Thursday, May 27, 2010



RESOURCE: EMK Press Article Collection

In response to the Hansen case, EMK Press and other adoption professionals put together an article collection called Realistic Expectations: The First Year Home that can be freely downloaded at the following link:

http://www.emkpress.com/realisticexpectations.html

PEAR recommends that prospective adoptive parents and adoptive parents help prepare themselves for parenting challenges by reading the 21 articles in the collection that span topics such as attachment, sleep, finding therapists, sensory integration, unexpected special needs, when adoptions fail and more.

Ethics, Transparency, Support
~ What All Adoptions Deserve.
http://www.pear-now.org/

Wednesday, May 26, 2010



UPDATE: DOS Adoption Alert Nepal

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Bureau of Consular Affairs
Office of Children’s Issues




Caution About Pursuing Adoption in Nepal


May 26, 2010


The U.S. Department of State strongly discourages prospective adoptive parents from choosing adoption in Nepal because of grave concerns about the reliability of Nepal’s adoption system and the accuracy of the information in children’s official files. The Department also strongly discourages adoption service providers from accepting new applications for adoption from Nepal until reforms are made, and asks them to be vigilant about possible unethical or illegal activities under the current adoption system.


The Hague Conference on Private International Law recently released a report on its Intercountry Adoption Technical Assistance Program, based on a visit by a delegate from the Hague Conference’s Permanent Bureau to Nepal in November 2009, available at (
http://www.hcch.net/upload/wop/nepal_rpt09.pdf). This report is the result of an independent analysis of Nepal’s intercountry adoption system under the new Terms and Conditions put in place in 2008. The report details a number of weaknesses in Nepal’s adoption system, including ongoing concern about the falsification of documents, improper financial gain, and lack of a child protection system.


Although the U.S. Embassy in Nepal has only seen a handful of adoption cases since the new Terms and Conditions went into effect, we share many of the concerns outlined in the Hague report. As a case in point, in one of the first cases processed by the Government of Nepal after the revision of the Terms and Conditions, the U.S. Embassy in Kathmandu found that the adopted child was not a true orphan and that the birth parents were actively searching for the child.


We encourage parents who have filed an application with the Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare (MoWCSW) in Nepal, but have not yet been matched with a child or received an Adoption Decree issued by the Government of Nepal, to consider a change of countries. The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) allow one change of country to be made in connection with one’s I-600A application without fee. A request to change countries should be made in writing to the USCIS Field Office where the I-600A was originally filed. More information about how to request a change of country can be found on the USCIS website at
www.uscis.gov (Any subsequent request for a change of country would require a fee.).


Hague-accredited U.S. adoption services providers, and adoption service providers that may apply for Hague accreditation in the future are reminded that their actions in facilitating and/or processing adoptions in any country (whether Hague or non-Hague) will be evaluated during the Hague accreditation or accreditation renewal processes in accordance with the accreditation regulations (22 CFR Part 96), including whether, among other things, the provider has established and rigorously followed ethical adoption practices and operates in the best interest of prospective adoptive children.


Consular Officers are required to conduct an I-604 investigation to verify the child’s orphan status prior to immigrant visa processing. We generally rely upon the host government’s diligence to protect the safety and interests of their own children through careful administration of their national adoption process and use the I-604 investigation to confirm that this process has been followed. Because Nepal’s adoption process is questionable, it can be very difficult to satisfy the requirements of the I-604 investigation. Thus, these investigations could take a matter of months. Prospective adoptive parents are advised that they need to have flexible travel plans and be prepared to stay in Nepal while awaiting the results of the I-604 investigation or plan to make two trips (one to finalize the adoption and a second after the I-604 investigation is completed to bring their child home.)


When an I-600 is adjudicated by USCIS in the United States, consular officers must then conduct an I-604 investigation once the approved petition reaches the Embassy in Nepal to verify the child’s orphan status prior to immigrant visa processing. For I-600 applications filed at the U.S. Embassy in Kathmandu, the I-604 investigation is initiated after the prospective adoptive parents have appeared before a consular officer to sign the application.


Both DOS and USCIS recognize that it would be preferable for the I-604 investigations to be completed earlier in the process. However, under current procedures, the U.S. Embassy cannot begin the I-604 investigation until the PAPs have filed their I-600 application and have submitted the necessary documents pertaining to the adoptive child, such as police reports, newspaper announcements and certification of orphan status. The Department of State and USCIS are currently in discussion about possible ways to revise the procedures under U.S. Government control to mitigate this problem.


The U.S. Embassy in Kathmandu continues to meet with officials within the Government of Nepal and with other foreign missions concerning the current status of adoptions in Nepal. The February 25, 2010 joint statement issued by the International Adoption Working Group (an ad hoc group of Embassies in Nepal who have an interest in intercountry adoption issues) may be found at
http://nepal.usembassy.gov/pr-2-24-2010.html.


Adoptive parents may contact the Embassy at
adoptionsnepal@state.gov if they have questions.


Please continue to monitor
http://adoption.state.gov for updated information as it becomes available.


http://adoption.state.gov/news/nepal.html


Ethics, Transparency, Support
~ What All Adoptions Deserve.
http://www.pear-now.org/



UPDATE: DOS Adoption Notice Latvia

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Bureau of Consular Affairs
Office of Children’s Issues



May 25, 2010


Latvia requires periodic post-adoption reporting on the welfare of an adopted orphan in his or her new American family. Latvian law requires that two post-adoption reports be submitted: one after the first year following adoption and one after the second year. The reports should be conducted by the adoptive family’s adoption agency.

The intercountry adoption process requires compliance with the laws of both the United States and the child’s country of origin. While the United States cannot enforce the laws of another country, in order for a strong country-to-country partnership on adoption matters to continue, families and agencies should respect the adoption laws of the child’s country of origin. We strongly encourage agencies to comply with Latvian post-adoption reporting requirements and to submit reports on time. All agencies operating in Latvia have been notified of this requirement. Compliance will help ensure that Latvia’s history of positive experiences with American adoptive families continues.


