar has been interested in adoption for almost 30 years. She's now the executive director for the International Child Foundation, an organization that advocates for international adoption and child welfare in developing countries.

"[Jackie] helped found the International Child Foundation in 2003. The non-profit group facilitates about 20 international adoptions a year of children from countries including Haiti, Guatemala, China, and Khazakstan."

The organization also provides financial support to Haitian orphanages. The money subsidizes nutrition and ensures that the children get enough to eat. Source: Arizona Daily Star

Labels: international, advocacy, non-profit

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Several months ago, the Iowa Press-Citizen ran a story about an area woman who was caught in the unfortunate and frustrating red tape of international adoption. With paperwork and home studies completed, Karla boarded a flight to Vietnam to complete the process and bring her daughter home.

"On the day [Karla] arrived in Vietnam - Oct. 25 - U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced that because of 'growing concerns about irregularities in the methods used to identify children for adoption in Vietnam and the resulting difficulties in classifying those children as orphans,' a field office in Ho Chi Minh City now would decide all I-600s, which is a form that classifies an orphan as an immediate relative and expedites the visa process."

Karla's story is a difficult reminder that snags can happen at any point in the adoption process. Though it shouldn't stop people who are considering adoption, it will hopefully persuade them to diligently cross every "t" and dot every "i". Source: Iowa City Press-Citizen

Labels: international, frustrations

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Karla made the decision to adopt a child about three years ago. She began the process twice, both times with countries that changed their rules and refused to accept her application, before turning to Vietnam in hopes of finally realizing her dream of becoming a mom.

"On the day [Karla] arrived in Vietnam, Oct. 25, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services in Ho Chi Minh City announced that because of 'growing concerns about irregularities in the methods used to identify children for adoption in Vietnam and the resulting difficulties in classifying those children as orphans,' the local USCIS office would need to verify the status of any orphan up for adoption to the U.S."

Thus began what is, to date, a seven-month wait for Karla to bring her adopted daughter home. Karla's lawyer, Irene Steffas, says there is hope because they're re-tracing some of their steps to show governments in both countries that the law has been followed and the adoption is legitimate. Source: Wisconsin State Journal

SunHawk Academy offers programs for troubled teens in a boarding school setting. Their adolescent drug treatment center also offers teen substance abuse treatment.

Labels: international, adoption_process, immigration

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Vietnam has announced that it will not renew a bilateral adoption agreement with the U.S. The announcement comes in the wake of a U.S. Embassy report that outlines corruption in the adoption system.

"In its nine-page report, the US Embassy said some American adoption agencies paid orphanage officials as much as US$10,000 per referral, while others took them on shopping sprees and junkets to the US in return for a flow of babies. It said questions arose after routine investigations turned up widespread inconsistencies in adoption paperwork."

The director of Vietnam's International Adoption Agency called the U.S. report "groundless," saying the United States has been uncooperative. As of July 1, the country will stop accepting American adoption applications. Source: Shanghai Daily

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Labels: international, orphanages, bans

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China has long been a popular choice for people wanting to adopt. But increased delays in the adoption process are causing some to rethink their decision. The delays, caused by tighter restrictions and a smaller number of available children, have jumped from 6-12 months to potentially now 3-4 years for new applicants.

"The uncertainty has fueled rumors and speculation within the tight-knit community of Americans who have adopted from China or hope to do so. Some believe the longer waits are part of a temporary Chinese effort to scale back international adoptions ahead of the Beijing Olympics in August. Others wonder if China may be phasing out foreign adoptions almost entirely."

Still, many families have chosen to simply wait it out, doing their part to facilitate the adoption process and trusting that - in time - it will result in a new addition to their family. Source: CBS News

Labels: international, China

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A common question among parents who adopt internationally is whether or not to help their adopted child maintain their native language while also learning English. Often, parents are motivated by a desire to help their adopted child retain a sense of her heritage.

"For most adoptive families the preservation of the first language is not a major priority: on arrival, the main concerns are about learning English, the child's health, attachment, initial adjustment, education, and remediation (if needed). There is no place here for preserving native language as the first-order priority."

Trying to maintain the native language while learning English can be confusing for a child. Some parents consider hiring a native-speaking tutor, but that can cause attachment issues as the child begins to rely on the tutor. Most experts agree that it's best to help an adopted child learn English, and then revisit their native language when they're older and better adjusted. Read more at ADoptionArticlesDirectory.com.

Labels: international, cultures, languages

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It's a long name: the Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Co-Operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption. Typically referred to simply as The Hague Convention, it's an international policy that goes into effect on April 1st in the United States.

"The convention outlines the process by which a child becomes eligible for adoption and also outlines the processes whereby a family is deemed eligible to adopt a child. This protects children because it ensures that every attempt has been made to keep the child in his or her birth family and birth country. It protects adoptive families, who can be confident that any child they are considering for adoption has been previously designated as eligible for adoption."

Few adoptive families will notice any changes in their adoption process as the convention primarily impacts record-keeping and internal communications between adoption agencies and governmental agencies. Read more at Press-Citizen.com.

Labels: international, inter-country_adoption, protection

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Three months after a French charity tried to fly a group of children out of Chad, the Republic of Congo has lifted a ban on international adoptions. The ban went into effect on October 31st as a "preventative measure."

"At least one human rights group in Republic of Congo has been calling for action on suspected child trafficking in the country since August. The head of that group, Loamba Moke, said he was glad the government was taking action to assure the safety of adopted children, but called for tougher laws in the prosecution of child trafficking networks."

Workers from the French charity Zoe's Ark have been sentenced to eight years in jail as a result of the incident. Read more at IHT.com.

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Labels: international, governments

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From 2003 to 2005, the U.S. government suspended adoption of Vietnamese children, citing corruption in the Vietnam adoption process. Now, as an adoption agreement between Vietnam and the United States is about to expire, families who have nearly completed adoptions are having to fight to get the necessary visas to bring their children home.

"Twenty-one entry visas for children have been rejected in the last two years, according to the State Department. More than half the denials have come since last October, prompting complaints that the department is singling out individual cases to embarrass the Vietnamese government into changing its adoption process."

Two California families have elicited the help of the state's Senators, one of whom has promised to lobby the State Department for approval of the visas. One couple, Tom and Wendy Mills, have been separated off and on for nearly 5 months while Tom has stayed in Hanoi caring for their adopted daughter and waiting for her visa to be approved. Read more at TheDispatch.com.

Labels: international, inter-country_adoption, state_department

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Last Sunday, an adoption organization in Virginia - ValleyAdopt - sponsored a celebration honoring the Chinese New Year. The event was attended by families who have adopted, or are adopting, children from outside the United States.

