With upwards of 600,000 orphaned or abandoned children in Russia, why ban ALL adoptions by US Citizens who have added 60,000 Russian children to their families over the last twenty years?
Families in the process of adopting a child from Russia wait on pins and needles as January 1st quickly approaches and brings with it a determination as to whether or not adoption of Russian children will continue to be allowed by families abroad. If the law passes, these families will not be bringing their children home.
Parliment has unanimously approved a bill to ban adoptions of Russian children. Now, the final decision lies in the hands of President Vladmir Putin, who will be making this determination any day.
In 2011 alone almost 1,000 Russian children were adopted by parents from the United States and Russia was in the top 3 countries from which US families adopted.
According to the US Department of State website on Intercountry Adoption children adopted from Russia must be registered first on the local databank for one month, the regional databank for one month, and the federal databank for six months before the child can be officially released for intercountry adoption. Meaning it is usually eight months before a child’s paperwork can even be prepared for International Adoption. Eight months without their family, may now turn into forever if this ban is put in to place.
What will happen to these children?
To read more :
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505263_162-57560809/russian-parliament-votes-to-ban-u.s-adoption/
http://news.yahoo.com/russias-adoption-ban-exposes-political-rift-174427014.html
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Megan Montgomery, LMSW
Adoption STAR, International Adoption Coordinator