Ethics, Transparency, Support
~ What All Adoptions Deserve.
http://www.pear-now.org/



LEGISLATIVE ALERT: Haiti/Citzenship

According to a pres release from Senator Landrieu's office, new legislation has been introduced to streamline the pathway to citizenship for children adopted and/or brought home on Humanitatiran Parole from Haiti. http://landrieu.senate.gov/mediacenter/pressreleases/05-26-2010-1.cfm The Bill is not yet published on the Library of COngress website, but PEAR will post links and pertinent text as soon as it is available.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

5/26/10

1,000 Haitian Orphans Stuck in Legal Limbo Senators: We Must Break the Gridlock, Protect Our Children.
WASHINGTON — Approximately 1,000 Haitian orphans who left the earthquake-ravaged country for the United States before their adoptions were finalized are now facing legal limbo and fewer legal protections. U.S. Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Jim Inhofe (R-OK), and Mary Landrieu (D-LA) proposed legislation to clear the way for these adopted Haitian orphans who were granted humanitarian parole to the U.S. to become citizens.

Senator Gillibrand said, "I am relieved that the Haitian orphans who have been waiting for their adoptive parents are finally safe and sound with their proud mothers and fathers. But the unprecedented devastation has turned the adoption process upside down, where it could take years before these children could have any legal status. In this moment of great uncertainty, we must clear the gridlock and ensure that these children have the legal protections that they deserve."

Senator Inhofe said, "Prior to the devastating earthquake that struck Haiti in January, many Americans sought to open their homes and their lives to the most vulnerable children in Haiti, the orphans. Unfortunately, the earthquake forced these children and their adoptive parents into an abnormal adoption and immigration process. This bill will alleviate the legal burden facing the adoptive parents of this group of orphans, and finally bring needed relief as these adoptive families begin their lives together."

"International adoptions involve a long and complicated process that requires families to complete dozens of steps before a child can become part of a loving family," said Senator Landrieu. "The process is even more difficult for Americans adopting Haitian orphans. Having entered the U.S under the humanitarian parole policy, these children face additional red tape to complete their adoptions and become U.S. citizens. This bill will simplify that process, providing families some piece of mind and safeguards against the expiration of the temporary status."

After the earthquake halted the adoption process and forced 1,000 adopted Haitian orphans to evacuate through humanitarian parole visas with the permission of the Haitian government, thousands of U.S. parents are now confronted with hurdles in their efforts to provide their children legal status in the U.S. Many Haitian children, although deemed orphans by Haitian authorities, did not have all of the final paperwork required for adoption before they left Haiti.

Under the normal international adoption process, an adoptive child becomes a U.S. citizen upon entering this country.; Without their adoptions being finalized in Haiti, the children who entered as humanitarian parolees face a technicality that would result in parents and children waiting years before prospective legal immigration status is granted.

There is no safety net to assure that these children would become citizens, as they would have otherwise been under conventional channels. So long as their status is in limbo, these children are left with fewer legal protections, may not be eligible for critical resources and risk being forced to return to the ravaged country if something were to happen to their adoptive families.

The Gillibrand-Inhofe-Landrieu legislation addresses these concerns by recognizing the extenuating circumstances following the earthquake facing these Haitian orphans by cutting through the legal limbo and clearing the way for Haitian orphans who were granted humanitarian parole to join their adoptive families in the U.S. to become citizens. These orphans have been vetted by Haitian and U.S. authorities for inter-country adoption to the United States. Under the Help HAITI Act of 2010, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano would allow families, who are U.S. citizens, to apply immediately on their adopted children's behalf to become legal permanent residents and eventually qualify for citizenship.


Ethics, Transparency, Support
~ What All Adoptions Deserve.
http://www.pear-now.org/



UPDATE: Hague - Special Commission Convening in June 2010

The Special Commission on the practical operation of the Hague Convention of 29 May 1993 on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption will convene June 17 - 25 at The Academy Building of the Peace Palace, Carnegieplein, The Hague.

From the Draft Agenda:

The objective of the Special Commission is to review the practical operation of the 1993 Convention and to achieve consensus on the main elements of a Guide to Good Practice on Accreditation and Adoption Accredited Bodies. The one day discussion on the abduction, sale and traffic in children in the context of intercountry adoption on the first day, 17 June 2010, does not, however, follow the usual format of a Special Commission review, as some independent experts have been invited to speak on this subject. There will be a period of discussion after each presentation, one aim being to find common ground in responding to such cases.

In relation to the draft Guide to Good Practice on Accreditation and Adoption Accredited Bodies, the discussion will take place on Friday and Saturday morning, 18-19 June. It is not intended that the Special Commission should engage in detailed drafting for the Guide but rather consider its contents from the point of view of Convention obligations, general principles and possible good practices.

This agenda is a provisional draft agenda. It is being sent to participants so they may see the proposed outline for the meeting. The draft agenda could be considered as a work in progress and it may be modified before the meeting to adjust the time of some sessions and to add some discussion points. The draft agenda will be treated with some flexibility and may need to be modified in the light of continuing discussions in the Special Commission.

The Draft Agenda lists the following presentations and discussions pertinent to ethical adoption practices:

Thursday 17 June 2010 Abduction, sale and traffic in children in the context of intercountry adoption
  • Presentation by the Permanent Bureau: a brief analysis of Questionnaire responses on abduction, sale and trafficking
  • Presentation: A Global perspective on trafficking: Professor David Smolin, USA
  • Presentation: An African perspective on trafficking: Dr Benyam Mezmur, Ethiopia
  • Plenary discussion
  • Documentary film: Paper orphans Introduction by Mr Joseph Aguettant, Terre des Hommes Foundation in Nepal
  • Investigating the grey zones of intercountry adoption: Hervé Boechat, ISS
  • Plenary discussion and discussion of possible conclusions for this day

Friday 18 June 2010 Draft Guide to Good Practice on Accreditation
  • Chapter by chapter review of draft Guide to Good Practice on Accreditation

Saturday 19 June 2010 Draft Guide to Good Practice on Accreditation
  • Chapter by chapter review of draft Guide to Good Practice on Accreditation (cont.)