"Part reunion and part support, the event is the largest of several that the group holds each year, chances for parents to get together, share stories and enjoy their children. For the kids, it's also an opportunity to interact with people who look like them - and who don't ask the awkward questions that the outside world sometimes does."

ValleyAdopt was started about seven years ago, as a support to adoptive families. The group now includes nearly 100 members who stay in touch throughout the year via the Internet. Read more at NewsLeader.com.

Labels: international, communication, support

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The European Court of Human Rights has condemned France for discriminating against a lesbian teacher who wanted to adopt a child. Her adoption request was denied.

"[Caroline] Mercary said the ruling effectively prohibits France from refusing adoption requests on sexual orientation grounds."

The court's ruling also granted the woman about $35,000 in damages and court costs. France has denied that her sexual orientation played a part in their initial decision. Read more at English.People.com.

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Labels: international, court, descrimination

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Writer Elizabeth Larsen has been personally affected by the recent changes to the Guatemalan adoption processes; her adopted daughter is from the country that has radically reformed its adoption system.

"The new law, passed last month, requires the creation of a centralized government authority to oversee adoptions and mandates that any private orphanages, such as those run by charities, be registered."

The new law also shuffles priorities, favoring family preservation first, followed by adoption by relatives, then domestic adoption. International adoptions will now be considered a "last resort".

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Labels: international, laws

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According to the Administration for Children and Families, approximately 15 percent of foster care children waiting to be adopted are Hispanic. With that figure in mind, the Ad Council, in partnership with Revolucion Hispanic Communications, has created the agency's first Spanish language public service announcement for AdoptUsKids.

"The new adoption ads were distributed to more than 28,000 media outlets nationwide on Wednesday, December 12 through donated media space. The multi-media program includes Spanish-language television, radio, and print public service announcement (PSAs) issuing a national call-to-action in the messaging itself."

The tag for the campaign; "Completa una vida. Completa la tuya. (Complete a life. Complete your own.)" focuses on the personal fulfillment parents often get when they adopt a child.

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Labels: international, Spanish, Hispanic

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After twenty months of paperwork, home studies, and what seemed like endless waiting, Chris and Dianna Brodine have a new addition to their family. One November 16th, Dianna returned home from Vietnam with their new 11-month-old daughter, Phoebe.

"Brodine said she and her husband chose to adopt from Vietnam when they heard of a new program through Dillon International, Inc... Although the adoption was officially recognized in Vietnam after the Giving and Receiving Ceremony, Phoebe won't be able to apply for U.S. citizenship until after three post-placement visits by Dillon International officials."

Dianna said the experience was an emotional roller coaster, but has been amazing. She also says that she and her husband would eventually like to adopt another baby from Vietnam.

Labels: international

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The Guatemalan Congress recently approved a new law that ratifies the Hague Convention and regulates the country's adoption process. It has long been speculated that Guatemalan adoptions were fraught with corruption and those involved in the process have often been accused of bribery and even of child trafficking.

"Today is a historic day for the country, because the foundations have been laid for putting an end to the theft of children to place them in adoption', said parliamentary Deputy Edgard Alfredo Rodriquez of the centre-left National Union of Hope (UNE), after the law was approved by more than two-thirds of the legislators."

The new laws mean that adoptions will take longer, which some critics say will deter prospective adoptive parents. Overall, however, the ratification has been met with excitement. Both the Hague Convention and its accompanying laws will take effect on December 31st.

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Labels: international, adoption_process, kidnapping

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The number of foreign children adopted by Americans has dropped by 15 percent in the past two years, mostly because of new restrictions from China and Russia. New policy changes from China, for example, require adopting parents to be married, have a certain income level, not be overweight or suffer from certain diseases, and be under age 50.

According to State Department statistics, the number of foreign adoptions peaked in 2004 at 22,888 but dropped to 20,679 in 2006.

Besides tougher restrictions on foreign adoptions by China and Russia, another factor is the United Nations' preference for caring for orphans in their own countries over sending them abroad.

Labels: international, foreign_adoption

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For the third straight year, the number of foreign children being adopted by U.S. families has dropped dramatically. In the past two years alone, foreign adoptions have dropped 15 percent. Tighter adoption requirements in China and Russia are at the top of the list of causes for this new trend.

"[Harvard Law Professor Elizabeth Bartholet] said China and Russia reflected a trend in which countries opened themselves up to international adoption, then scaled back."

In addition to China and Russia, Guatemala's adoption process is beginning to slow and could all but stop as the government tries to impose new regulations on its adoption industry. Some experts view the decline as a good thing that could open up adoption opportunities in other countries like Kenya and Peru.

Labels: international, foreign_adoption, rules

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The sensational stories surrounding Guatemala and its adoption processes could lead people to believe that all adoptions which take place in that country are, on some level, corrupt. In an attempt to distinguish reality from the sensational, Kelly Caldwell launched a website called Guatadopt.com. Kevin Kruetner is now the group's spokesperson and lead writer.

"I don't think the media is very balanced. They tend to show sensationalized stories and worst of all, they never seem to devote enough time to really understand the dynamics. But when a reporter is given two days to pump out a piece, what can we expect to happen?"

Kruetner urges people to remember that the vast majority of Guatemalan adoptions are legitimate, and even the stories of corruption often don't tell the full story.

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Labels: international, laws, adoption_policy

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The French charity Zoe's Arc may be charged with kidnapping for attempting to fly over 100 children from the dangerous Chad-Darfur boarder into France.

"The French [citizens] are part of a group of 16 Europeans, including a seven-member Spanish flight crew, detained Thursday on suspicion of trying to smuggle the children out of Chad with the aim of adoption."

A spokeswoman for Zoe's Arc said the organization had permission to transport the children, but a spokeswoman from UNICEF said the action violated nearly all international adoption rules.

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Labels: international

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Until recently, a child who was adopted internationally had little or no opportunity to locate his or her birth mother. Today, that opportunity exists thanks to the emergence of "searchers" who help locate international birth mothers.

"Deciding whether or not to initiate the search is not easy. While there are a multitude of heartwarming stories, there are also others, where alcoholism was rampant in the family or where the birth mother abused the child."

There's also a possibility that a birth mother will ask for financial support or ask the adoptive parents to adopt another child. There are risks involved in initiating a search for a child's birth mother, and they should be carefully considered. There is also, however, the potential for a heartwarming reunion.

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Labels: international, birth_parents, services

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Traveling is one of the more exciting parts of the adoption process. But it can also become one of the most stressful parts if you forget to pack important or necessary items - especially if you're traveling internationally.

