Message to President Putin from Kids Adopted from Russia

Free the 300+

I encourage you to watch this short video from British filmmaker, Sarah McCarthy.  Her film joins the fight to allow the 300+ Russian children who have met their American families to complete their adoptions.  Please pray about this situation and the upcoming opportunities that have the potential to  create change in this situation. 

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/darkmatterlove/the-dark-matter-of-love-joins-the-fight-to-free-th-0

Urgent Action Alert: Contact your member of Congress Today

ACTION ALERT: Russia: Contact your member of Congress today! January 15, 2013 Opportunity for Members of Congress to Sign Letters to Presidents Putin and Obama Members of Congress have a short window of opportunity to sign on to two letters regarding Russia’s recent decision to ban adoptions to the United States. The first letter is to President Vladimir Putin of Russia and the second is to President Obama. Both letters appeal to each leader to recognize the basic human rights of these children and all children in Russia to a family and to work to resolve the pending cases of children who were in the adoption process prior to the January 1, 2013 ban. Senator Roy Blunt and Congressional Coalition on Adoption Co-Chairs Senator Landrieu, Senator Inhofe, Representative Bachmann and Representative Karen Bass are currently circulating these letters for signature by their colleagues, with a deadline to sign on to these letters of tomorrow, Wednesday, January 16 at 12pm EST . Please contact your Senators and Representative today and urge them to sign on to these letters and lend their support to Russia’s children. Offices interested in signing on should contact Libby Whitbeck in Senator Landrieu’s office or Kristina Weger in Senator Blunt’s office. - You can find your Senators’ phone numbers and email address at www.senate.gov - You can find your Representatives’ phone numbers and email address at www.house.gov Please distribute this information widely to your friend and family, requesting they also contact their Members of Congress prior to Wednesday, January 16 at 12pm EST Our Thanks to Senator Roy Blunt and Congressional Coalition on Adoption Co-Chairs Senator Landrieu, Senator Inhofe, Representative Bachmann and Representative Karen Bass and the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute for their continued leadership on this issue.

Paul Pennington Addresses Russian Adoption Crisis

Yesterday's program of "In the Market with Janet Parshall" included an interview with Paul Pennington, founder of Hope for Orphans.  Paul issues a cry for justice on behalf of Russia’s little ones. 

I encourage you to take a few minutes to listen for yourself at the podcast link below. 

http://www.moodyradio.org/brd_podcast.aspx?Program=InTheMarketWithJanetParshall.

Russian Adoptions Update

The following is an update from the Joint Council on International Children's Services.  If you are in the process of adopting from Russia, please note the Joint Council survey at the end of this page. 

Would everyone else please join me in fervent prayer for the children and families affected, as well as those who are advocating at national and international levels.

Update: Putin Signs Law Banning Intercountry Adoption December 28, 2012   In what we can only describe as a tragedy, earlier today President Putin signed the ban on intercountry adoption. The law goes into effect on January 1, 2013 and while some details remain unclear, it is being reported that the law supersedes the bi-lateral adoption agreement between the US and Russia. The status of the adoptions currently in-process is not assured at this time. The closure of Russia to intercountry adoption follows what is now an all too familiar string of tragedies. Children in Vietnam, Nepal, Romania and too many other countries suffer the life-long effects of institutionalization due to the elimination of intercountry adoption as a viable option. However unlike other closures which were generally based on child protection issues, the Russian ban is particularly stinging in that it is an act of politics, pure and simple. As a professional advocate for children and the father of two Russian born children, this ban by the Russian government is a loss for my head and my heart….but most of all a loss for the children of Russia. Best Wishes, Tom DiFilipo President & CEO Joint Council reminds those families who are in the process of adopting from Russia of the U.S. Dept. of State’s requests that families currently in the process of adopting a child from Russia email the Department of State at AskCI@state.gov . Families should state the stage and status of their adoption and use “Intercountry Adoption in Russia – Family Update” in the subject line of the email Joint Council will continue to engage in collaborative efforts with and through US and Russian government officials, the Department of State, Congressional offices, Joint Council Partners, NGOs and advocates in both countries. We will provide updates on this situation as they become available. To receive Joint Council updates regarding Russia, individuals are urged to sign up for our Russia email alerts, which can be done by clicking here (Select “Country and Issue Specific Information” and then select “Russia”).     Joint Council's Russian Ban on Intercountry Adoptions Survey In response to the recent ban of intercountry adoptions in Russia, Joint Council is collecting information to create a database of families currently referred children in need of a permanent family. If referred more than one child, please complete the survey for each child you are in the process of adopting. You will need to provide information regarding your referral including the date and region of the referral and birthday of the child referred. Please contact your adoption service provider if you need additional information regarding your referral as accurate information is important. Information provided will be utilized to assess the extent of the situation and more effectively advocate for these cases. Please complete this survey if you have been referred a child, so we can fully assess all those involved. To assist with speedy advocacy, please ensure you have completed the survey by January 4, 2013. The information you provide will be shared with the US Department of State, members of Congress, and USCIS. Please click here to participate in the survey.