Monday 21 June 2010 Applying the safeguards of the Convention
  • Opening statements by experts on developments of particular interest in their States Setting the scene - trends and statistics: presentation by Professor Peter Selman
  • Applying the safeguards of the Convention
  • Subsidiarity
  • Establishing whether a child is adoptable
  • Consents to the adoption
  • Counselling and preparation of the prospective adoptive parents
  • Agreements given under Article 17 c)
  • Financial aspects of intercountry adoption: issues not covered in discussion of draft Guide to Good Practice on Accreditation (days 2 and 3)

Tuesday 22 June 2010 Co-operation issues
  • Co-operation, communication and networking between Central Authorities
  • Sharing of responsibility between receiving States and States of origin
  • Intercountry adoption in the context of globalisation and international mobility
  • Co-operation (development aid) projects: setting the limits of ethical activity (issues not covered in discussion of draft Guide to Good Practice on Accreditation (days 2 and 3))

Wednesday 23 June 2010 Issues concerning Convention procedures
  • Certificate of conformity under Article 23
  • Recognition and effects of adoption
  • Private and independent adoptions
  • Surrogacy and intercountry adoption: connection and concerns
  • Use of Recommended Forms

Thursday 24 June 2010 Learning from experience
  • Monitoring of the Convention Post-adoption issues
  • Statistics: the role of the Permanent Bureau in their collection
  • Non-Convention countries: a co-ordinated approach and the role of bilateral agreements Technical assistance programme and other training programmes
  • Response to disaster situations: a common approach

Friday 25 June 2010 Conclusions and Recommendations
  • Conclusions and Recommendations of the Special Commission: discussion and agreement

The full Draft Agenda can be downloaded at:
http://www.hcch.net/upload/wop/adop2010agenda_e.pdf

Ethics, Transparency, Support
~ What All Adoptions Deserve.
http://www.pear-now.org/



COA Releases Updated List of Agencies Seeking Hague Accreditation/Approval or Renewal

The following is a list of agencies seeking Hague Accreditation, Hague Approval or Renewal of Hague Accreditation or Approval by the COA as of May 15, 2010. COA invites the public at large to provide comment on intercountry adoption service providers seeking Hague Accreditation, Hague Approval, or Renewal of Accreditation/Approval. Please consult the COA's website for instructions on how to comment on an applicant agency (link below).

The list below uses the following format:

Applicant Name,
Mailing Address,
Under Active Consideration Since

Adoption Advocates
11407 Seminole Boulevard Largo FL 33778
9/25/2009

Adoption Choice
924 East Juneau Avenue, Suite 410 Milwaukee WI 53202
3/6/2009

Adoption-Link
1113 South Boulevard
Oak Park IL 60302
1/29/2010

Adoption Services of America, Inc. dba ASW, Inc.
7300 Blanco Road, Suite 206 San Antonio TX 78216
3/18/2009

Alaska International Adoption Agency
308 G Street, #225 Anchorage AK 99501
1/27/2010

C.C.M.S. dba Community Counseling and Mediation
1 Hoyt Street, 7th Floor Brooklyn NY 11201
3/13/2009

Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Arlington, Inc.
200 North Glebe Road, Suite 506 Arlington VA 22203
8/26/2009

Catholic Charities of the Diocese of La Crosse, Inc
P.O. Box 266 La Crosse WI 54602
8/13/2009

Embraced by Grace, Inc.
447 South Nova Road Ormond Beach FL 32174
5/20/2009

Holy Cross Child Placement Agency, Inc.
4900 Connecticut Avenue, NW Washington DC 20008
9/22/2009

Jewish Family Service, Inc.
2370 Park Avenue Bridgeport CT 06604
10/13/2008

LDS Family Services
132 South State Street, Suite 300 Salt Lake City UT 84111
4/8/2009

Lutheran Child and Family Services of Illinois
7620 Madison Street River Forest IL 60305
4/13/2010

New Life Adoption Agency, Inc.
711 East Genesee Street, Suite 210 Syracuse NY 13210
1/26/2009

With Hope and Love Adoption Agency, Inc.
53 Margaret Drive Somerset NJ 08873
2/12/2009

The list and instructions on how to file a comment can be found at COA's website:
http://www.coanet.org/front3/page.cfm?sect=54&cont=4251

Ethics, Transparency, Support
~ What All Adoptions Deserve.
http://www.pear-now.org/



UPDATE: I 600 Process for Adoptions from Russia

The following letter was sent to adoption service providers (ASP) by the US Embassy in Moscow Russia. Families who are adopting from Russia should check with their ASP to be sure that the correct process is being followed. Families adopting independently should be sure to follow the process below as well.

Wednesday, May 26, 2010 3:40 AM
From:

Dear Adoption Agency Representatives:

Please be sure to adhere to the following USCIS procedures for I-600 processing for your adoptive families, effective immediately:

1) Interview appointments for I-600 processing with the USCIS office MUST be made on INFOPASS. Please schedule appointments at: https://infopass.uscis.gov/info_en.php

2) Please submit ALL medical documentation about the child, including medical reports from the orphanage.

3) Please submit certified translations for all foreign language documents. The translator must certify that s/he is competent to translate and that the translation is accurate.

The certification format should include the certifier's name, signature, address, and date of certification. A suggested format is:

Certification by Translator

I [typed name], certify that I am fluent (conversant) in the English and ________ languages, and that the above/attached document is an accurate translation of the document attached entitled ______________________________.

Signature_________________________________
Date Typed Name
Address

Sincerely,
Immigrant Visa Unit
US Embassy Moscow, Russia
http://www.russian.moscow.usembassy.gov/


Ethics, Transparency, Support
~ What All Adoptions Deserve.
http://www.pear-now.org/

Thursday, May 20, 2010

Update: DOS Adoption Alert Kazakhstan

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Bureau of Consular Affairs
Office of Children’s Issues



May 19, 2010

On May 17, 2010, the U.S. Consulate General in Almaty received confirmation that the Ministry of Education in Kazakhstan has given instructions to the Kazakhstani Embassy and Consulate in New York not to accept new dossiers for inter-country adoptions. The Ministry said that this moratorium on new adoption cases will remain in effect until Kazakhstan implements a Hague Convention-compliant system, which it intends to have in place by September 2010. Kazakhstani officials have confirmed that this moratorium will not affect adoptions already in process.

http://www.adoption.state.gov/news/kazakhstan.html


Ethics, Transparency, Support
~ What All Adoptions Deserve.
http://www.pear-now.org/

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

MEDIA: Missionary returns to Idaho after Haiti conviction


Missionary returns to Idaho after Haiti conviction

By JESSIE L. BONNER, Associated Press Writer Jessie L. Bonner, Associated Press Writer – Tue May 18, 7:12 pm ET

BOISE, Idaho – The leader of an American group detained while trying to take 33 children out of Haiti after the January earthquake returned Tuesday to Idaho, deferring questions about her conviction for arranging illegal travel.

