Parents for Ethical Adoption Reform (PEAR)

DOS Adoption Notice: Kazakhstan - New Family and Marriage Code Signed into Law

2012-01-13T11:17:00.002-05:00

Kazakhstan New Family and Marriage Code Signed into Law

U.S. Mission Kazakhstan has reported that President Nazarbayev signed into law the new Family and Marriage Code on December 26, 2011. The Ministry of Education now awaits government approval of its new policies to accredit agencies and process adoptions.

The Department will post information on the new accreditation process and the new adoption procedures on www.adoption.state.gov as soon as we receive it, and will confirm when the new Hague Convention adoption process is in place in Kazakhstan.

DOS web*: http://adoption.state.gov/country_information/country_specific_alerts_notices.php?alert_notice_type=notices&alert_notice_file=ukraine_11

*Please note that DOS unintentionally filed the adoption Notice under Ukraine. Should DOS correct this, the above link may not work.

DOS corrected link: http://adoption.state.gov/country_information/country_specific_alerts_notices.php?alert_notice_type=notices&alert_notice_file=kazakhstan_1

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

PEAR Website Announcement

2011-12-29T08:52:00.002-05:00

Our website will be down December 26 to January 6 for a redesign. Due to this, our web comments, membership forms and donate buttons will be inoperable.

Please direct your correspondence to the following board members:

Comments and requests for assistance:
Gina Pollock
Vice President Advocacy and NGO/Government Relations
rmprhp@yahoo.com

Membership Issues:
Shanna Wright
Secretary and Membership Chair
shanjwright@gmail.com

Donations and financial issues:
Margaret Weeks
Treasurer
meweek@aol.com

All other correspondence:
Kimberly Kennedy
President
kackennedy_2000@yahoo.com

Thank you for your continued patience and support!

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

Book Review: Finding Fernanda

2011-12-20T07:12:00.003-05:00

by David Kruchkow
Board Member of Parents for Ethical Adoption Reform

Where can I start a review of Erin Siegal’s Finding Fernanda? I know Erin Siegal as an online friend and someone who came to me for advice on this book. Why me? Perhaps it is because I made my story public more than a dozen years ago as one of 22 families victimized by an illegal Mexican adoption/baby smuggling ring. At that time, I called for the adoption industry to police itself and remove the cancerous, criminal, profiteering element that infected its underbelly. Back then, I underestimated how deep that infection was. It turns out that it is a systemic infection that pervades all international adoptions, even today and even with the regulations of The Hague Agreement that were intended to prevent abuses.

There are now hundreds of stories that involve most sending countries, like Betsy Emmanuel’s and mine. What Siegal has done with Finding Fernanda that makes her book a must-read is take a purely journalistic approach to the story she presents. She reports on what she learned without passing judgment. The reader can draw his own conclusions about motives, about who the good guys are and who the bad guys are, and the conclusions become devastatingly obvious.

Stories like this are by their nature very convoluted, and Siegal does an amazing job of making the twists and turns as easy to follow as possible. Her preamble includes a section on the cast of characters which can serve as a reference should the reader get confused. A photojournalist by trade, Siegal uses one photo per chapter and each one is carefully chosen to supplement the story appropriately while having the most impact.

What you’ll learn in the book is that international adoption involves a great imbalance of power. The wealth, privilege, and entitlement of prospective adoptive parents in developed Western receiving countries directly impacts the poverty and vulnerability of mothers in impoverished and underdeveloped sending countries, leading to a money-driven market that exploits women and children for the benefit of the middlemen who procure and place the children. This is made abundantly clear in Finding Fernanda. What Siegal has done that is unique is to include the story as experienced by an impoverished, exploited mother who was stripped of two of her children for the adoption trade without her informed consent. Women like Mildred Alvarado have always had no voice, but now, Siegal has given her a voice and presented her view. For that reason alone, every single person who has been touched by international adoption must read this book and go to www.findingfernanda.com. You will feel the anguish, pain, suffering and strength of Mildred Alvarado when you read her story. This book will make you angry and it will make you cry.

There is one other party that has never had a voice in international adoption, and that is the one that belongs to the exploited children. Readers need to pay careful attention to Siegal’s description of Ana Cristina, the child stolen from Mildred Alvarado’s womb and reunited with her years later. In that description is a harrowing picture of the kind of damage done to children by corrupt international adoptions.

Erin Siegal deserves a standing ovation, if not a journalistic award, for her thorough research, her writing skills, her hard work and her braving of a dangerous, criminal world in order to get this story told. Bravo Erin!

Additional information on Finding Fernanda is available at http://findingfernanda.com/

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

DOS Adoption Notice: Guatemala Processing Plan for CNA cases

2011-12-14T08:55:00.001-05:00

December 12, 2011

Notice: Processing Plan for CNA cases

This Adoption Notice is a follow up to the Notice of September 27, 2011.

The Government of Guatemala's Consejo Nacional de Adopciones (CNA) has agreed to a process for certain adoption applications pending under the CNA's processing authority. The U.S. Department of State and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will contact affected families to provide detailed information regarding the next steps. We anticipate that the CNA may identify additional cases for processing at a later time. The general outline of the planned process is as follows:

The CNA will initiate the process by providing the U.S. Embassy in Guatemala City with the names of children identified as ready to be finalized.
The U.S. Embassy in Guatemala City will then notify the USCIS Guatemala City field office. USCIS Guatemala City will contact U.S. prospective adoptive parents individually to provide detailed instructions regarding the CNA application requirements and final USCIS processing.

This process applies only to cases pending with the CNA's processing authority and not to cases pending with the Procuraduria General de la Nacion (PGN) as "notario" cases. We anticipate that the CNA will process cases on an ongoing basis. Families who have questions about the process may email the Department of State at AskCI@state.gov.

Processing questions related to a Guatemalan Form I-600 petition that qualifies as a grandfathered petition under U.S. law should be directed to USCIS at Guatemala.adoptions@dhs.gov.

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

USCIS will hold a follow up to their October 28 Teleconference on Ethiopian Adoption

2011-12-06T21:16:00.003-05:00

USCIS will hold a follow up to their October 28 Teleconference on Ethiopian Adoption. The invitation is open to all stakeholders.

Meeting Invitation

USCIS Stakeholder Meeting on Ethiopian Adoptions Friday, December 9, 2011 @ 10 am (EST)
As a follow up to the October 28, 2011, Ethiopian Stakeholder call, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and the U.S. Department of State would like to invite you to attend a stakeholder call to discuss USCIS’ November trip to the U.S. Embassy in Addis Ababa to adjudicate “not clearly approvable” adoption petitions.