"I am all for packing light... and especially when you're traveling to adopt a child, I think you should bring everything that you need. While it is true... that you can often find what you need when you arrive, you don't want to have to spend your first few hours or days with your child in a store in a new place trying to find diapers, formula, lotion or dish soap."

Carefully create a list of things you'll need. If you're traveling internationally, consider the climate you'll be traveling too, and medical needs that may be unique to the country or area. Pack thoroughly, but don't over pack. Bring what you need, but not too much of what you need. Be sure to leave enough room to bring home some of your child's personal items, and for cultural items that you may want to purchase for your home.

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Labels: international, traveling, stress

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Several families on Canada's Prince Edward Island (P.E.I.) claim that the government's new policies on international adoptions have created unnecessary obstacles and undue stress on families wishing to adopt internationally.

"Four P.E.I. children have been adopted under China's Waiting Child Program... The program arranges the adoption from China of children with minor medical needs... but the P.E.I government now believes it is illegal for the province to allow agencies to match children and families, as was done previously."

Instead, matches must now be made directly between governments, with no third-party involvement. The province cites China's inclusion in the Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoptions as its reason. A handful of P.E.I families have formed the P.E.I. Adoption Coalition and are lobbying for the province to overturn its decision.

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Labels: international, China, Canada

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Though adoption of Chinese children has declined due to heightened restrictions placed by the Chinese government, there were still 6,494 adoptions last year. Most of these were by families that flew to China to pick up their adopted children and then flew home to the United States. But a small percentage of Chinese adoptions are made up of American expatriates living in China.

"The U.S. is one of just six nations that allow its citizens to adopt a Chinese child while living in China. Other countries are concerned about the lack of control and oversight they have over their far-flung citizens, but American expats seeking to adopt follow the same well-defined adoption process that is required of families living in the U.S."

Though no one currently tracks expat adoptions, some people estimate that between 200 and 300 of these types of adoptions occurred last year.

Labels: international, China, expatriates

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In June, the Nepali government suspended adoptions in response to severe criticism over its adoption system and practices. Today, diplomats from six nations urged the government to quickly resolve the deadlock that has left hundreds of families "in limbo".

"Diplomatic officials said the move left plans by some 358 foreign families to adopt children from the Himalayan country up in the air. 'It's a very emotional problem and it's becoming a humanitarian issue for these families,' French Ambassador Gilles-Henry Garault told AFP."

Nepal's minister for women, Khadga Bahadur Biswokarma, said new adoption regulations have been drafted and will be sent to the cabinet in the next few days. She was unable, however, to give a timeframe for implementation of the new rules.

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Labels: international, adoption_policy, adoption_procedures

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A recent study lead by Dr. Anna Mandalakas of the Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital in Ohio found that TB infections among international adoptees have risen dramatically in the last 20 years. The rate of infection was also found to increase steadily as children got older.

"TB rates among the children in the American study ranged from nearly 15 percent in adoptees from Eastern Europe, 14 percent from Russian and 12 percent from Korea to between 12.5 percent and 11 percent in India, China and South America, 8.3 percent in Central America and the Caribbean and 2.8 percent in Southeast Asia."

Though a child can be infected with mycobacterium tuberculosis may not develop an active disease, the study's authors still recommend that adopted children be tested. Children often become infected if they spend their early years in an orphanage.

Labels: international, health, tuberculosis

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Cross-cultural and international adoptions have increased dramatically over the last several years. An estimated 20,000 children are adopted each year from places like China, Russia, and Guatemala. Once the adoption process is complete, the next challenge for these families is learning how to integrate different cultures into the familial DNA.

"'They need to understand that race and ethnicity still matter,' [Judy] Stigger says. 'Love is not going to be enough. Where your child came from is part of them, whether that's a neighborhood in Chicago or an orphanage in China.'"

Stigger has experienced this first-hand as she's raised her adopted daughter Kathy, an African-American. Having friends with similar ethnic backgrounds, celebrating ethnic or culture-specific holidays, and learning some of the language if the adopted child is from a foreign country are all ways to help the child understand and appreciate where shes from and help the family become truly multiracial. Read more at SunTimes.com.

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Labels: international, parenting, cultures

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Researchers at the University of Alberta are suggesting that all children adopted from countries outside North America be screened for tuberculosis. Their recent study found that, in the Canadian province of Alberta, 40 percent of children who were diagnosed with TB were international adoptees.

"Most international adoptees are younger than five years of age and frequently come from resource-poor countries where tuberculosis is common and pre-natal screenings for infectious diseases are rare, say Richard Long, MD, professor in Pulmonary Medicine at the University of Alberta and lead author of the study."

Long reminds people that the Mantoux tuberculin skin test should be used, and children treated accordingly if the test results are positive. Read more at Huliq.com.

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Labels: international, health, disease

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Katrina and Tom Rusin waited over two years to finalize their adoption of a little girl from China. Stricter adoption regulations and bureaucracy in foreign governments has consistently increased the amount of time necessary to complete international adoptions.

"The world of international adoption is evolving, said Mary Kate Schneider, director of adoption for the Family and Children's Agency in Norwalk [Connecticut]. 'We try and tell families from Day 1 and on that... time frames can change,' Schneider said. 'I think in the end, each country is trying to have these regulations in place so we can secure the best possible adoption for their children.'"

Potential adoptive parents may be required to travel more than once to the country from which they want to adopt, adding to the overall expense of the adoption. Despite the costs and the long wait, adoptive parents say it's worth it.

Read more at NorwalkAdvocate.com.

Labels: international, adoption costs, adoption_procedures

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Months after international adoptions were unceremoniously halted, the Russian government has reaccredited seven U.S. adoption agencies, enabling them to resume their work.

"'We believe this to be a substantial step in the direction of the stability of Russian adoption,' reads a statement on the web site of the International Assistance Group, one of the agencies that was reaccredited. The statement appears along with a copy of the agency's new accreditation document from the Education and Science Ministry, dated June 27."

Eighty-one agencies have yet to receive reaccreditation, and it's unclear whether any non-U.S. agencies have been reaccredited either. The list of the U.S. agencies that are now able to operation in Russia appears in an article in the Moscow Times. Read more at TheMoscowTimes.com.

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Labels: international, Russia, adoption_agencies

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International adoptions are stressful. The adoption process in general, whether domestic or international, is stressful but there's often added stress in the international process.

"A prime example of severe adoption stress was created for families when Romania closed its doors to international adoptions. When this occurred, hundreds of families were caught in the pipeline, and their children were condemned to living in an institutional care environment despite the fact that there was a loving family somewhere in the world that had already developed a bond with them."