Laura Silsby was freed Monday after she was convicted by a judge for arranging illegal travel and sentenced to time already served in jail. She was welcomed at the Boise airport by a cheering crowd that included her sister, mother and members of her Idaho church.

Silsby cried while hugging family members, raised her hands in the air as her pastor led the group in prayer, and sang a hymn with members of her church congregation.

"It feels incredible," Silsby said. "I just give praise to my God and I thank him for bringing me home."

The 40-year-old Idaho businesswoman organized the ill-fated effort to take the children to an orphanage being set up in the neighboring Dominican Republic. Silsby declined to answer questions from reporters about the past three months.

"I'll talk about that maybe at a later time. Today is a day of celebration and joy," she said. "I've longed for this for a long time, so later we'll talk about other things."

Silsby said her faith had gotten her through the ordeal.

"God has been there with me every single second," she said. "He has given me strength and peace throughout every moment of this trial."

Silsby was whisked out of airport by family members and followed by her friend and nanny Charisa Coulter, another member of the group that was jailed. Coulter was released in March.

Silsby had been in custody since Jan. 29. She was originally charged with kidnapping and criminal association, but those charges were dropped for her and the nine other Americans who also have been released.

After the missionaries were arrested, Silsby told the court she thought the children were orphans whose homes were destroyed in the earthquake. However, she lacked the proper papers to remove them from the country at a time when the government was restricting adoptions to prevent child trafficking.

An investigation by The Associated Press later revealed all the children had at least one living parent who had turned their children over to the group in hopes of securing better lives for them.

Silsby and other members of the church group insisted they had only come to Haiti to help.

Silsby was convicted Monday of arranging illegal travel under a 1980 statute restricting movement from Haiti signed by then-dictator Jean-Claude Duvalier.

At least four members of the group that had been detained in Haiti greeted Silsby at the airport.

"It's good to have her home," said Paul Thompson, a Twin Falls pastor who was jailed along with his son.

Coulter and her father, along with Silsby's father John Sander, traveled to Haiti on May 2 to give Silsby moral support.

"Our first concern is for her welfare and the welfare of her family," said Clint Henry, who is Silsby's pastor at Central Valley Baptist Church in Meridian.

The crowd that gathered in the airport terminal was jubilant for the most part.

A former employee of Silsby's now-defunct business Personal Shopper Inc. held a large sign that read: "Laura Where's My Paycheck?" The company closed in late March and is the subject of a host of lawsuits and unpaid wage claims.

Bryan Jack told the AP he was hired by the business in 2007, starting as an analyst then taking over its customer care department. Jack said Silsby owes him $5,000 under a civil judgment handed down April 29.

"I think that it's important the public knows she owes people money," said Jack, holding his sign above the crowd of church and family members who huddled around Silsby at the airport

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100518/ap_on_re_us/us_haiti_detained_americans#mwpphu-container

Ethics, Transparency, Support
~ What All Adoptions Deserve.
http://www.pear-now.org/

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

UPDATE: Russia, I600 form Change

The following email was sent to Adoption Service Providers (ASPs) this morning by the US Embassy in Moscow. Please be sure to use the correct I600 form which can be downloaded at the link below.


Dear Representatives of Adoption Agencies:

Please be advised that you must use the new I-600 as of June 2nd. The old version will no longer be accepted by USCIS. You may find this form on the USCIS website, at http://www.uscis.gov/files/form/i-600.pdf


Sincerely,
Immigrant Visa Unit

US Embassy Moscow, Russia

http://www.russian.moscow.usembassy.gov/

This email is UNCLASSIFIED.

Ethics, Transparency, Support
~ What All Adoptions Deserve.
http://www.pear-now.org/

UPDATE 2: Kazakhstan

From the US Embassy in Almaty, please note the 10 day difference from that given to Adoption Service Providers (ASPs) last week. PEAR is seeking clarification:


Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Dear Ms. Pollock,

Thank you for your email. Please be informed that the Consular Section of U.S. Embassy in Kazakhstan received information from Kazakhstani Ministry of Foreign Affairs that starting from May 25 the Kazakhstani Consulates will stop accepting new dossiers from prospective parents. MFA claims that they expect to comply with Hague Convention by autumn of this year and start processing dossiers again. We understand this difficult situation for all families, but please be aware that the Department of State is working on this issue.

Consular Section

U.S. Consulate General Almaty

97 Zholdasbekova Str., Samal Towers

Tel.: 7 727 2504900

Fax: 7 727 2504884

Email: adoptionsalmaty@state.gov

Website: http://kazakhstan.usembassy.gov



Ethics, Transparency, Support
~ What All Adoptions Deserve.
http://www.pear-now.org/

Monday, May 17, 2010

MEDIA: CBI files case against Preet Mandir official

Time of India


PUNE: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has registered a case against a managing trustee of city-based Preet Mandir and some state government officials for their alleged involvement in an 'inter-country adoption racket'.

However, a spokesperson of the NGO has strongly refuted the charges and has argued that the CBI in its earlier two probe reports in the same matter had given a clean chit to their managing trustee.

In an official mail to TOI on Monday, a CBI spokesperson has stated that the case was registered on the directions of the Bombay high court. It is an outcome of a criminal writ petition (no. 1945/2006) filed in the HC by Advait Foundation, an NGO, and another writ petition (no. 494/2007) filed by Sakhee, also an NGO, the CBI spokesperson said.

"It is alleged that during the period 2002 to 2010, the managing trustee of the Pune-based foundation entered into a criminal conspiracy with unknown persons and kidnapped the children of poor people in Maharashtra with a motive to send them in inter-country adoption to extort huge money from the adopting parents," the CBI spokesperson said.

The CBI spokesperson has said that the managing trustee was also involved in illegal trafficking of children and, for this purpose, he opened a rehabilitation centre at Kanhe Phata. "The managing trustee further obtained the Indian rejection slips from Indian parents fraudulently and forged these rejection slips with a motive to use them to send children for inter-country adoption. He also extorted money from Indian parents for adoption in the form of donation whereas there is a prescribed amount up to Rs 25,200, which can be claimed," the CBI spokesperson said.