After the U.S. Embassy in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, identified a number of adoption petitions (Form I-600, Petition to Classify Orphan as Immediate Relative) that it determined were not clearly approvable (NCA), and thus, must be referred to USCIS for adjudication, USCIS dispatched a team of officers to go Addis to adjudicate the petitions. USCIS and the Department of State would like to discuss the results of the NCA Team’s trip, lessons learned, and the way forward for Ethiopian adoptions.

To Participate in the Session

Any interested parties may participate in this event by telephone. All participants must respond to this invitation. Please contact the USCIS Office of Public Engagement at public.engagement@dhs.gov by Thursday, December 8, 2011 referencing “Ethiopian Adoptions” in the subject line of your email.

Please also include your full name and the organization you represent in the body of the email.

To Join the Call

On the day of the engagement please use the information below to join the session by phone. We recommend calling in 10 minutes prior to the start of the teleconference.
Call-in Number: 1-800-779-1424
Overseas Toll Number: 1-630-395-0144
Passcode: Adoption

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

USCIS Releases Executive Summary of October Teleconference on Ethiopian Adoption

2011-12-06T21:02:00.003-05:00

USCIS has published the following executive summary of the October 28, 2011 Teleconference on Ethiopian Adoption. USCIS will hold a follow up teleconference on December 9th at 10 am. Details will be published on our blog and are also available at the USCIS website

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
Office of Public Engagement Washington, DC 20529-2000
November 30, 2011

Executive Summary
Teleconference on Ethiopian Adoptions

Background
On October 28, 2011, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and the Department of State (DOS) hosted a stakeholder engagement to discuss the increased number of adoption petitions (Form I-600, Petition to Classify Orphan as Immediate Relative) that the U.S. Embassy in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, has found to be “not clearly approvable.” After these petitions are found “not clearly approvable” they are referred to USCIS for adjudication. During the session, USCIS and DOS representatives explained why there is an increase in “not clearly approvable” cases, defined what “not clearly approvable” means, and provided an explanation of how the processing of these cases will unfold once they are referred to USCIS. In addition, USCIS and DOS answered questions from stakeholders, most of whom were prospective adoptive parents, concerning next steps for cases that were found to be “not clearly approvable”. The session was not intended to obtain group or consensus advice.

Under U.S. law, USCIS has responsibility for the adjudication of Form I-600, Petition to Classify Orphan as an Immediate Relative. A family files this petition with USCIS to seek a determination that the adoptive child has a qualifying relationship with the petitioning parent. After a Form I-600 petition is approved, then the U.S. citizen parent(s) may apply for an immigrant visa for their adopted child through the U.S. Department of State. USCIS has delegated authority to the Department of State to adjudicate Form I-600 petitions on its behalf where there is no USCIS presence at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate, such as the U.S. Embassy in Ethiopia. The Department of State, however, only has the authority to approve Form I-600 petitions that are “clearly approvable.” If a Form I-600 petition is “not clearly approvable,” then the Department of State must refer the case to USCIS. USCIS then decides if the case is approvable, if more evidence is needed before a decision can be made, or in rare circumstances, if the case should be denied.

Due to the increase in the number of cases identified as “not clearly approvable” by the U.S. Embassy in Ethiopia, stakeholders have questioned if there has been a policy change at the Department of State. Department of State officials reported that there has been no policy change regarding Form I-600s, rather there has been a practical change at the U.S. Embassy in Ethiopia

Roles and Responsibilities
to ensure that its procedures are in compliance with Department of State procedures. Previously, the U.S. Embassy in Ethiopia sent multiple requests for additional information to the Adoption Service Providers (ASPs), giving them several chances to correct deficiencies in the file. The U.S. Embassy in Ethiopia is now in line with Department of State procedures worldwide so that if a case has material deficiencies it is being labeled as “not clearly approvable”, and is then transferred to USCIS. Once a case is transferred to USCIS as “not clearly approvable”, the Department of State no longer has the delegated authority over the case. Therefore, Department of State will not be able to accept further evidence or provide any further information on the status of the case. It is then USCIS’s responsibility to review the file and determine the appropriate next steps.

After a case has been identified as “not clearly approvable,” DOS will refer it to a USCIS officer for review with three possible outcomes. In most cases, the USCIS officer decides either that the case is immediately approvable or that the petitioner has not provided enough information, resulting in the issuance of a Request for Evidence (RFE). An RFE means that further dialogue is needed between USCIS and the petitioner. In rare instances, there is evidence in the file that clearly indicates the case is not approvable. For those cases, USCIS will issue a Notice of Intent to Deny (NOID).

It is very common practice for USCIS to issue RFEs in adoption cases. An RFE can notify the petitioner of missing information, request clarification, and/or give examples of what evidence is needed. Once an RFE is issued, the petitioner generally has 87 days to produce the requested information. Please note that USCIS makes each decision on a case-by-case basis according to its own individual merits. Petitioners should feel free to submit as much documentation or evidence as they have and a decision will be made based on the totality of the evidence.
When the Department of State refers a case to USCIS as “not clearly approvable” they do so because they have done everything to adjudicate the case within the scope of authority that has been delegated to them by USCIS. The Department of State does not have the authority to issue RFEs. “Not clearly approvable” does not necessarily mean that the case will be denied. If USCIS does ultimately approve the case, it should not be seen as an indication that the Department of State was wrong to refer the case to USCIS. The Department of State simply adjudicated the case to the fullest extent possible given the evidence submitted at that time under the scope of their delegated authority.

Previously, the U.S. Embassy Addis Ababa had only identified a small number of cases as “not clearly approvable.” Typically, these cases have been sent to the USCIS Nairobi Field Office at the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi, Kenya by diplomatic pouch which often took four to six weeks. When USCIS became aware that the US Embassy in Addis Ababa had identified a large number of Form I-600 petitions as “not clearly approvable,” we immediately began planning with the
Clarifying the Meaning of “Not Clearly Approvable”

Process after U.S. Embassy Addis Ababa Finds a Case Not Clearly Approvable
Department of State to send a team of USCIS officers to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to adjudicate the growing caseload, as a more efficient and timely way to address the situation. In addition, USCIS and the Department of State coordinated to ensure that no additional cases were sent through the diplomatic pouch to USCIS Nairobi prior to the USCIS team’s arrival in Ethiopia.
USCIS and DOS fully recognize that the transfer of these cases needs to happen quickly and smoothly to ensure timely processing of the cases. USCIS is considering a number of options in order to process the cases as quickly as possible, including electronic transmission and sending additional teams of USCIS officers to Ethiopia if necessary.