Home studies, adoption referrals, physician's visits, and travel to and from the child's home country can all begin to add stress upon stress. Husbands and wives need to be honest with each other, and seek counseling if theyre beginning to feel overwhelmed. Be prepared to experience stress before, during, and after the adoption process. But be prepared not to handle it alone.

Read more at International.Adoption.com.

Labels: international, stress, adoption_procedures

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For most people, the decision to adopt simply opens the door on a whole of world of other decisions that have to be made. Which adoption agency/program is best? Should we adopt domestically or internationally? A boy or girl? An infant, or an older child? By sharing some of her story, Erin hopes to provide some guidance to others who are considering adoption.

"...here are some tips on finding the right adoption program for your family. Decide what age and gender child you are hoping for. Determine what your 'adoption budget' will be, and what you can and cannot afford in regards to adoption fees. Determine how long you can manage to travel..."

Answering basic questions like these will help narrow down the almost overwhelming number of adoption choices that are available. Read more online.

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Labels: international, tips, domestic_adoptions

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Randy Parker, executive director of Richland County (Ohio) Children Services says he'd like to see more local couples consider domestic adoption before looking internationally. With all the recent attention surrounding international adoptions by people like Angelina Jolie, domestic adoption has taken a back seat.

"'Anytime you can give a child a better life, I'm all for that,' [Roy] Shoulders said. 'I'm not opposed to international adoptions; I don't have any qualms with it. But because of the need in this country, I would love for us to take care of our own first.'"

Parker says there are currently 18 youngsters in Richland County that need an adoptive family. Roy Shoulders was adopted by a local family when he was just three weeks old. He's now the boys' basketball coach at St. Peter's high school in Mansfield, Ohio. Read more at MansfieldNewsJournal.com.
http://www.mansfieldnewsjournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070624/NEWS01/706240317/1002

Labels: international, awareness, domestic_adoptions

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Lady Justice Martha Koome, speaking at a forum to mark the Day of the African Child, said that the loose information regarding adoption rules and regulations contributes to child trafficking in Kenya. She called for closer scrutiny of adoption applicants, especially in more rural courts.

"She said previously, persons who wanted to overlook the procedures used to file adoption matters in High Court stations outside Nairobi where they would find judges who were overwhelmed by other judicial work and managed to easily obtain orders, especially in cases of international adoption."

Lady Justice Koome suggested that international adoptions should be given the lowest priority, with every effort being made to place children within their family network or immediate community.

Read more at AllAfrica.com.

Labels: international, rules, Africa

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An adoption clinic in Milwaukee, Wisconsin offers a unique service to its clients: the analyzing and interpreting of a child's medical records. One of the biggest challenges in international adoption is getting a clear understanding of a child's medical condition.

"'Every country has its own way of defining health, so we try to interpret it and tell the families what's going on,' said Inshirah Farhoud, a Pediatric Practitioner at the clinic."

Adoption workers from Russia recently visited the clinic and were pleased to see that the children were still in great health, and that the health of many had actually improved.

Read more online.

Labels: international, medical_records, adoption_clinics

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In 1997, just one American adoption agency was licensed to operate in Ethiopia. Today, there are twenty-two. Though Angelina Jolie's adoption of an Ethiopian child has certainly helped bring the country to the fore-front of international adoptions, its popularity had already been on the rise.

"Ethiopia, with a population of 76 million, has an estimated 5 million orphans, according to aid organizations. Many African nations have outlawed or impeded the adoption of their children by foreigners. Ethiopia has welcomed American and European families who are willing to provide homes for children who have lost both parents to AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis or starvation, or who come from families too destitute to feed and clothe them."

The two things that set Ethiopia's adoption system apart from others are transitional homes in which the orphans are very well cared-for, and the opportunity for adoptive parents to meet birth families and even visit their villages.

Read more at TwinCities.com.

Labels: international, ethiopia, inter-country_adoption

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Laurie and Bill White have adopted both domestically and internationally. And while there are many similarities, they cite some important differences, too.

"There are some big differences between domestic and international adoption. Bill says there is a lot more paperwork adopting overseas. 'I mean, they send us a tomb filled with paperwork that has to be done over 6 or 8 month period. And everything is time sensitive, too.'"

Though the overall time frame is similar between domestic and international adoptions, the time between getting "the call" and getting the baby is often much shorter for people who adopt domestically. The White's had picked up their son within 24 hours of getting their call. Read more online.

Labels: international, domestic_adoptions, overseas

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The Russian government recently reported that American adoption countries who wanted to operate in Russia would have to apply to be re-accredited or re-registered. But the application must pass through five different government ministries in a process that's so poorly organized it's left many hopeful families waiting indefinitely.

"'From the beginning everybody was very honest that things aren't that great in Russia, but just stick with it,' [Kathleen] Dorrian said. 'I think they want to keep these children in the country, to me I think that has a lot to do with it.'"

The deteriorating political climate between the U.S. and Russia is believed to be adding to the delays, as is the dramatic population decline (estimated at 700,000 a year) in Russia.

Read more online.

Labels: international, Russia, adoption_agencies

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Geoff and Heather Shaw adopted a daughter in 2004 from China. They get a lot of questions about their family, their daughter, and the adoption process. In an attempt to offer help and guidance to other prospective adoptive families, they found an organization called "The Asian Bridge".

"Although the Shaws' work focuses on Chinese adoptions, Geoff hopes that in time he will be able to expand the work of the organization and provide support to people hoping to adopt from other parts of the world."

When people contact the Asian Bridge, the Shaws offer to meet with them, and also introduce them to Lilah, their adopted Chinese daughter. They also help people get connected with the Sunny Ridge Family Center, the organization used by the Shaws when they adopted Lilah. Read more at SuburbanChicagoNews.com.

Labels: international, China, support

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Work on foreign adoptions in Russia came to a halt on Thursday as the licenses of dozens of adoption agencies expired. Many of the agencies have applied for license renewals, but recent changes in the approval process have created a bottleneck.

"[Sergei] Vitelis [an official at the Education Ministry's department in charge of adoptions] said 76 foreign adoption agencies have applied to operate in Russia, and their applications must be reviewed by the Education Ministry, the Interior Ministry, the Justice Ministry and the Health Ministry's oversight agency."

Russian officials estimate that it will be at least two months before adoption agency applications are approved. The changes took place in light of reports that some Russian children who were adopted by foreigners were being abused. The Russian Education Ministry says that 11 Russian children who have been adopted by U.S. families have died from abuse since 1991. Read more online.