"A total of 70 instances were detected between 2005 and 2010 in which he charged excess money more than Rs 50,000 from adopting parents. He also misappropriated the orphanage fund, to the tune of Rs 25,70,016, for own use during the period 2002-2007 by using his personal credit card. The unknown officials of the state government are also in connivance with the managing trustee, who managed to traffic children to the location of his foundation in Pune, avoiding the existing rules with ulterior motives. Investigation is continuing," the CBI spokesperson said.

The spokesperson of Preet Mandir told TOI: "There was no kidnapping of children who were adopted through a judicial process. Also, they were given in for adoption after completing all the legal formalities and after obtaining orders from family court as well as from the district court. Not a single case of kidnapping has happened as alleged by the CBI".

"Earlier, too, the CBI had probed these allegations against us and it had twice given us a clean chit. Even an independent inquiry committee appointed by the state government and the another by the Union government had given a clean chit to Preet Mandir. However, the CBI had requested the high court for further investigations and the court had asked them to submit their findings before it on May 20," the Preet Mandir spokesperson said.


http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/pune/CBI-files-case-against-Preet-Mandir-official/articleshow/5942948.cms

Ethics, Transparency, Support
~ What All Adoptions Deserve.
http://www.pear-now.org/

UPDATE DOS Adoption Notice Russia

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Bureau of Consular Affairs
Office of Children’s Issues



May 14, 2010

A U.S. interagency team met with their Russian counterparts in Moscow May 12 – 14 to discuss an adoption agreement. This most recent round of negotiations ended Friday, May 14, after three days of positive and productive talks. Both sides are committed to the common goal of increasing safeguards for adoption between Russia and the United States. “We listened to each other’s concerns and made significant progress toward an agreement that will improve the safeguards in the inter-country adoption process,” said the head of the U.S. delegation. The meeting participants shared their views on how to improve existing processes to better protect the children and families involved in inter-country adoption. The discussions were detailed and concerned specific issues, including the domestic laws and international obligations of both countries.

The negotiating teams are working on language of a draft agreement and plan to meet again in the coming weeks. The next meeting will likely be in Washington in June.

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 inter-country adoptions continue.

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


If you have completed an adoption in Russia and have an immigrant visa appointment at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow:
The U.S. Embassy in Moscow is continuing to schedule and issue immigrant visas for adopted children using normal processing procedures.
Contact the Embassy at MoscowConsularR@state.gov to schedule an appointment. Please also stay in close touch with your adoption service provider.

If you have a court appointment to finalize your child’s adoption in Russia:
Many adoption cases are continuing to move forward in the courts. We have heard of cases in which a court appointment has been postponed. If your court appointment is postponed by the court, please provide this information to us by email at
RussiaAdoption@state.gov and MoscowConsularR@state.gov. Neither the Department of State nor the U.S. Embassy have the authority to intervene with the Russian courts on any individual case and cannot provide a letter for use in the courts. Adoption service providers and/or legal representatives in Russia may be able to make inquiries about your case on your behalf with Russian courts.

If you do not yet have a court date to finalize an adoption in Russia, but are in the process of adopting from Russia:
Please stay in close contact with your adoption service provider, and check the
adoption.state.gov website regularly for current information about intercountry adoption from Russia.

The Department of State’s Office of Children’s Issues has established a special e-mail box for inquiries or comments about adoptions from Russia. Prospective adoptive parents and others with concerns about adoptions from Russia may send their questions to
RussiaAdoption@state.gov. Prospective adoptive parents may also provide complete contact information for themselves, including full address, phone number, and e-mail information, the name of their adoption service provider (if available) and details about the child they are planning to adopt.


http://adoption.state.gov/news/russia.html

Ethics, Transparency, Support
~ What All Adoptions Deserve.
http://www.pear-now.org/

Friday, May 14, 2010

Update: Kazakhstan

Yesterday, numerous adoption service providers reported receiving notification from Counsel General Raushan Yesbulatova that Kazakhstan will temporarily cease accpeting new dossiers from prospective adoptive parents "due to the Hague" as of May 15, 2010. This information was also published on the JCICS blog this morning. Complete text of the letter is available at RainbowKids.org. There is nothing yet posted on either the Kaz Consulate in NY's website nor the the DOS adoption website.

PEAR has contacted various US and Kaz officials to get confirmation and clarification of the suspension. Please maintain contact with your adoption service provider and the US DOS adoption website (www.adoptions.state.gov) for further information. We will publish updates as we receive additional information.

Ethics, Transparency, Support
~ What All Adoptions Deserve.
http://www.pear-now.org/

Thursday, May 13, 2010

DOS Adoption Notice for US Citizens Residing Abroad

Adoption Notice

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Bureau of Consular Affairs
Office of Children’s Issues



April 2010


The Department of State wishes to notify U.S. citizens living abroad in another Hague Adoption Convention country
who plan to adopt a child residing in the United States or a third country, that the country where the adoptive parents live may require them to follow local adoption laws and procedures as the receiving country in a Convention adoption, in order for the child to enter that country legally.

Prospective adoptive parents should therefore consult the Central Authority of the receiving country prior to initiating an adoption. Contact information for Central Authorities can be found in the Country Information section of this website. Prospective adoptive parents may also contact the Office of Children’s Issues to seek assistance in accessing information from the receiving country to understand the applicable adoption and immigration requirements.

The receiving country may require that an adoption be processed as a Hague Convention intercountry adoption even in cases where the child and the prospective adoptive parents are U.S. citizens. Adoptive parents’ failure to comply with local adoption laws and procedures to which their adoption may be subject could result in the adopted child’s inadmissibility to enter the receiving country.


http://www.adoption.state.gov/news/local_requirements_for_AmcitsAbroad.html


Ethics, Transparency, Support
~ What All Adoptions Deserve.
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DOS Adoption Notice - Updates on Russia Talks

Adoption Notice
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Bureau of Consular Affairs
Office of Children’s Issues



May 12, 2010

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.


If you have completed an adoption in Russia and have an immigrant visa appointment at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow:
The U.S. Embassy in Moscow is continuing to schedule and issue immigrant visas for adopted children using normal processing procedures.
Contact the Embassy at MoscowConsularR@state.gov to schedule an appointment. Please also stay in close touch with your adoption service provider.