Form I-600 petitions that cannot be immediately approved by the USCIS team in Ethiopia will be completed by USCIS under normal procedures. If the case was not immediately approved, the petitioner will most likely receive a Request for Evidence (RFE) or in some circumstances a Notice of Intent to Deny (NOID). At this point, communication regarding the case should take place between USCIS and the petitioner.

Since the stakeholder call, USCIS has revised its communication approach, as follows:
For general questions about cases that have been approved or that have not yet received a decision from USCIS, please contact the USCIS office in Nairobi using the following address: NBO.adoptions@dhs.gov.

For cases that have been issued an RFE or NOID, please be sure to carefully read your notice, and if you choose to respond, send your hard copy response according to the instructions on your notice to the USCIS Rome District Office. For inquiries about a case that has been issued a RFE or NOID, please contact the USCIS Rome District Office at uscis.rome@dhs.gov. If, following the issuance of an RFE or NOID, the case is ultimately approved, USCIS will inform the U.S. Embassy in Ethiopia so that the Department of State’s immigrant visa process can begin. The Department of State will then take the necessary steps on deciding whether an immigrant visa should be issued. Please keep in mind that just because the Form I-600 petition is approved, this does not guarantee that State Department will approve the immigrant visa.
USCIS and the Department of State expect to hold a follow-up engagement around the beginning of December 2011. USCIS can then report on the patterns and trends in cases seen by our officers on their mission in Ethiopia. Hopefully, this will allow USCIS to give petitioners tips on how to make their case more robust and lessen the chance of future petitioners receiving a “Request for Evidence”. The State Department has also begun additional training for Adoption Service Providers (ASPs) on how to avoid deficiencies in case files.

Next Steps
Contact Information:
* For questions regarding cases which after they have been defined as “not clearly approvable,” please contact NBO.adoptions@dhs.gov or uscis.rome@dhs.gov as appropriate as explained above
* For complaints about treatment by a Consular Officer at a U.S. Embassy please contact usvisa@state.gov or attorneys may use legalnet@state.gov
* For general questions on the adoption process please contact askci@state.gov

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

Sri-Lanka: Media Updates and Information Concerning Orphanage Raid and Ban on Adoptions

2011-12-04T08:03:00.007-05:00

Various media outlets are reporting on the recent raid of an orphanage in Sri Lanka and the subsequent arrest of a nun on suspicion of her involvement in child-trafficking for adoption. The orphanage involved is ‘Prem Nivesa’ at Rawatawatte, Moratuwa. According to the media sources, the Sri Lankan authorities have placed a ban on adoption of children from this orphanage pending the outcome of the investigation. The nun is reportedly scheduled to appear in court on December 15.

At this time, we are unable to directly confirm the ban with the Sri Lankan authorities and the US Department of State. Office of Children's Issues has published nothing concerning the ban or any impact it may have on pending adoptions to US families.

It is our hope that the Sri Lankan authorities will swiftly and thoroughly investigate the issue and make any changes deemed necessary to their child welfare and adoption system that may be needed to protect the best interests of the children.

Media reports:

BBC: Adoption Ban on Prem Nivasa Nov. 30, 2011 http://www.bbc.co.uk/sinhala/news/story/2011/11/111130_ban.shtml

The Sunday Times: Vital to focus on the child, Prem Nivesa and the NCPA raid Dec. 04, 2011 http://www.sundaytimes.lk/111204/Plus/plus_05.html

The Sunday Leader: Missionaries of Mary do not deal with money...for God Provides Dec. 04, 2011 http://www.thesundayleader.lk/2011/12/04/%E2%80%9Cmissionaries-of-charity-do-not-deal-with-money%E2%80%A6-for-god-provides%E2%80%9D/

The Sunday Leader: A Baby Shop in Rawatawatte Nov 25, 2011 http://www.thesundayleader.lk/2011/11/27/a-baby-shop-in-rawatawatte/

Sri Lankan Guardian: Rev Sr Eliza Released on Bail, Dec 02, 2011 http://www.srilankaguardian.org/2011/12/revsr-eliza-released-on-bail.html

US Agencies and other Foreign Bodies with Adoption Programs from Sri Lanka:

US: New Horizons http://www.nhadoptionagency.org/sri-lanka/ Hague Accredited through COA

Canada: Cornerstone Adoptions in Ontario see: http://www.children.gov.on.ca/htdocs/English/topics/adoption/internationaladoption.aspx

Australia: Australian Central Authority- http://www.ag.gov.au/www/agd/agd.nsf/Page/IntercountryAdoption_Currentintercountryadoptionprograms

Miscellaneous Information:

US Central Authority Information on Adoption from Sri Lanka:
http://adoption.state.gov/country_information/country_specific_info.php?country-select=sri_lanka

Sri Lankan Central Authority: http://www.probation.gov.lk/web/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=56&Itemid=50&lang=en

We will update as information becomes available.

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

GAO Report on Adoption Tax Credit Audits and Delays

2011-11-23T12:59:00.001-05:00

Excerpt: As of August 2011, 68 percent of the nearly 100,000 returns on which taxpayers claimed the adoption credit were sent to correspondence audit. However, of the approximately 35,000 returns on which audits have been completed as of August, IRS only assessed additional tax about 17 percent of the time. The equivalent rate for all correspondence audits in 2010 was 86 percent. The time it has taken IRS to audit these predominantly legitimate adoption credit claims has resulted in considerable delays in the payment of the related refunds. For the 2012 filing season, IRS has options that might allow it to reduce the number of costly audits and issue refunds faster while still maintaining a robust enforcement strategy. One option is for IRS to immediately send a letter to taxpayers who submit returns without any documentation requesting it before initiating an audit.

GAO report is available now: http://gao.gov/products/GAO-12-98

Accounting Today Article, IRS Faulted for Adoption Tax Credit Refund Delays :
http://www.accountingtoday.com/news/IRS-Faulted-Adoption-Tax-Credit-Refund-Delay\
s-60845-1.html

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

Ethiopia Update Issued by USCIS Office of Public Engagement

2011-11-21T13:39:00.002-05:00

The following letter to Stakeholders was issued by the USCIS Office of Public Engament on November 21, 2011:

Dear Stakeholder:

The USCIS team in Addis Ababa completed its site visit. We are pleased to report that the team was able to complete its review of all of the “not clearly approvable” cases that were awaiting their review. The following provides an overview of the results of their work. It is important to note that approximately 50 percent of the cases approved received additional evidence between the time Department of State referred the case to USCIS and the team’s review, which addressed concerns raised by the Department of State in their referral of the case.