Labels: international, Russia, inter-country_adoption

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In 1970, 40 percent of married-couple households had biological children. In 2000, than number dropped to 24 percent. What is increasing, however, is the number of married-couple families whose children are adopted from various cultures and ethnic backgrounds.

"The number of American families saying 'yes' to transracial adoptions amounts to a whole revolution in adoption& Besides societal changes in America, the trend in oversees adoption has been influenced by world events, such as the fall of the Berlin Wall, which revealed large numbers of children in orphanages needing homes, and the Chinese one-child policy, which led to the abandonment of baby girls..."

International adoptions can take longer, and are often more expensive, but more couples are willing now to endure the wait and the expense than ever before. Read more at Newsday.com.

Labels: international, trans-racial, multi-cultural

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In an attempt to meet the growing number of Hispanic people who are interested in being foster or adoptive parents, Lutheran Social Services has opened a child services center in which the caseworkers are bilingual.

"'There are people in the Hispanic community who want to foster or adopt a child in need,' says Angelica Villastrigo, who will be the director of the South Side office. 'By offering both languages when they walk through the door, we can maximize the opportunities for anyone who has ever thought of opening their heart and home to a new family member, whether for a few weeks or for a lifetime.'"

The center will be located on San Antonios South Side and will open in May. Read more at BizJournals.com.

Labels: international, inter-country_adoption, bilingual

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The Women and Child Development Ministry of India is devising adoption mechanisms that will make it easier for Indian children to be adopted. It currently takes three to six months to adopt a child from India. The new procedures would facilitate adoptions in two months or less.

"WCD minister Renuka Chowdhury told reporters on Tuesday that Central Adoption Resource Agency (CARA) is revising the guidelines for adoption by foreigners to reduce the time and ensure that there is some monitoring for children during the probation period."

Currently about 4,000 Indian children are adopted each year. The Indian government also plans to launch a campaign to promote the adoption of children with special needs or who are infected with HIV/AIDS. Read more online.

Labels: international, inter-country_adoption, adoption_procedures

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Ukraine's central adoption authority (the State Department for Adoptions and Protection of the Rights of the Child, known as the SDAPRC) has said it will resume accepting new adoption dossiers from non-Ukrainian prospective adoptive parents, starting December 19, 2006.

Labels: international, inter-country_adoption

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Read one womens journey through the adoption process at http://russianbrown.blogspot.com.

Labels: international, support, adoptive_families

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When Kim Wendel and Dustin Bugg boarded an Air Ethiopia flight on August 30, 2006 in Washington, D.C., they knew that although it was a round-trip flight, they'd never return to the life they'd known. Instead of a married couple, they'd be coming home a family, parents of a two-year-old boy named Brehanu whom they knew only through the photographs and written descriptions in his adoption file. Read more from The Hook.

Labels: international, inter-country_adoption

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The Central Adoption Resource Agency Chairman J.K. Mittal says the Indian government has plans to ease the rules governing adoption of Indian children by people in other countries.

"He said India's adoption laws are very complicated and lengthy and often discourage foreigners from adopting children here."

The current process requires foreigners who which to adopt an Indian child to be sponsored by a licensed agency in their country that is also able to work in India. Currently, direct adoption of Indian children by foreigners is strictly prohibited, which likely accounts for the sharp drop in inter-country adoptions, from 1,298 in 2001 to just 853 in 2006. Read more at TheHindu.com.

Labels: international, laws, rules

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Jenny Gordon and her husband have completed all the paperwork. Sometime in the next 18 months they will fly to China to adopt the newest member of their family. The adoption will be uniquely special because it will be a link to Jenny's past.

"I can hardly believe it myself at times, but sometime in the next 18 months we'll be flying to the other side of the world, to the country where my grandfather was born: China."

The Gordons will make just one trip to China, which will last about two weeks. They may or may not ever meet the birth parents. They don't know when they're going. All they know is that when they come back, their dream of being parents will be realized. 

Labels: international, inter-country_adoption, heritage

Posted By: Adoption Issues 1 Comment

Last month, the U.S. State Department issued a warning that "strongly" cautioned Americans to "carefully consider their options" before adopting children from Guatemala. This week, the State Department has issued a stronger warning, urging Americans not to adopt children from the Central American Nation.

"'We cannot recommend adoption from Guatemala at this time,' the agency said. 'There are serious problems with the adoption process in Guatemala, which does not protect all children, birth mothers or prospective adoptive parents.'"

Concerns include a lack of government oversight in the adoption process and an unregulated foster care system. Read more at ChicagoTribune.com.

Labels: international, state_department, warnings

Posted By: Aspen Education Group 0 Comments

The first ever international conference on inter-country adoption began on Sunday in Katmandu. The conference was jointly organized by several Nepal organizations and will be attended by 150 delegates from 15 countries.

"The adoption conference is being held amid growing concern about the illegal activities of agencies working for children in Nepal in the name of facilitating adoption..."

The conference continues through Tuesday. Read more at NepalNews.com.

Labels: international, inter-country_adoption, conference

Posted By: Aspen Education Group 0 Comments

J. K. Mittal, a New Delhi social worker, has been named Chairman of the country's Central Adoption Resource Agency (CARA).

"CARA is an autonomous body under the Ministry of Women and Child Development, working as the central authority in matters of inter-country adoption. Mittal said that in view of some unfortunate incidents in the recent past, the protection and welfare of children has become important."

Mittal is reviewing current adoption procedures for New Delhi and hopes to make some much-needed changes. Read more online.

Labels: international, welfare, adoption_procedures

Posted By: Aspen Education Group 0 Comments

A new study done at Harvard University concluded that adopted preschoolers acquire their new second language in much the same way that infants learn their first one.

Dr. Jesse Snedeker and her colleagues followed children from China adopted by American families. The children were ages 2.5 years to 6 years. The researchers found that the adopted children went through the same stages of learning their new languages as infants. However, the adopted preschoolers went through the stages more quickly, which may mean that they will eventually catch up to their peer groups.

Internationally adopted children face a unique challenge in that they begin learning one language first, and then they move to new homes where they have to acquire new languages without any help from bilingual teachers.

This study appears in the January 2007 issue of Psychological Science.

Labels: international, research, education

Posted By: Aspen Education Group 0 Comments

Though international adoptions get the most attention and "press", trans-racial adoptions - adopting an American child of a different race - are becoming increasingly popular as well. Trans-racial adoptions pose unique challenges, as mom and dad try to effectively blend cultures and deal with residual stereotyped about "blended families".

"It's important for the parents to be able to do everything from 'talk about racism to put cornrows in their children's hair,' [Adam] Pertman said."