If you have a court appointment to finalize your child’s adoption in Russia:
Many adoption cases are continuing to move forward in the courts. We have heard of cases in which a court appointment has been postponed. If your court appointment is postponed by the court, please provide this information to us by email at
RussiaAdoption@state.gov and MoscowConsularR@state.gov. Neither the Department of State nor the U.S. Embassy have the authority to intervene with the Russian courts on any individual case and cannot provide a letter for use in the courts. Adoption service providers and/or legal representatives in Russia may be able to make inquiries about your case on your behalf with Russian courts.

If you do not yet have a court date to finalize an adoption in Russia, but are in the process of adopting from Russia:
Please stay in close contact with your adoption service provider, and check the
adoption.state.gov website regularly for current information about intercountry adoption from Russia.

The Department of State’s Office of Children’s Issues has established a special e-mail box for inquiries or comments about adoptions from Russia. Prospective adoptive parents and others with concerns about adoptions from Russia may send their questions to
RussiaAdoption@state.gov. Prospective adoptive parents may also provide complete contact information for themselves, including full address, phone number, and e-mail information, the name of their adoption service provider (if available) and details about the child they are planning to adopt.


http://adoption.state.gov/news/russia.html


Ethics, Transparency, Support
~ What All Adoptions Deserve.
http://www.pear-now.org/

SYMPOSIUM: Korean-American Academics to Throw Light on Adoption

Korean-American Academics to Throw Light on Adoption

Korean-born academics who were adopted by Americans will attend a symposium titled "From Global to Glocal: The Future of American Studies" by the American Studies Association of Korea at Seoul National University to discuss adoption, still something of a taboo subject in Korea.

In a session titled "Korean Adoptee" on Friday, Eleana Kim (University of Rochester) will give a talk under the heading "Beyond Motherlands and Mother Love: Figuring Korean Adoptees in Global Korea," and Kim Park Nelson (Minnesota State University) under the heading "Uri Nara, Our Country: Global and Translocal Communities of Korean American Adoptees." They will describe how, based on their own experience, foreign adoptees who return to their motherland experience identity transformations through their new daily life.

ASAK president Kim Seong-kon said adoption, along with globalization, diaspora and immigration, has emerged as key topics in the culture review and theory field for the last three or four years.

The ASAK is a nationwide academic society whose members include American specialists in politics, economics, history, and culture

http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2008/10/21/2008102161013.html

Ethics, Transparency, Support~
What All Adoptions Deserve.
http://www.pear-now.org/

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

MEDIA: Russia, US Reach Accord on Adoption Deal

Russia, US reach accord on adoption deal
MOSCOW – Russia and the United States have reached a new bilateral accord on adoptions and expect to sign it within two months, a senior Russian official said Wednesday.

Russia had demanded such an accord after a 7-year-old Russian boy was sent back to Moscow last month — alone on a one-way flight — by his adoptive American mother in Tennessee, creating an uproar in Russia. American adoption officials also were horrified at the drastic action taken by the mother and angry about its possible repercussions.

Russian officials say they want more control over U.S. adoptions of Russian children and the living conditions those children face in the United States.

"We have reached agreement on all principal issues and have seen willingness to sign such an agreement," children's rights ombudsman Pavel Astakhov told reporters after U.S. and Russian officials met to discuss the pact.

The draft agreement is expected to be approved on Friday, and the deal should be signed within the next two months, he said.

The return to Russia of Artyom Savelyev, who is now 8, caused some officials to demand a freeze on foreign adoptions. Russia's parliament, however, defeated a motion Friday to suspend adoptions to the United States.

Astakhov confirmed on Wednesday that adoptions to the U.S. have not been "legally suspended" but said they are "effectively suspended" as Russian courts will not rule on adoption cases as long as there is uncertainly about the children's safety in that country.

Under Russian law, only a presidential act or legislation passed by the parliament can freeze foreign adoptions.

The new deal will make it obligatory for adoption agencies as well as adoptive parents to report on their child's health and living conditions, and to "open the door" for social workers to check the facts reported, Astakhov said.

Savelyev's adoptive mother refused to allow a social worker into the house less than a month before the boy was dispatched back to Russia — a visit that could have prevented the boy's misfortunes.

Russia also has accepted a U.S. proposal to allow adoptions only through U.S.-accredited agencies, the ombudsman said. These agencies work in compliance with the Hague Adoption Convention, to which Russia, however, is not a signatory yet.

"This will be an extra guarantee that random people and random organizations will not be involved in such an important and delicate matter as adoption of Russian children in the United States," Astakhov said.

Some 1,800 Russian children were adopted in the United States last year, according to Russian officials. Some 3,000 U.S. families are estimated to be in various stages of adopting children now from Russia.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100512/ap_on_re_eu/eu_russia_us_adoptions

Ethics, Transparency, Support~
What All Adoptions Deserve.
http://www.pear-now.org/

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

MEDIA: Guatemala - Foreign Adoptions are Back

GUATEMALA
Foreign Adoptions Are Back – Along with the Doubts
By Danilo Valladares

GUATEMALA CITY, May 10, 2010 (IPS) - The reopening of international adoptions in Guatemala in June might not only mean the chance of a better life for many children, but may also spell a return to corruption, fraud and the theft of babies, human rights groups warn.

A number of organisations expressed concern after the National Adoption Council, the central adoption authority established in 2008, announced in March that a pilot programme for the resumption of adoptions abroad would go into effect in June, under stricter oversight.

According to the Council, the situation was studied by experts from the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the Hague Conference on Private International Law, which approved the Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Cooperation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption in 1993.

Nevertheless, human rights groups are worried.

"We are against the reopening of international adoptions now because the same structure of organised crime that generated a major international market to which the country exported between 5,000 and 6,000 children a year is still in place," the head of the Survivors Foundation, Norma Cruz, told IPS.

In 2008, the National Adoption Council suspended foreign adoptions, which were mainly to couples in the United States, to shut down a thriving business that profited lawyers, judges and doctors.

Until the suspension of foreign adoptions, Guatemala was the fourth country in the world in terms of the number of children placed in adoption, after Russia, China and South Korea, according to UNICEF. But in proportion to the population, it was the global leader.