Total # of Cases Referred to USCIS as NCA: 65 (one case that was on the list to be referred was subsequently approved by Embassy Addis Ababa upon completion of the field investigation.)

Approvals Issued: 49

Requests for Evidence Issued: 15

Notices of Intent to Deny Issued: 1

We are aware that a number of families have expressed concern or inquired as to why cases with RFEs or NOIDs will be processed further from USCIS District Office Rome. The USCIS team determined that the District Office in Rome would be a better central location for the ongoing USCIS processing of the cases because that office has more staffing and equipment and better communications connectivity than does USCIS Field Office Nairobi. In an effort to ensure the timeliest processing of all of the outstanding cases, Rome will handle the RFE/NOID responses and share them with the team members so that the cases can be completed. Going forward, as Embassy Addis Ababa identifies new cases that are “not clearly approvable,” those cases will be transferred to Field Office Nairobi unless/until resource constraints again arise such that we determine that we can provide more timely responses by transferring the cases to another location.

Kind Regards,

Office of Public Engagement

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services

www.uscis.gov

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

Nepal & India -- Dal Bahadur Phadera & the suppressed UNICEF report

2011-11-18T12:11:00.010-05:00

Dal Bahadur Phadera & the
suppressed UNICEF report

UNICEF Nepal's suppressed Humla report is now available on the web.

The reason UNICEF Nepal suppressed (i.e., never published) their 2005 report is unclear.

Nor is it clear why trafficked Nepali children were left at the Michael Job Centre,

Tamil Nadu,

for over six years.

UNICEF FWLD Displacement of Children From Humla 2005:

http://www.scribd.com/doc/66594955/UNICEF-FWLD-Displacement-of-Children-From-Humla-2005

Also available at Pound Pup Legacy:

http://poundpuplegacy.org/node/48632

And posted by one of the European anti-trafficking INGOs:

http://www.scribd.com/doc/72805496/UNICEF-FWLD-Displacement-of-Children-From-Humla-2005

Here is an extract (one case from the report):

Bikram Bhandari, Thehe VDC

"Bikram Bhandari informed the team that his son (Machche Bhandari now changed to Manish) was sent 6 years ago (Date: 1998) with Kali Bahadur Bhandari from Humla to Katmandu. Ram Bahadur and Gam Singh where 2 other children also sent with Machche Bandari -- they are also now missing however the team did not meet with their parents. Once in Katmandu. Chakra Bahadur Shahi (ex-parliamentarian member) arranged addmition of the children to Bal Mandir (a government organization)

From Katmandu, Machche was sent to a foreign country though Bal Mandir. This information was relayed to Bikram, 3 years ago (Date: 2001) by a member of Bal Mandir when Bikram came to Kathmandu looking for his son.

When Bikram came to know that his child was sent to another country he reqested to meet with his son but the staff of Bal Mandir said that Bikram had to pay 2 lack rupies [lakh rupees]

for this to be arranged.

Bikram explained to the team that the CDO and VDC had prepaired a recommendation letter stating that Machche Bhandari's (Bikrams son) parents where Dead. This was false information.

Bikram would like to meet with his son but is unable to -- he expressed anger about this situation.

Only Kali Bahadur had the information on Bikrams son, however Kali is now dead and Chakra dose not know the information so there is no way of finding out about the child."

For background, see:

On Children's Homes -- Lonely Planet:

http://www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree/thread.jspa?threadID=2032255&start=0&limit=1000

Read the full thread -- a horrific, first-hand account of D.B. Phadera.

Here are two extracts (from a Western volunteer):

"The orphanage I Managed was registered, but not once did I ever see anyone check up on it. My orphanage being registered also did not make it a good place. My job was to run the home and do everything I could to protect the children from the owner and his goons. The owner was a known childtrafficker who was above the law. The NGO ISIS had conducted and investigation that traced over 530 girls that he had sold to brothels in India. They turned the investigation over to UNICEF who promptly leaked it giving him time to pay off the right people. He spent all of 2 nights in jail. I really prefer not to get into how horrible this man is to children, but he is just one of many respectable businessmen who have registered orphanages that are just ways for him to earn money through exploiting children. Like at many homes, the term "owner" only means that he had custody over the children, not that he paid for anything or did anything to care for the children. I actually had to stop a group of swiss tourists from handing over 2000 USD directly to one of his goons (who was himself a pedophile)."

and:

"DB Phadera...was the owner of my orphanage. He lived just across the path from me. Words cannot fully describe how horrible this man is. My job involved documenting the hell out of each of the kids in order to try to keep them safe from him- and it wasn't always enough. He is truly the most despicable person i have ever met. When an 8 year old girl disappeared from the home, he smiled at me as he told me she was only there on vacation. When he had disputes with the organizations that funded the home, he would cut off their ability to bring the children food. He literally would starve the children as a bargaining tool. When I first arrived at the home, he was allowing his goons free reign and many would come and demand to sleep in the beds with the kids at night. It took everything I had to put a stop to that practice. He forces children to beg, sells them into servitude, or worse, into brothels. For him it's all an equation of how he can make the most money. The lucky children are the ones he just abandons. Many good organizations in the valley have rescued kids from DB. All of the ones I listed in my previous post are among them. their efforts are noble and deserve support. But DB is a politically powerful man. As long as he remains free, he will continue to bring in more Humli children and subject them to cruelty, abuse, and in the best case scenario simple neglect.

Having to deal with him on a daily basis was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do. My kids needed me there as my foreignness did give them some level of protection and the alternative would have been a manager of his choice, but I couldn't rock the boat too much- he had threatened to kill a previous volunteer and she had to leave the country.

Corruption in Nepal creates this culture of impunity which allows traffickers to operate."

See also:

Lt. Col. Philip Holmes explains why his charity rescued Nepali girls from the Michael Job Centre (video) -- PEAR Nepal:

http://pearadoptinfo-nepal.blogspot.com/2011/11/lt-col-philip-holmes-explains-why-his.html

"After the girls' return to Nepal the trafficker who had been involved, DB Phadera, orchestrated a vicious media campaign against the charity."

The Indian preacher and the fake orphan scandal -- Daily Telegraph:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/india/8856050/The-Indian-preacher-and-the-fake-orphan-scandal.html

On the Western supporters of the Michael Job Centre (Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India).

Long journey home -- The Nepali Times:

http://www.nepalitimes.com.np/issue/2011/09/30/ThisIsIt/18594

On The Esther Benjamins Trust's rescue of 23 Nepali girls (Tamil Nadu -- September 2011).