Liz and Dan Grudus have adopted two African-American children. Liz says she is frequently asked questions about her family, and she takes the opportunity to dispel myths about trans-racial adoptions. Read more at App.com.

Do you have an adopted teen who may benefit from experiential learning? Aspen Ranch boarding schools for troubled teens offer experiential learning programs and equine assisted psychotherapy.

Labels: international, support, trans-racial

Posted By: Aspen Education Group 0 Comments

The government of Ireland has proposed a new referendum addressing the rights and protection of children. The seven-point amendment includes new adoption clauses.

"The amendment will allow for the adoption of children who have been in care for a substantial period of time... It will also ensure that all children are eligible for voluntary adoption..."

The referendum also provides for strict liability in crimes against children. Read more at Ireland.com.

Labels: international, adoption rights

Posted By: Aspen Education Group 0 Comments

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 Tennessee woman who put her adopted son on a plane back to Russia isn’t the first parent to have trouble with an adopted child. Chip and Julie Harshaw had also adopted a son from Russia. At first, he seemed like a great kid, but before long he was displaying extreme and dangerous aggressive behavior.

“He has threatened their 5-year-old biological daughter with a steak knife and a two-by-four, and held her underwater in a pool… Therapeutic programs have ejected Roman for kicking, biting, hitting…” (Source: Honolulu Star-Bulletin)

Roman was eventually diagnosed with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder and brain damage. His IQ is just 53, and it’s unlikely that he’ll ever be able to live independently. The Harshaws have sued the agency that facilitated their adoption of Roman, claiming the agency failed to fully disclose his condition. The Harshaw’s troubles raise questions about the degree to which adoption agencies disclose physical and mental health issues in children.

 

Labels: international, Russia, health, hard-to-place youth

Posted By: Stefanie Hamilton 0 Comments

An adoption agency in D.C. is asking a Tennessee court to investigate the adoptive mother who sent her son back to Russia unattended. Specifically, the adoption agency wants to know if the boy was abused.

“The World Association for Children and Parents filed the petition Tuesday in the Circuit Court of Bedford Country saying it was concerned no one was investigating claims the boy had been abandoned last month when he was put on the plane.” (Source: Associated Press)

World Association is the agency that placed the boy with Torry Hansen of Tennessee, who is refusing to talk to police. The agency’s petition was filed against Hansen and her mother – the adopted child’s grandmother.

 

Labels: international, Russia, abandonment

Posted By: Stefanie Hamilton 0 Comments

The story of the young Russian boy whose American adoptive mother sent him back to his birth country has sparked seemingly countless stories about adoption, and U.S.-Russia relations. But there’s another story emerging: one of adoption agencies glossing over the medical and mental conditions of children they’re trying to place.

“In the first videos her future parents saw, Abby looked like a sweet timid child. The couple expected some challenges but didn’t realize how much Abby suffered from attachment disorder. After the adoption was completed, the orphanage gave the couple more videos showing a very different child – much angrier, almost menacing.” [Source: BBC]

In other instances, full medical recorders aren’t released to adoptive parents until the day the adoption in finalized. U.S. and Russian officials are working together to create a more open adoption process, and to make support systems more readily available to parents who are having trouble. Though Abby’s parents were surprised by what they saw in the second group of videos, they say Abby has adjusted well to her new life in the U.S.

 

Labels: international, Russia, parental_rights

Posted By: Stefanie Hamilton 0 Comments

The petition filed this week by Washington State-based adoption agency World Association for Children and Parents takes adoption and court officials into unchartered territory. The petition asks court authorities to launch an investigation into potential abuse and abandonment on the part of a Tennessee woman who “returned” her 8-year-old adopted son to Russia.

Larry Crain, a lawyer for the adoption agency, told the Associated Press that they went to court out of frustration that no one was investigating claims that the Hansens abandoned and endangered the child.

Crain said they wanted to send a message to Russia that somebody is the U.S. cares about what happened to the boy [Source: Shelbyville (TN) Times-Gazette]

The WACAP is also asking the court to appoint a guardian for the child, who may need medical or psychological attention. The agency wants the court to place child support requirements on Hansen, who is still technically the boy’s mother.

 

Labels: international, Russia

Posted By: Stefanie Hamilton 0 Comments

Oksana is just four years old. She is one of more than 83 children who call Russia’s Orphanage Number 59 their home. And, according to a CNN report, she’s one of the few who has a real chance of being adopted.

“[Darya Tatarenko] estimates that children at this orphanage, who range in age from 3 to 18, have only a 30 percent chance of being adopted by Russian families," CNN reported. "Tatarenko says that’s because potential parents in Russia often prefer blond and healthy children.”

Children’s Home No. 59 has been open for ten years, and during that time, only four children have been adopted out. Many of the children here are older. Many come from homes where they’ve experience drug and alcohol abuse, emotional and physical abuse, and other traumas.

The workers there hope that, despite what they hear on the news, Americans will continue to adopt children from Russia. Often, they’re the only ones willing to welcome older or less-than-healthy children into their homes.

 

Labels: international, Russia

Posted By: Adoption Issues 0 Comments

U.S. State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley said the U.S. and Russia plan to negotiate a new adoption agreement that addresses concerns raised after an American woman sent her adopted Russian son back to his home country.

Crowley said U.S. and Russian officials had a positive meeting on the matter on Thursday in Moscow and that the U.S. "committed to pursue an agreement that strengthens the processes of adoption of Russian children and American families." [Source: The Associated Press]

The next meeting between U.S. and Russian officials will be May 12 in Moscow.
 

Labels: international, Russia

Posted By: Adoption Issues 0 Comments

Technically, this coming Sunday will be Kristin’s second as a mother. But this time last year, though she had a child, she hadn’t seen him yet. Binyam, her soon-to-be-adopted son, was still in Ethiopia.

“On March 2, 2009, a full year after we’d submitted our paperwork to the adoption agency, I got ‘the call.’ When I hung up the phone, I looked at my mother in wonderment and said, ‘I’m a mom.’ I will never, as long as I live, forget that feeling.” [Source: MSNBC]

It took several months to complete the process and get Binyam home with his new forever family. It took several more months for parents and child to adjust to each other. Kristin says that, while she tried to teach her son a lot in the few months they’ve been together, she’s learned a lot from him, too.

 

Labels: international, mothers

Posted By: Adoption Issues 0 Comments

In a long-awaited statement bringing clarity to the U.S. adoption of Russian children, a Russian official has said that adoptions will continue. Andrei A. Fursenko, Russia's Education and Science Minister, has said that no formal or legal suspension of adoptions has been put in place.