Adoptions were suspended in compliance with the new adoption law in effect since 2007, which created the National Adoption Council and banned "undue benefits, material or otherwise, to accrue to the persons, institutions and authorities involved in the adoption process."

It also put a priority on placing children with Guatemalan families and established that "the poverty or extreme poverty of parents is not sufficient reason to put a child up for adoption."

According to United Nations figures, half of the population of this Central American country of 13 million people is living in poverty, and 17 percent in extreme poverty.

Activists say that behind the booming adoption market in Guatemala was a "mafia" of lawyers, notaries public, "jaladoras" or baby brokers who entice poor young women into placing their children in adoption, so-called "casas de engorde" or "fattening houses" where the expectant mothers’ pregnancy and birth-related expenses were covered, officials in civil registers, pediatricians, adoption homes and foster families.

In order to generate confidence in the new adoption process, "the state should give signs that it is prepared to dismantle the child trafficking networks…which remain intact," Cruz said.

The activist cited the case of Alma Valle, a lawyer who was released on bail on Apr. 23, after she was deported from the United States and arrested in Guatemala for her alleged participation in arranging illegal adoptions.

Valle "was released after paying 150,000 quetzals (18,000 dollars) in bail. In just one quarter of 2008 she negotiated the adoption of 150 children. But since she is the wife of an army colonel and has links to the governing party, she was set free," Cruz complained.

The National Adoption Council reports that 214 children, including disabled children and youngsters over the age of seven, are currently available for adoption.

Since November, couples from Austria, Denmark, France, Israel, Italy, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United States have expressed an interest in adopting Guatemalan children.

The executive director of the Social Movement for the Rights of Children and Adolescents, Felipe García, told IPS the country should not "race" to reopen foreign adoptions, but should first offer a decent life to the children here in Guatemala.

He said a priority has not yet been put on domestic adoptions. Nor have the cases of more than 27,000 children removed from the country under "irregular" circumstances before 2008 been resolved.

The numerous mothers who are demanding the return of children who were stolen from them should be given compensation, García added.

"The Guatemalan state should show a willingness to come up with the necessary mechanisms for children to stay in Guatemala and not have to be adopted by foreigners," he said.

García also said the state was still "under the thumb" of organised crime groups dedicated to illegal adoptions.

Before the new law went into effect, the illegal foreign adoptions of 4,000 to 5,000 Guatemalan children a year generated some 200 million dollars in annual earnings.

Adoptions, which generally took only a year, cost the prospective families between 25,000 and 50,000 dollars, according to human rights groups.

Byron Alvarado, executive secretary of the National Commission on Children and Adolescents, which includes representatives of both the government and civil society, said the National Adoption Council should be better established before adoptions are reopened, because "it has only been functioning for two years."

"Guatemalans don't even know yet what the role of the Adoption Council is," he told IPS.

In his view, international adoption should be a last resort.

But Nidia Aguilar, director of Defence of the Rights of the Child in the Office of the Human Rights Ombudsman, told IPS that foreign adoptions should be reopened because there are hundreds of youngsters in children's homes who are waiting for a family of their own.

She said there are much bigger hurdles now to prevent illegal adoptions, and that if any do happen, the cases should be reported to the authorities




Ethics, Transparency, Support~
What All Adoptions Deserve.
http://www.pear-now.org/

Friday, May 7, 2010

MEDIA: Russia declines to stop American adoptions

Associated Press
Friday, MAy 7, 2010

MOSCOW – Russia's parliament on Friday defeated a motion that would have prevented Americans from adopting Russian children.

The motion was put forward in reaction to the case of Artyom Savelyev, an 8-year-old Russian boy sent back to Moscow alone last month by his adoptive mother in Tennessee. The mother claimed the boy was violent and that the orphanage had lied about his condition. Russian physicians said they found no mental issues with the boy.

Savelyev' return led to calls for more control over foreign adoptions and a freeze on all adoptions to Americans until the United States signed a bilateral agreement allowing Russia to better monitor and control adoptions.

A motion to freeze all adoptions to the U.S. pending the signing of such an agreement fell 98 votes short Friday in the State Duma, the lower house.

After a month of conflicting signals, Education Minister Andrei Fursenko confirmed earlier this week that Russia had not suspended U.S. adoptions, which he said required legislation to be passed by parliament or a presidential act.

The dominant Kremlin-friendly party, United Russia, voted against Friday's motion, saying it did not make sense given Americans' willingness to discuss an agreement.

"If an agreement is not signed, we will be the first to submit a freeze bill to parliament," deputy Natalya Karpova said.

Some 1,800 Russian children were adopted in the United States last year, according to the Russian Education and Science Ministry.

U.S. citizens have adopted nearly 50,000 Russian children since the early 1990s, the ministry's Alina Levitskaya told the State Duma on Friday.

Published:
Boston Herald: http://www.bostonherald.com/news/international/europe/view.bg?articleid=1253145&srvc=rss
Yahoo News: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100507/ap_on_re_eu/eu_russia_us_adoptions_2

Ethics, Transparency, Support~
What All Adoptions Deserve.
http://www.pear-now.org/

Thursday, May 6, 2010

DOS Adoption Alert Russia Update


U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Bureau of Consular Affairs
Office of Children’s Issues



May 5, 2010

There has been no official suspension in adoptions of Russian orphans by American parents. However, in some parts of Russia, we are aware that adoptions are being slowed down or delayed. The United States and Russia held their first round of talks on adoption issues in Moscow on April 29. The discussions focused on the U.S. and Russian concerns regarding protecting the welfare and rights of children being adopted internationally. The talks were productive and an expert-level working group will travel to Moscow for further discussions on an adoption agreement on May 12, 2010. Russia provided us with a draft agreement on May 1. We are studying this draft in preparation for the upcoming meetings.

If you have completed an adoption in Russia and have an immigrant visa appointment at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow:
The U.S. Embassy in Moscow is continuing to schedule and issue immigrant visas for adopted children using normal processing procedures. Contact the Embassy at MoscowConsularR@state.gov to schedule an appointment. Please also stay in close touch with your adoption service provider.