A trafficker remains scot-free -- The Kathmandu Post:

http://pearadoptinfo-nepal.blogspot.com/2011/07/trafficker-remains-scot-free-kathmandu.html

On trafficker D.B. Phadera & the Michael Job Centre.

Paper Orphans documentary posted on the web -- PEAR Nepal:

http://pearadoptinfo-nepal.blogspot.com/2011/10/paper-orphans-documentary-posted-on-web.html

The Terre des Hommes/Image Ark documentary on adoption trafficking in Humla (the NCO/Bal Mandir kidnappings). Some Humli children ended up in India -- others in the inter-country adoption trade.

How our media helps sell children (by asking the wrong questions) -- Ushaft's Blog:

http://ushaft.wordpress.com/2011/10/12/how-nepali-media-helps-sell-children/

Andrew Undershaft on the media allies of trafficker Dal Bahadur Phadera.

Adhocism and the culture of press-release journalism (part one) -- Ushaft's Blog:

http://ushaft.wordpress.com/2011/11/08/adhocism-and-the-culture-of-press-release-journalism-part-1/

Andrew Undershaft on Anuradha Koirala's curious support of the traffickers.

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

DOS Adoption Notice: Ethiopia Procedure for Processing Adoption Cases

2011-11-17T08:31:00.001-05:00

November 16, 2011
Notice: Procedure for Processing Adoption Cases

This notice provides supplemental information to the adoption notice of October 7, 2011, adding additional details on the process applicable to orphan petitions filed with a U.S. Embassy Consular Section overseas. While the description has been tailored to answer inquiries specific to Ethiopia, the steps described in this explanation apply to all non-Hague countries. This notice only describes the process for Forms I-600 filed with U.S. Embassy Addis Ababa. For processing information on cases filed domestically with USCIS through the National Benefits Center (NBC), please refer to the USCIS website at www.uscis.gov.

Once adoptive parents are in possession of the final adoption decree from the Federal First Instance Court, approval letters from the Ministry of Women, Children and Youth Affairs, the child’s birth certificate and Ethiopian passport, and all other required Form I-600 supporting documentation, they (or their authorized agent) may file Form I-600, Petition to Classify Orphan as an Immediate Relative, with the U.S. Embassy in Addis Ababa if they have met the physical presence requirements for filing a Form I-600 petition overseas.

Upon receipt of the Form I-600 and accompanying documentation, the U.S. Embassy begins the Form I-604, Determination on Child for Adoption, orphan status investigation – the process to determine if the child meets the definition of an orphan under U.S. immigration law. The time frame for completion of the Form I-604 determination depends on the circumstances of each case, but can take up to several weeks or months. During this time, additional information or documentation may be requested by the U.S. Embassy for cases with insufficient or deficient supporting evidence to determine orphan status.

In certain cases it may be necessary to interview the child’s Ethiopian birth parent(s) or guardian, or the individual who found an abandoned child, to resolve errors or discrepancies discovered in the case file. The U.S. Embassy conducts such interviews for cases in which the consular officer deems interview(s) necessary to make a determination on the child’s orphan status. Birth relative and other interviews are often an integral part of the Form I-604 determination.

The U.S. Embassy must then determine whether the case is clearly approvable. If a case is clearly approvable, the U.S. Embassy approves the Form I-600 petition and issues an immigrant visa. If there are questions regarding the child’s orphan status or the information is insufficient to make a determination, federal regulation requires that the U.S. Embassy forwards the case as “not clearly approvable” to the USCIS Field Office in Nairobi, Kenya, for further processing. When this occurs, the U.S. Embassy sends out a transfer notice to the petitioners when the case is physically forwarded to USCIS Nairobi, and provides contact information for further questions.

Upon receipt of a petition identified as “not clearly approvable,” the USCIS Nairobi Field Office notifies the parent(s) that the case has been received and issues requests for additional evidence and other notices, if necessary. Upon review of all available evidence including any response to a Request for Evidence or Notice of Intent to Deny, USCIS issues a decision and notify the petitioners. For details of the USCIS process, please visit USCIS’ Ethiopia Q&A page. If the case is approved, USCIS Nairobi returns the case to the U.S. Embassy for visa processing.

http://adoption.state.gov/country_information/country_specific_alerts_notices.php?alert_notice_type=notices&alert_notice_file=ethiopia_13

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

DOS Office of Children's Releases FY 2011 Annual Report on Intercountry Adoption Statistics

2011-11-17T06:33:00.002-05:00

The DOS has published it Fiscal Year 2011 Annual Report on Intercountry Adoption. A copy of the report can be downloaded on the DOS Adoption website: http://adoption.state.gov/ by clicking the link under "Latest News" on the left hand side of the screen.

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

UPDATE on USCIS and DOS Updates on Ethiopia Processing

2011-11-16T17:53:00.001-05:00

The following letter was received today at PEAR today addressed to all Stakeholders on Ethiopia Adoptions:

Dear Stakeholder-

A USCIS team of four officers arrived in Ethiopia and began working at Embassy Addis Ababa on November 7, 2011. As of the date of this notice, the team has received 63 “not clearly approvable” cases from Embassy Addis, and expects to receive at least 1 more case before they depart on Friday, November 18, 2011. The following provides a summary of the results of the team’s review of the cases as of November 15, 2011:

Approvals Issued: 36

Requests for Evidence Issued: 9

Notices of Intent to Deny Issued: 1

Under USCIS Team Review 9

Pending Birth Relative Interview 8

Pending Physical Transfer 1

During the team’s first days in Addis, they began reviewing the cases, and established procedures necessary for completing adjudication and issuing notices. Embassy Addis is providing the resources necessary for USCIS to be able to adjudicate the not clearly approvable cases. Although the team has encountered some technological challenges, the team has been issuing decisions and notices as soon as they are able.

All cases that the team is able to approve before they depart from Addis Ababa will stay with the Consular Section in Embassy Addis Ababa, for immediate scheduling of immigrant visa processing. Families that receive an approval notice will be contacted directly by the U.S. Embassy within three business days. We strongly recommend that families wait to be contacted regarding an immigrant visa interview before making travel arrangements. Cases that require a Request for Evidence or a Notice of Intent to Deny will be sent to the USCIS Rome District Office for further processing.

Each family that received a Request for Evidence or a Notice of Intent to Deny should carefully read the instructions regarding where to send additional evidence to avoid delays in processing that could be caused by sending the evidence to the incorrect USCIS Office. USCIS has decided to utilize additional resources at the Rome District Office in the ongoing processing of some of the affected cases in an effort to ensure that they are processed to completion as quickly as possible.