“Mr. Fursenko appeared to contradict the assertions of Russian foreign ministry officials, who said last month that there would be no adoptions until the United States and Russia reached an agreement on new regulations. But Mr. Fursenko’s comments would appear to carry more weight because of his agency’s role in the adoption process.” [Source: The New York Times]

The Education and Science Ministry oversees international adoptions, and therefore has more influence over adoption policy than other ministries. In addition, no single ministry has the authority to halt adoptions. That kind of sweeping change can only be enacted by law, as the result of a majority vote of the Russian parliament.

 

Labels: international, Russia

Posted By: Adoption Issues 0 Comments

A couple from Italy has been denied their request to adoption, because they indicated on their application that they didn’t want “dark skinned” children.

“A child protection agency took the couple to court after they submitted an application in Catania, eastern Sicily, saying they were ‘prepared to take in up to two children… regardless of sex or religion, but… not dark skin.’” [Source: Agence France-Presse]

The magistrate who reviews adoption applications was told by a court to ignore the “dark skin” request, but that same court later denied the couple’s application altogether, saying that such a “racist” couple shouldn’t be allowed to adopt at all.

 

Labels: international, adoption process

Posted By: Adoption Issues 1 Comment

In 1998, about 30 children in Sierra Leone, whose parents had sent them to an education center, disappeared. They were taken to the country’s capital for medical examinations, and their parents never saw them again.

Parents … say they only later learned that the children had been adopted by Americans and sent abroad without permission. … In 2004, the center’s director and two of his employees were arrested and charged with conspiracy to violate adoption laws. [Source: The Associated Press]

Those charges were eventually dropped and the case didn’t receive any more attention for over five years. Then, just last month, parents of the missing children began demanding answers. The case has been re-opened and the government is launching a full investigation.

No estimate has been given for when parents can expect to receive answers about what happened to their children.

 

Labels: international, controversy

Posted By: Adoption Issues 1 Comment

A couple of months ago, the already complicated process of adopting children from Russia got even more complicated when a woman “returned” her adopted son back to Russia, saying she couldn’t care for him. Joshua and Karen Ganzevoort felt the effects.

When they were in court, the judge asked a lot of questions. … Some questions were more challenging. Joshua Ganzevoort recalls, "They asked us some questions about how we would raise him, and where he’s living, and what we thought about the lady who sent back the child.” [Source: WZZM 13 – Grand Rapids, MI]

Despite the added scrutiny, the Ganzevoort’s adoption was approved, and their new son – Eman – has returned with them to Michigan. The family is preparing to celebrate his first birthday.

 

Labels: international, Russia

Posted By: Stefanie Hamilton 1 Comment

As the United States and Russia continue working to hammer out a new adoption agreement, a spokesperson from Russia’s Education Ministry has said a finalized agreement is expected by the end of the year.

“Russia is one of the largest sources of foreign adoptions for U.S. families, accounting for about 10% of foreign adoptions, but the issue has become controversial in recent years following several incidents involving the mistreatment of Russian children in the United States.” [Source: RIA Novosti]

A fourth round of talks will take place in Moscow from July 21 to 23.

Labels: international, Russia

Posted By: Stefanie Hamilton 1 Comment

New legislation in India would give equal rights to adoptive mothers. Until now, when a married couple adopted a child, only the father was listed as the child’s guardian.

The proposed amendment to the 120 year-old Guardians and Wards Act, 1890, includes the mother along with the father to be appointed as guardian, making the process gender neutral.

The parliamentary standing committee on law and justice, which is examining the bill to amend the existing laws, is unanimous in its acceptance of the Personal Laws (Amendment Bill, 2010, introduced in the Rajya Sabha in April. [Source: The Hindustan Times]

Prior to the amendment, a mother had no rights over an adopted child if, for some unfortunate reason, her husband passed away.

 

Labels: international, adoption rights, mothers

Posted By: Stefanie Hamilton 1 Comment

In Bulgaria, an abandoned child’s likelihood of being adopted has historically been determined by his origins. Children who belonged to the Roma minority had little chance, because parents often refused to give up their parental rights – even for children they’d placed in orphanages.

“But a new law that came into force in October means children who have spent more than six months in institutions and have not been taken back by their parents can now be put up for adoption, without the parents’ approval.” [Source: Agence France Presse (AFP)]

Bulgaria has one of the highest rates of child abandonment in the European Union. An estimated 6,700 children are currently being cared for in state-run institutions, many of them placed there by parents who can’t afford to care for them. Of those, less than 700 were adopted in 2009, mostly due to un-relinquished parental rights.

 

Labels: international, abandonment

Posted By: Adoption Issues 0 Comments

After several days of negotiations, the United States and Russia seem near a new adoption agreement. The talks were scheduled to end earlier this week, but have been extended in hopes that a deal can be reached soon.

“Pavel Astakhov, a lawyer representing Russia in talks aimed at renewing adoptions, said that a breakthrough occurred after U.S. negotiators gave in to Russia’s demand that the accord be retroactive so that it protects children already adopted… Astakhov said that the new agreement will set up a number of licensed agencies that will have the right to assist potential adoptive parenting in finding a child. All adoptions through unaccredited middlemen will be banned, he said.” [Source: Associated Press]

In addition, adoptive parents will be required to undergo training in how to deal with adoption-related challenges. Children will also be monitored in their home environments. The agreement would apply to children adopted from and to both countries. There’s no indication when the details will be finalized.

 

Labels: international, Russia

Posted By: Adoption Issues 0 Comments

Spain and Italy have joined eight other countries that have suspended adoptions from Nepal, saying the country’s adoption system is neither transparent nor accountable.

“Nepal’s adoption system has been questioned by western countries following publication of a report by The Hague Conference on Private International Law, an intergovernmental organization, in February this year. The report based on an investigation by a group of lawyers accused Nepal’s adoption system of widespread abuse. It also called for suspension of adoptions from Nepal until the system is reformed.” [Source: Republic]

The United States hasn’t suspended adoptions from Nepal, but it has issued an alert to those considering adopting a child from the country, encouraging them to take extra steps to ensure the accuracy of adoption files.

Labels: international

Posted By: Stefanie Hamilton 0 Comments

For nearly ten years, China has been the first choice of many Americans wishing to adopt children from abroad. In recent years, however, that trend has been shifting. Americans may still want to adopt Chinese children, but fewer children are being made available.