If you have a court appointment to finalize your child’s adoption in Russia:
Many adoption cases are continuing to move forward in the courts. We have heard of cases in which a court appointment has been postponed. If your court appointment is postponed by the court, please provide this information to us by email at RussiaAdoption@state.gov and MoscowConsularR@state.gov. Neither the Department of State nor the U.S. Embassy have the authority to intervene with the Russian courts on any individual case and cannot provide a letter for use in the courts. Adoption service providers and/or legal representatives in Russia may be able to make inquiries about your case on your behalf with Russian courts.

If you do not yet have a court date to finalize an adoption in Russia, but are in the process of adopting from Russia:
Please stay in close contact with your adoption service provider, and check the adoption.state.gov website regularly for current information about intercountry adoption from Russia.

The Department of State’s Office of Children’s Issues has established a special e-mail box for inquiries or comments about adoptions from Russia. Prospective adoptive parents and others with concerns about adoptions from Russia may send their questions to RussiaAdoption@state.gov. Prospective adoptive parents may also provide complete contact information for themselves, including full address, phone number, and e-mail information, the name of their adoption service provider (if available) and details about the child they are planning to adopt.






Ethics, Transparency, Support~
What All Adoptions Deserve.
http://www.pear-now.org/

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

UPDATE: DOS Adoption Alert Nepal

Adoption Alert

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Bureau of Consular Affairs
Office of Children’s Issues


Caution About Pursuing Adoption in Nepal


May 4, 2010

The U.S. Embassy in Kathmandu was closed on May 3 and will be closed on May 4 and 5 due to a nationwide strike. The closure may continue thereafter, depending on whether the strike continues and what the situation warrants. The Consular Section has scheduled back-up appointment dates as follows: If you are scheduled for an immigrant visa interview on Tuesday, May 4th, please come for your immigrant visa interview on Friday, May 14 at 13:00. If you are scheduled to pick up your immigrant visa and travel packet on Thursday, May 6th, and the Embassy is closed, please come to pick up your immigrant visa on Thursday, May 13th at 14:00. For additional information regarding consular services, please carefully read the full announcement that is posted on the Embassy’s website at: http://nepal.usembassy.gov/pr-04-30-2010.html.

Please continue to monitor the Embassy website for updated information.

The U.S. Department of State strongly discourages prospective adoptive parents from choosing adoption in Nepal because of grave concerns about the reliability of Nepal’s adoption system and the accuracy of the information in children’s official files. The Department also strongly discourages adoption service providers from accepting new applications for adoption from Nepal until reforms are made, and asks them to be vigilant about possible unethical or illegal activities under the current adoption system.

The Hague Conference on Private International Law recently released a report on its Intercountry Adoption Technical Assistance Program, based on a visit by a delegate from the Hague Conference’s Permanent Bureau to Nepal in November 2009, available at (http://www.hcch.net/upload/wop/nepal_rpt09.pdf). This report is the result of an independent analysis of Nepal’s intercountry adoption system under the new Terms and Conditions put in place in 2008. The report details a number of weaknesses in Nepal’s adoption system, including ongoing concern about the falsification of documents, improper financial gain, and lack of a child protection system.

Although the U.S. Embassy in Nepal has only seen a handful of adoption cases since the new Terms and Conditions went into effect, we share many of the concerns outlined in the Hague report. As a case in point, in one of the first cases processed by the Government of Nepal after the revision of the Terms and Conditions, the U.S. Embassy in Kathmandu found that the adopted child was not a true orphan and that the birth parents were actively searching for the child.

We encourage parents who have filed an application with the Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare (MWCSW) in Nepal, but have not yet been matched with a child or received an Adoption Decree issued by the Government of Nepal, to consider a change of countries. The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) allow one change of country to be made in connection with one’s I-600A application without fee. A request to change countries should be made in writing to the USCIS Field Office where the I-600A was originally filed. More information about how to request a change of country can be found on the USCIS website at www.uscis.gov (Any subsequent request for a change of country would require a fee.).

Hague-accredited U.S. adoption services providers, and adoption service providers that may apply for Hague accreditation in the future are reminded that their actions in facilitating and/or processing adoptions in any country (whether Hague or non-Hague) will be evaluated during the Hague accreditation or accreditation renewal processes in accordance with the accreditation regulations (22 CFR Part 96), including whether, among other things, the provider has established and rigorously followed ethical adoption practices and operates in the best interest of prospective adoptive children.

Prospective adoptive parents who currently have active files at the Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare and who may already have an approved I-600 (Petition to Classify an Orphan as an Immediate Relative) from a USCIS Domestic Field Office may experience significant difficulties and delays. When an I-600 is adjudicated by USCIS in the United States , consular officers must then conduct an I-604 investigation once the approved petition reaches the Embassy in Nepal to verify the child’s orphan status prior to immigrant visa processing. Depending upon the circumstances of a case, this investigation may take up to several months to complete, even if the I-600 petition is already approved. We generally rely upon the host government’s diligence to protect the safety and interests of their own children through careful administration of their national adoption process and use the I-604 investigation to confirm that this process has been followed. Because the Nepali adoption process is questionable, it can be very difficult to satisfy the requirements of the I-604 investigation. When we cannot do so, we must return the case to USCIS with a recommendation that the I-600 approval be revoked.

Both DOS and USCIS recognize that it would be preferable for the I-604 investigations to be completed earlier in the process. However, under current procedures, the U.S. Embassy cannot begin the I-604 investigation until the prospective adoptive parents have a signed Adoption Decree issued by the Government of Nepal, and the Government of Nepal will not issue an Adoption Decree until the prospective adoptive parents are in Nepal. Thus, prospective adoptive parents are currently faced with the need to either make two trips to Nepal or to spend an extended period in-country while awaiting the results of the I-604 investigation. DOS and USCIS are currently in discussion about possible ways to revise the procedures under U.S. Government control to mitigate this problem.

The U.S. Embassy in Kathmandu continues to meet with officials within the Government of Nepal and with other foreign missions concerning the current status of adoptions in Nepal. The February 25, 2010 joint statement issued by the International Adoption Working Group (an ad hoc group of Embassies in Nepal who have an interest in intercountry adoption issues) http://nepal.usembassy.gov/pr-2-24-2010.html.

Adoptive parents may contact the Embassy at adoptionsnepal@state.gov if they have questions about the status of their case.

Please continue to monitor http://adoption.state.gov for updated information as it becomes available.



Ethics, Transparency, Support~
What All Adoptions Deserve.
http://www.pear-now.org/