Russian Lawmakers Back a Bill Banning Adoptions from U.S.

On Wednesday, Russian lawmakers backed a bill that would ban adoption by U.S. families.  The action is widely seen as retaliation for U.S. sanctions against Russia for human rights violations.  I personally find this sadly ironic.

 

You can read a story in today's Daily Herald.  http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20121226/news/712269883/

 

Here's how your voice can be heard.

 

Sasha D’Jamoos is a young Russian adoptee with special needs who last week started Voice of the Child, a campaign to encourage the continuation of adoptions between Russia and the United States. As part of his campaign, Sasha has published a letter and petition to President Putin. Please sign the petition and encourage others to do so as well. Click here to sign the petition and please forward to others who may be interested.

 

 

 

Russian Intercountry Adoption Update

Below is an important update from The Joint Council on International Children's Services (www.jointcouncil.org) regarding adoptions from Russia.

 

 

Over the last week there have been various news reports that Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs intends to suspend adoptions to the United States until the previously signed bi-lateral agreement between the United States and Russia is ratified by the Russian Duma. However, it is Joint Council’s understanding there are currently no plans for a country-wide suspension of adoptions to the United States.  No US or Russian officials have confirmed the recent media coverage.  Further, adoption can only be officially suspended by order of the Russian president or State Duma.  There have been very isolated reports of some regions and/or judges temporarily suspending adoptions until the bi-lateral agreement is ratified by the Duma.  These reports are limited and unconfirmed at this time.

 

Joint Council remains optimistic that the Duma will ratify the Bilateral Agreement in the spring, following the national elections. Prospective adoptive parents should consult with their adoption services provider regarding any in-process adoptions.  Joint Council is working to achieve a clear understanding of the situation and will publish appropriate and confirmed information as it is available. 

Adoptive Families Urgently Needed for Russian Orphans

Russian children are being turned away from the adoption process due to a lack of adoptive families, but outcomes for Russian orphans who grow up and age out of orphanages are bleak at best.


Families should never take the decision to adopt lightly, but for those who feel called, Russia is an excellent option with the process currently taking far less time than adopting from many other countries. Buckner is seeking families who will consider being a forever family for Russian children who need homes. Read on to learn more.  http://www.buckner.org/enews/index.php/2011/10/russian-orphans-need-families/

Buckner International is a global Christian ministry dedicated to the restoration and healing of children, families and senior adults.  For more information visit http://www.buckner.org/.

Adoption Update: Russia

Secretary Clinton and Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov Sign Adoption Agreement

The Department of State and the Department of Homeland Security announced on July 13, 2011, that Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov signed a bilateral adoptions agreement that will strengthen procedural safeguards in adoptions between our countries.

This Agreement will provide additional safeguards to better protect the welfare and interests of children and all parties involved in intercountry adoptions. Under the Agreement, only adoption agencies authorized by the Russian government will be able to operate in Russia and provide services in adoptions covered by the Agreement, except in the case of an adoption of a child by his or her relatives. This will largely eliminate independent adoptions from Russia and create a better defined framework for intercountry adoptions between the United States and Russia. The Agreement also includes provisions designed to improve post-adoption reporting and monitoring and to ensure that prospective adoptive parents receive more complete information about adoptive children’s social and medical histories and anticipated needs.

The United States is committed to working with the Russian Federation on implementing the provisions laid forth in this Agreement as soon as it enters into force.

The Department of State will publish criteria, procedures, and clear guidance related to the Agreement on adoption.state.gov prior to the Agreement’s entry into force.

For additional FAQs on the agreement, please visit http://adoption.state.gov.

Buckner Seeks Volunteers to Deliver Shoes to Orphans in Russia & Ethiopia

DALLAS, TX – Shoes for Orphan Souls is currently accepting applications for trips to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and St. Petersburg, Russia this fall. Both trips are scheduled from Oct. 6-15.

The trip to Russia will focus on delivering shoes to and bonding with children in orphanages.

Reb Wayne went to Russia with Shoes for Orphan Souls in November 2007. A native of Austin, Texas, he said the cold was a shock, but the trip was worth every minute.
“When we got to the orphanage and I was told we were their first visitors in a year. I understood my purpose and it was life altering,” Wayne said.

He has been back to Russia once since that trip and plans to go again later this year. He has kept in touch with several people from his original mission trip team, and said that besides those friendships, the biggest blessing has been working to raise funds to sponsor two young boys he met at one of the orphanages he visited.