In the coming weeks, USCIS and DOS will schedule another stakeholder call to provide a briefing on the team’s work in Addis Ababa, and an update on how processing will proceed going forward for any new cases identified by Embassy Addis Ababa as not clearly approvable.

Kind Regards,

Office of Public Engagement

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services

www.uscis.gov

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

USCIS and DOS Updates on Ethiopia Processing

2011-11-16T14:42:00.003-05:00

At it's Ocotber 28 Statkeholder Meeting on Ethiopia, USCIS promised to post Notes form the meeting to its website for parents unable to attend the teleconference. The notes were published this week, but leave a lot of room for improvement:

"U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) invited stakeholders to call and discuss USCIS processing of Ethiopian adoption cases which the U.S. Embassy in Addis Ababa is referring to USCIS as "not clearly approvable". Recently, the U.S. Embassy in Addis Abbaba, Ethiopia, has identified a number of adoption petitions (Form I-600, Petition to Classify Orphan as Immediate Relative) that it has determined are not clearly approvable (NCA), and thus, must be referred to USCIS for adjudication.

USCIS explained what “not clearly approvable” means and how the processing of such cases will unfold once the cases are referred to USCIS."

http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/menuitem.5af9bb95919f35e66f614176543f6d1a/?vgnextoid=9c8fabbffc043310VgnVCM100000082ca60aRCRD&vgnextchannel=e0b081c52aa38210VgnVCM100000082ca60aRCRD

Today, DOS, Office of Children's Issues released a definition of "Not Clearly Approvable"

"Consular officers at U.S. Embassies and Consulates have limited, delegated authority from the United States Citizen and Immigration Service to approve Form I-600 petitions that are found to be clearly approvable. Clearly approvable means that the petition and supporting documentation clearly establish that the child is an orphan as defined by U.S. immigration law; all criteria identified on the Form I-600A approval regarding the child and any state pre-adoption requirements are met; and there are no concerns of fraud, child buying or other inappropriate practices in the adoption process.

In cases where the evidence is insufficient to establish that the child is an orphan or that the I-600A criteria have been met, the consular officer will allow the petitioner to respond to issues and questions that can be quickly and easily resolved. If issues and questions can be quickly and easily resolved and the case is clearly approvable the consular officer will approve the petition.

All non-Hague cases require an I-604 investigation to determine orphan status. In many instances this is a simple review of the documents and facts in the case. However, in some cases, an investigation by consular staff may be necessary to clarify doubts related to documentation presented or concerns of inappropriate practices. Investigations may include, but are not limited to, visits to the child's town of origin; interviews with birth relatives, orphanage staff, or social workers; DNA testing; and/or a field investigation.

If additional clarification and evidence does not fully resolve the issue quickly, the consular officer must send the petition to USCIS for review and adjudication. USCIS is the only agency with the authority to adjudicate NCA cases. If a case is identified as "Not Clearly Approvable", the consular officer sends the petitioner notification of the transfer to USCIS and provides contact information so that further inquiries may be directed to USCIS."

http://adoption.state.gov/about_us/not_clearly_approvable.php

PEAR would like to suggest that USCIS and DOS publish a statement on how cases will unfold and what adoptive parents can expect if cases are referred to USCIS.

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

Special Advisor for International Children's Issues Ambassador Susan Jacobs to Travel to The Hague

2011-11-15T16:27:00.000-05:00

Office of the Spokesperson

Washington, DC

November 15, 2011

Special Advisor for International Children’s Issues Ambassador Susan Jacobs will travel to The Hague November 17 – 18 for meetings on intercountry adoption and international parental child abduction.

While in The Hague, Ambassador Jacobs will lead meetings with foreign representatives from Argentina, Australia, Canada, China, the European Union, Germany, the Netherlands, South Africa, and Switzerland to discuss ways to further promote The Hague Adoption and Abduction Conventions and assist signatory countries to meet their responsibilities under the conventions.

For press inquiries please contact CAPRESSREQUESTS@state.gov or (202) 647-1488.

For updates from Ambassador Susan Jacobs, follow her on twitter: @ChildrensIssues.

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

Call to Action: Citizenship for all persons adopted abroad

2011-11-13T14:24:00.000-05:00

One of the requirements of the Child Citizenship Act of 2000 (CCA 2000) was that the adoptee be under the age of 18 its effective date, February 27, 2001. Transnational adoptees 18 and older were not granted citizenship under its provisions.

Korean Focus has created a petition to Congress to amend the Child Citizenship Act of 2000 to include all persons adopted prior to 2001. Please consider reading the petition and if you wish to help intercountry adoptees obtain automatic citizenship, consider signing it. This would have a profound effect on thousands of children and adults adopted abroad prior to 2001.

http://www.change.org/petitions/citizenship-for-all-us-intercountry-adoptees

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

DOS Adoption Notice: Vietnam Ratifies Hague

2011-11-11T11:48:00.000-05:00

Vietnam

November 2011

Notice: Vietnam ratifies the Hague Adoption Convention

The Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption will enter into force in Vietnam on February 1, 2012, following Vietnam's ratification on November 1, 2011.

The United States recognizes Vietnam's initiatives leading to this significant development and applauds the Government of Vietnam's renewed commitment to strengthen its child welfare system and the integrity of its domestic and international adoption process. We continue to caution adoption service providers and prospective adoptive parents that, to ensure that adoptions from Vietnam can be compliant with the Convention, important steps must still take place before intercountry adoptions between the United States and Vietnam resume. We further caution adoption service providers against initiating, or claiming to initiate, adoption programs in Vietnam until they receive authorization from the Government of Vietnam.

The Department of State will provide updated information on www.adoption.state.gov as it becomes available. If you have any further questions about this notice, please contact the Office of Children's Issues at 1-888-407-4747 within the United States or 202-501-4444 from outside the United States.

http://adoption.state.gov/country_information/country_specific_alerts_notices.php?alert_notice_type=notices&alert_notice_file=vietnam_3

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

National Adoption Month: Raising Awareness & Rights

2011-11-02T14:38:00.002-04:00

Today is the 1st of November, the first day of National Adoption Month, an event centered around raising awareness about adoption. When adoptive families, and legislators, and social workers, and agencies talk of adoption they talk of putting the child's best interests first, of adoption being centered around the rights and needs of children.

If we truly believe this, then we, as adoptive parents, need to put our child's rights first. Are we aware that in 44 US States, people who were adopted have no right to their original birth certificates? No right to their personal history? Are we doing anything about this injustice? Stand up for your children. Take a few minutes to visit the Adoptee Rights Coalition , write a letter to your state legislators, donate a few bucks to the cause. Put the best interests of the adoptee first.