“Part of the reason for the decline is competition from a growing number of Chinese families that want to adopt… In 1996, about 19,000 Chinese couples sought to adopt; by 2008, that number had jumped to 42,000. There are, however, restrictions on Chinese families, as well. Chinese couples have to be married, 35 or older, have no other children and be financially stable to be approved by the government.” Source: Centre Daily Times (PA)]

Adding to the decline in American adoptions of Chinese kids are the stricter rules China enacted regarding foreign adoption. People seeking to adopt Chinese kids must be married, heterosexual couples between the ages of 30 and 50. They have to have been married for two years, and can have no history of divorce. The new restrictions have caused a 60 percent reduction in the number of Chinese children adopted by Americans. That number isn’t likely to rebound any time soon.

 

Labels: international, China

Posted By: Stefanie Hamilton 1 Comment

In May, Malaysia installed what it calls a “baby hatch” in a facility in Kuala Lumpur. The hatch allows parents to drop off infants they can’t care for.

“The first baby received by the centre, on June 27, has been adopted by a couple selected from 80 eligible parents, OrphanCARE which runs the centre was quoted as saying in the New Straits Times newspaper.” [Source: Arab Times]

Malaysia isn’t the only country with these types of infant drop-offs. Germany, Japan and Pakistan have them as well. Many were instituted in an effort to protect both abandoned babies and their parents.

 

Labels: international, orphans, orphanages, abandonment

Posted By: Adoption Issues 1 Comment

Four-year-old Kairissa was adopted from China in April. Her new home was in Tennessee. But now, law enforcement officials are saying that Kairissa was subjected to repeated physical abuse that eventually cost her her life.

Kairissa's story has prompted Chinese officials to revisit that nation's adoption policies

“In response to this latest incident, the China Center of Adoptive Affairs now plans to change their policies with American families, first by possibly stopping work with problematic agencies, then by increasing the number of post adoption supervisory visits.” [Source: WSMV-TV (TN)]

Currently, Chinese policy requires that adoption officials follow up with families six months after the adoption has been finalized. That time frame will be shortened. Additional changes are pending as well.


 

Labels: international, China

Posted By: Aspen Education Group 3 Comments

Most children’s rights proponents consider the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child an important step in protecting kids. Some, however, like U.S. Senator Jim DeMint, think the treaty goes too far, taking parental rights away from parents and giving them to the United Nations.

“DeMint is lead sponsor of S. Res. 519, a resolution to protect parental rights, which is co-sponsored by 30 senators total. Only four more senators need to sign on to inform President Obama that he does not have enough votes in the Senate to ratify the treaty, DeMint said.” [Source: CNS News]

DeMint also believes the treaty is redundant, since the United States already has child protection laws in place. Supporters of the treaty say its purpose is not necessarily to establish new laws, but to get governments around the globe speaking the same language about child protection and rights.

 

Labels: international

Posted By: Adoption Issues 1 Comment

Parents who adopt children from foreign countries may be under the impression that the adoption process itself makes their kids American citizens. But, as Alexis Stevens found out, that isn’t necessarily true.

“Stevens’ parents never went through the process to allow Stevens to become a U.S. citizen. The mistake her parents made by not applying for naturalization of their adopted children almost 50 years ago has sent Steven’s life reeling, leaving her uncertain of her identity and her future.” [Source: Fort Myers Press-News]

In 2001, the Child Citizen Act of 2000 was passed in an attempt to solve the unique citizenship challenges posed by foreign adoptions. Under the new law, a child who’s adopted by American parents becomes a U.S. citizen the moment he enters the country. However, the law only applies to adoptees that were minors as of February 27, 2001. All others will still need to apply for citizenship.

Labels: international, adoption laws, citizenship

Posted By: CRC Health 1 Comment

Man Shares Russian Adoption Story

When John Lahutsky was still a baby, he was placed in a Russian orphanage, which was his home until he was nine years old. His life took a turn for the better when a Pennsylvania woman adopted him out of the orphanage and took him home.

Lahutsky's story was the topic of a Sept. 1 article by John E. Usalis of The Standard Speaker:

[Lahutsky's] story also is told in the book, "The Boy from Baby House 10," which is co-authored by Lahutsky and Alan Philps, a British journalist. Philps and his wife, Sarah, were also instrumental in helping Lahutsky, then named Vanya, while in the orphanage system and to eventually come to America. ...

"I was born at 24 weeks with cerebral palsy," Lahutsky said. "Imagine a 2-pound baby trying to survive in 1990 in a Russian hospital. It is incredible that I made it."

When he was 18 months old, his birth parents abandoned him and his 6-year-old sister, Olga.

"We were stuck in an apartment for three days. It was not until my sister climbed up to the window and a neighbor noticed that we were alone and called the authorities," Lahutsky said. ...

"Truly a power beyond my control, the Lord told me that I was going to adopt this boy," Paula [Lahutsky] said. "So I adopted John as a single mom and we just celebrated our 11th anniversary."

Lahutsky is an honor roll student. His favorite subject is history, and he enjoys giving presentations about his life and his book. He has told his story to students in small classroom groups, his experiences moving the students emotionally. He also has spoken to Kiwanis, the Salvation Army and church groups.

 

Labels: international, Russia, orphanages, special_needs

Posted By: Adoption Issues 1 Comment

Earlier this year, Candice Warltier traveled to Nepal to finalize her adoption of a little girl. While she was enroute to Nepal, U.S. policy regarding adoptions from that country changed, and now Candice is stuck there, and fighting for her daughter.

Candice has been living in Nepal for seven weeks, unable to bring Antara [her daughter] home. She thought she would be away from her job for a month, but now the absence from her source of income is indefinite.

Candice’s mother took retirement from her own job so she could go to Nepal and help out. Her mother spent a precious month in Nepal, but recently she needed to return to America to mange her own affairs."  - Source: The Daily Review (PA)

Candice has rented an apartment and continues to meet with U.S. and Nepalese government officials to try and complete the adoption process so she can take her daughter home.
 

Labels: international

Posted By: Stefanie Hamilton 1 Comment

Scott Simon, host of NPR’s Weekend Edition, recently released a book recounting his families experience with adoption. In Baby, We Were Meant For Each Other, Simon paints a picture of family life that is intense, heart-warming and real.

“One of the beautiful aspects of this book is that it explores this idea of belonging through adoption, without limiting the type of adoption. We see families that adopted infants domestically; families that adopted young children internationally; families of one color adopting children of another color; families that adopted their children’s children. The limitless power of love and inclusion.” - Source: Chicago Now

Simon and his wife adopted two little girls from China after they were unable to have biological children. He tells his family’s story, and the stories of so many others, in the hopes of encouraging others to consider adoption as well. And at a time when the media is telling so many negative stories, some good news is just what adoption advocates were hoping for.

Labels: international, China, awareness

Posted By: Adoption Issues 2 Comments