Travelers to Ethiopia can expect much warmer climates.

The Ethiopia trip involves spending time with children in the communities, distributing shoes and putting on a Vacation Bible School.

Leona Wynne went on the first Buckner mission trip to Ethiopia in November 2009. She said she was struck by the beauty of the country and the contentedness of the people.

“When we arrived at the school where we would be working with 200 young children, they were all in a huge circle singing a song of welcome,” Wynne said. “Afterward the mayor of the village called Getahun, the country director for Buckner, to let him know how appreciative the people were to have us visit and share our hearts and much-needed shoes.”

“I think it’s important not only to get out of my comfort zone but to see how other cultures live and not assume I know what their experience is from what I’ve seen on the news,” Wynne said. “The first thing I noticed in Ethiopia was how happy and joy-filled they were with very little of what we’re used to.”

For more details, view the trip flyer for Russia at http://itsyourmission.com/downloads/RU11-0002.pdf and for Ethiopia at http://itsyourmission.com/downloads/ET11-0013.pdf or call
1-877-7-ORPHAN.

30,000 Orphans Sent back to Russian Orphanages

News outlets are carrying the troubling report that one of every three children adopted by Russian families from Russian orphanages in the past three years have been returned to state institutions. This means roughly 30,000 children were sent back to their orphanages.

This news comes on the heals of the recent uproar over the tragic story of the American woman who sent her adopted Russian son back to Russia.

The reports claims a key cause for the disturbing trend in Russia the fact that the Russian government has failed to maintain many of the payments it had promised to adoptive families. When the payments stopped, the report claims, many of the families decided to return the children.

This situation highlights an array of issues every Christian orphan advocate should keep in mind:

•Children growing up in institutions often carry deep wounds and profound needs. To choose to love such a child—via adoption, foster care or otherwise—can be a very challenging road. It is a discipleship journey, often full of joys, but also refining.

•If adoption and other forms of orphan care are taken on with the wrong motives, whether for financial gain or otherwise, trouble is likely ahead. If we are to “stick with it” through thick and thin, our choices must be rooted first and foremost in the love of the God who first loved us despite our destitution and profound need.

•To love an orphan along a long, difficult road to wholeness, it’s tremendously important to have a Christian community to walk the road with us. In addition, the guidance of true experts—from families that have experienced the challenges we face, to psychologists like Dr. Karyn Purvis—is also indispensable.

•As American Christians discover the truth of this prior point, it’s vital that we help grow that vision beyond the U.S. I believe that over time, the single most important thing American orphan advocates can do is to help local churches worldwide care for orphans near to them via adoption, foster care and other means.

•Potential problems in international adoption are equaled—and often far exceeded—by the realities orphans face daily in many countries. Most all of us felt angry about the American woman returning her adopted son to his Russian orphanage; but for anti-adoption advocates to claim the situation was an argument against international adoption was simply false.

This article is taken from the "Orphan Matchbox" blog of the "Christian Alliance for Orphans".

Texans Host Russian Orphans

To read the full story, click here.

http://www.buckner.org/enews/index.php/2010/08/russian-orphans-fly-home/

Russia and U.S. Talks Move Forward

The following is an update from Joint Council on International Children's Services, (http://www.jointcouncil.org/) regarding Russian adoptions:

Earlier this week, Russia and the U.S. issued a joint statement on the progress of their talks related to intercountry adoption. In addition, the U.S. Department of State has published a separate statement on intercountry adoption in Russia. Both statements can be found in full below.

Both statements indicate that significant progress has been made and agreement on basic principles of an accord has been reached. From ongoing dialogue with key stakeholders, it is Joint Council’s assessment that a future agreement will most likely include the specific responsibilities of each government, protocols for direct communication between each country’s primary adoption authority, increased post-adoption reports and responsibilities and the utilization of only those U.S. based adoption service providers accredited by the U.S. government (Hague accreditation).

Joint Council fully supports a bilateral agreement and the inclusion of the above noted improvements to the intercountry adoption process. It is our understanding that while agreement has been reached on these and other broad principals, a completed bilateral accord will require additional talks between the two governments and sufficient time to bring clarity and definition to the general agreements.

For more frequent updates on intercountry adoptions from Russia, please subscribe to our blog at http://betheanswerforchildren.wordpress.com/.

On May 12-13, U.S.-Russian consultation on adoption were held in Moscow.
May 13, 2010 - Joint Statement Issued by Russia and U.S.

The U.S. Embassy in Moscow, Russia issued the following joint U.S.-Russian statement today, May 13, 2010.