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

USCIS Stakeholder Meeting on Ethiopian Adoptions

2011-10-26T20:06:00.001-04:00

USCIS Stakeholder Meeting on Ethiopian Adoptions

Friday, October 28, 2011 @ 10:30 am (EDT)

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) would like to invite you to attend a stakeholder call to discuss USCIS processing of Ethiopian adoption cases which the U.S. Embassy in Addis Ababa is referring to USCIS as "not clearly approvable". Recently, the U.S. Embassy in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, has identified a number of adoption petitions (Form I-600, Petition to Classify Orphan as Immediate Relative) that it has determined are not clearly approvable (NCA), and thus, must be referred to USCIS for adjudication. USCIS would like to explain what “not clearly approvable” means and how the processing of such cases will unfold once the cases are referred to USCIS.

To Participate in the Session

Any interested parties may participate in this event by telephone. All participants must respond to this invitation. Please contact the USCIS Office of Public Engagement at public.engagement@dhs.gov by Thursday, October 27, 2011 referencing “Ethiopian Adoptions” in the subject line of your email.

Please also include your full name and the organization you represent in the body of the email.

Once an RSVP email has been received, USCIS will provide you call-in details.

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

USCIS Presentation onTeleconference on Bringing Home Adopted Children

2011-10-18T19:24:00.003-04:00

On September 21, USCIS National Benefits Center (NBC) invited interested parties to participate in a national stakeholder meeting to discuss steps that should occur with USCIS after a family returns home to the United States with their adopted child. USCIS has published a power point of the issues covered. The information may be helpful to prospective adoptive parents in preparing for adoption.

http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/menuitem.5af9bb95919f35e66f614176543f6d1a/?vgnextoid=e5b419ed2f091310VgnVCM100000082ca60aRCRD&vgnextchannel=e0b081c52aa38210VgnVCM100000082ca60aRCRD

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

DOS Adoption Notice: Ethiopia - More Orphanage Closures Announced

2011-10-17T17:29:00.000-04:00

Ethiopia

October 17, 2011

Notice: Confirmation of Orphanage Closures in Ethiopia

Ethiopian government officials confirmed the closure of several orphanages in the Southern Nations state due to revocation of the orphanages' operational licenses. Each orphanage in Ethiopia receives an operational license that the Charities and Societies Administration administers and monitors to ensure compliance with Ethiopian regulations. This is an update to the previous Adoption Notice posted on August 3, 2011.

These orphanages are:

SOS Infants Ethiopia (Arbaminch, Dila and Awassa branches)
Gelgella Integrated Orphans (Tercha and Durame branches)
Bethzatha Children's Home Association (Sodo, Hosaena, Dila, Haidya, Durame, and Hawassa branches)
Ethio Vision Development and Charities (Dila and Hawassa branches)
Special Mission for Community Based Development (Hosaina branch)
Enat Alem Orphanage (Awassa branch)
Initiative Ethiopia Child and Family Support (Hawassa branch)
Resurrection Orphanage (Hosaina branch)
Musie Children's Home Association (Hadiya, Hosaina, Dila, and Kenbata branches)
Organization for Gold Age (Kucha, Dila, Hawassa branches)
Hidota Children's Home Association (Soto branch)
Biruh Alem Lehisanat, Lenatochina Aregawiyan (Hosaina branch)

According to officials in the Charities and Societies Agency office, which oversees the licensing and regulation of orphanages in Ethiopia, the children in the care of those facilities have already been transferred to other orphanages.

Ethiopian officials indicate that cases involving orphaned children from these facilities which are already pending with the Federal First Instance court will continue to move forward. The Embassy in Addis Ababa is working closely with Ethiopian officials to determine if children from these facilities who had been previously referred for matches will be allowed to continue in the adoption process. Regional officials have confirmed that the affected children's case files are currently being reviewed on a case by case basis by regional Ministry of Women's Affairs offices.

We continue to ask prospective adoptive parents and agencies that are hearing news of specific closures to inform the Department. Please send any specific information regarding orphanage closures to AskCI@state.gov with the subject line "Ethiopia Orphanage Closures."

Prospective and adoptive parents are encouraged to remain in contact with their adoption service provider to stay up-to-date on any information pertinent to their individual case. The Department will post any confirmation on www.adoption.state.gov as we receive it.

http://adoption.state.gov/country_information/country_specific_alerts_notices.php?alert_notice_type=notices&alert_notice_file=ethiopia_12

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

Adoption Service Providers Seeking Hague Accreditation, Hague Approval or Renewal of Hague Accreditation or Approval as of 10/1/2011

2011-10-17T11:49:00.003-04:00

The Council on Accreditation, one of two agencies appointed by the US DOS to accredit adoption service providers (ASPs) under the Hague, has published it's latest list of ASPs under consideration for Hague Accreditation, Approval or Renewal of Accreditation or Approval. If you have a comment concerning any ASP under consideration, please submit it to the COA by visiting their website: http://www.coanet.org/front3/page.cfm?sect=54&cont=4251 click on "click here" for a list of agencies, then click on the agency name to submit a comment. Or, you may mail or call in your comment to COA:

Jayne Schmidt, Hague Accreditation Project Manager
COA
45 Broadway, 29th Floor
New York, NY 10006
FAX: (212) 797-1428
Phone: 866-262-8088 ext. 203

Information is presented in this order:

Applicant Name
Mailing Address
Under Active Consideration Since

**PEAR has added information on whether each organization is a new applicant, is seeking renewal, or has been previously denied accreditation.

Adoption Service Providers Seeking Hague Accreditation, Hague Approval or Renewal of Hague Accreditation or Approval as of 10/1/2011

ABC Adoption Services, Inc. (reaccreditation)
c/o Carolina Adoption Services, Inc.
301 N. Elm Street, Suite 500
Greensboro NC 27401
6/17/2011

Adopt-A-Child, Inc. (reaccreditation)
6315 Forbes Avenue, Suite L-120
Pittsburgh PA 15217
7/12/2011

Adoption & Beyond, Inc. (new applicant)
16236 Metcalf Avenue
Overland Park KS 66085
5/6/2011

Adoption Advocates International (reaccreditation)
709 South Peabody
Port Angeles WA 98362
6/3/2011

Adoption Assistance, Inc. (new applicant)
306 East Lexington Avenue, #3
Danville KY 40422
5/3/2011

Adoption Resource Center, dba Adoption ARC (reaccreditation)
4701 Pine Street J-7
Philadelphia PA 19143
6/28/2011

All God's Children International
(AGCI), dba Families are Forever International (reaccreditation)
3308 NE Peerless Place
Portland OR 97232
8/9/2011