‘Generally, we very positively assess the atmosphere of the talks. In the course of a substantial dialogue we’ve managed to move forward on a wide range of complicated issues,’ says Alina Levitskaya, Director, Department of State Policy on Upbringing, Supplementary Education and Social Protection of Children, Russian Ministry of Education and Science.

‘Both teams are committed to reach an agreement to increase safeguards for intercountry adoption between Russian and the U.S.’ adds Mary Ellen Hickey, the head of American delegation, Managing Director, Office of Children’s Issues, U.S. State Department.

The participants of the meeting shared their views on existing difficulties in intercountry adoption and the way to resolve them. The discussions were detailed and concerned specific issues including domestic laws and international obligations of both countries.

In particular, the delegations acknowledged that any agreement being discussed would be legally binding. Each country will define its competent bodies responsible for coordinating bilateral cooperation in adoption.

Among other things, we discussed the role of authorized adoption agencies, and the possibility of further regulating their activities.

During the talks the participants reached broad understanding on overall goals and principles and discussed how to proceed toward those goals.

The delegations also agreed to exchange their revised drafts as soon as possible.

Due to the significant number of issues under discussion and the mutual commitment to resolve them as soon as possible, the consultations will continue on May 14.

Further, the U.S Dept of State, Office of Children’s Issues issued the following announcement, May 13.

A U.S. interagency team held meetings to discuss an adoption agreement with their Russian counterparts on May 12. The meetings are ongoing and will continue on May 13. The initial talks were positive, productive and conducted in a spirit of cooperation. Both sides are interested in taking steps to increase the safeguards for adopted children. The discussions were technical in nature because they involve domestic laws of two countries. There is still important work to be done and this continues to be a high priority for both governments.

It is our understanding that there has been no change in the status of on-going inter-country adoptions originating from Russia. Many thousands of Russian children, who were not adopted by Russian families, have found loving, safe and permanent homes in the United States through inter-country adoption. We are pleased to be discussing with the Russian government a future approach to ensure intercountry adoptions continue.

Prospective adoptive parents should be aware that in some parts of Russia, adoptions continue to be slowed down or delayed.

Advocacy Opportunity for Russian Adoptions

As the adoption community reels from the unfortunate incident that happened earlier this week, where a precious adopted boy from Russia was send back to his homeland, much has been discussed within the adoption community since this story broke. Some adoptive parents, who don't condone the adoptive mother's choices, still sympathize & empathize with her situation because they have been living with a similar situation. Others have demonized the mother for her actions, with no grace or empathy whatsoever. Wherever you may fall on the spectrum, there is something you can do to make sure that this incident does not sentence thousands of children in Russian orphanages to a life without a chance for adoption. I invite you to join the efforts that the Joint Council on International Children's Services has put forth as a response to this incident. Please read the options they have proposed and take a minute to be a voice for His children.

We Are The Truth: A Campaign and Call to Action


You, the adoption community know the truth. You live the truth. You are the truth.

Join our campaign to bring the truth to light and help children in need find a permanent and safe family.


What You Can Do

1) Sign the letter to President Medvedev and President Obama: The letter asks both Presidents to ensure that intercountry adoption continues uninterrupted and to aggressively investigate and prosecute anyone involved in the abuse of children. To sign the letter, click the following link.
http://www.gopetition.com/online/35485.html

2) We Are The Truth – an adoption blogger day: To ensure the world knows about every successful adoption, on Thursday, April 15, 2010 blog about your adoption or the adoption of someone you know. It doesn’t matter if your adoption is with Russia, domestic or otherwise international. Let the world know your truth! (I will post your story on our AV4HC blog. Just send it to avoiceforhischildren@gmail.com)


3) Tell Your Truth with Video - make sure the world sees, hears and feels the thousands of successful adoptions from Russia by:

Send Joint Council your successful Russian adoption video via email to alexa.m@jcics.org. Video should be a maximum of 3 minutes. A release must be sent to Joint Council or we cannot accept your video. For a copy of the release, go to http://www.jointcouncil.org/. Joint Council will translate the video into Russian and post it on our YouTube Channel.

4) Tell Your Truth with Words and Photos
Send Joint Council your successful Russian adoption story via email to alexa.m@jcics.org. Send us your stories through:


Photos (please do not send more than 10)
Essays (maximum 500 words)
A release must be sent to Joint Council or we cannot accept your story and/or pictures. For a copy of the release, go to http://www.jointcouncil.org/. Joint Council will then compile the stories and pictures, translate them into Russian and post them on our website and/or blog.

5) Share Your Truth
Joint Council will post, forward and share your stories via Facebook, Twitter, and blogs. Joint Council will be updating our YouTube Channel and Facebook page as the stories get compiled and translated, please subscribe to us on YouTube, Twitter and Fan us on Facebook.
You do the same by posting on your Facebook, Twitter, blog and website!