American Adoptions (reaccreditation)
9101 West 110th Street, Suite 200
Overland Park KS 66210
9/27/2011

Baker Hall dba Baker Victory Services (reaccreditation)
780 Ridge Road
Lackawanna NY 14218
8/10/2011

Bal Jagat - Children's World, Inc. (reaccreditation)
5199 East Pacific Coast Hwy, Suite 204
Long Beach CA 90804
7/8/2011

Carolina Adoption Services, Inc. (reaccreditation)
301 N. Elm Street, Suite 500
Greensboro NC 27401
6/28/2011

Catholic Charities of Tennessee (new applicant)
30 White Bridge Road
Nashville TN 37205
5/18/2011

Catholic Social Services of Southern Illinois (new applicant)
8601 W. Main Street, Suite 201
Belleville IL 62223
5/18/2011

Celebrate Children International (previously denied accreditation)
1757 W. Broadway, Suite 5
Oviedo FL 32765
3/15/2011

Children's Aid Society in Clearfield County (new applicant)
1008 South 2nd Street
Clearfield PA 16830
5/20/2011

Children's Home Society of West Virginia (reaccreditation)
P.O. Box 2942
Charleston WV 25330
5/27/2011

Children & Families of Iowa (new applicant)
1111 University Avenue
Des Moines IA 50314
8/9/2011

Christian Family Services of the Midwest, Inc. (new applicant)
10500 Barkley, Suite 216
Overland Park KS 66212
7/8/2011

Community Residences, Inc. (new applicant)
732 West Street
Southington CT
5/20/2011

Dove Adoptions International (reaccreditation)
180 North Maine Street, Suite A
Banks OR 97106
7/8/2011

European Adoption Consultants, Inc. (reaccreditation)
12608 Alameda Drive
Strongsville OH 44149
5/20/2011

Families United Network, Inc. (reaccreditation)
P.O. Box 264
Muncy PA 17756
12/30/2010

Family Resource Center (reaccreditation)
5828 N. Clark Street
Chicago IL 60660
4/5/2011

Hillcrest Family Services (new applicant)
2005 Asbury Road
Dubuque IA 52001
8/23/2011

Hillside Family of Agencies (reaccreditation)
1180 Monroe Avenue
Rochester NY 14620
9/15/2011

Holston United Methodist Home for Children, Inc. (reaccreditation)
P.O. Box 188
Greeneville TN 37744- 9982
7/19/2011

Home at Last Adoption Agency, Inc. (new applicant)
1727 N. Atlantic Avenue
Cocoa Beach FL 32931
7/12/2011

International Adoption Services, Inc. (reaccreditation)
4940 Viking Drive, Suite 7B
Minneapolis MN 55435
5/27/2011

International Family Services, Inc. (reaccreditation)
700 South Friendswood Drive, Suite F
Friendswood TX 77546
7/6/2011

Jewish Family & Career Services of Louisville (new applicant)
2821 Klempner Way
Louisville KY 40205
5/10/2011

Jewish Family Service of Rochester (reaccreditation)
441 East Avenue
Rochester NY 14607
6/17/2011

Miriam's Promise (new applicant)
522 Russell Street
Nashville TN 37206
7/12/2011

Saint Mary International Adoption (reaccreditation)
1515 Mockingbird Lane, Suite 204
Charlotte NC 28209
5/24/2011

Shepherd Care Ministries, dba Adoption by Shepherd Care (reaccreditation)
5935 Taft Street
Hollywood FL 33021
8/30/2011

The Datz Foundation (reaccreditation)
311 Maple Avenue W, Suite E.
Vienna VA 22180
12/29/2010

The Sacred Portion Children's Outreach (new applicant)
7104 Bristol Lane
Bozeman MT 59715
2/23/2011

Vista Del Mar Child and Family Services (reaccreditation)
3200 Motor Avenue
Los Angeles CA 90034
9/9/2011

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

Nepal -- Paper Orphans documentary posted on the web

2011-10-14T15:01:00.004-04:00

Nepal -- Paper Orphans documentary posted on the web:

Part 1:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1B5QiFFxAu4

Part 2:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0adJdVBPvto

Part 3:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nsUWaToRWuQ

Part 4:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95Fyy3UY_U0

It would be useful if the FBI and Interpol took a good look at the Western organizations that worked with these homes.

Some background to the TDH/Image Ark documentary Paper Orphans.

The Terre des hommes/Image Ark documentary Paper Orphans was a major reason so many receiving countries suspended adoptions from Nepal.

Paper Orphans focuses on three NGOs -- Nepal Children's Organization (NCO/Bal Mandir), the Helpless Children Protection Home (HCPH), and the Education Centre for Helpless Children (ECHC).

For background to the documentary, see the following links.

The Nepal premier at Patan Museum (March 2010):

Paper Orphan\Kishan Sharki (Kantipur Daily):

http://pearadoptinfo-nepal. blogspot.com/2010/03/paper- orphankishan-sharki-kantipur. html

and

Paper Orphans on the Screen (Voice of Children):

http://pearadoptinfo-nepal. blogspot.com/2010/05/draft- agenda-for-special-commission- on.html

The Hague screening (June 2010):

2010 Special Commission of the Hague Releases its Conclusions and Recommendations:

http://pearadoptinfo-nepal. blogspot.com/2010/07/2010- special-commission-of-hague. html

and

Nepal skips the Hague meet on adoption (Republica):

http://pearadoptinfo-nepal. blogspot.com/2010/06/nepal- skips-hague-meet-on-adoption. html

Nepal Children's Organization (NCO/Bal Mandir):

Victims of Balmandir:

http://poundpuplegacy.org/ node/43654

and

Corruption at Nepal Children's Organization (NCO/Bal Mandir):

http://poundpuplegacy.org/node/48144

(Also discusses NCO/Bal Mandir's new alliance with the Mitrataa Foundation.)

and

Prachanda Raj Pradhan -- head of the Child NGO Federation Nepal (CNFN):

http://pearadoptinfo-nepal. blogspot.com/2010/03/ prachanda-raj-pradhan-head-of- child-ngo.html

The Helpless Children Protection Home (HCPH):

Paper Orphans & The Helpless Children Protection Home:

http://poundpuplegacy.org/ node/43603

and

Dalit Couple Foils Adoption Of Offspring (Republica):

http://pearadoptinfo-nepal. blogspot.com/2010/02/dalit- couple-foils-adoption-of.html

and

Adopted Children always in disputes! (Voice of Children):

http://pearadoptinfo-nepal. blogspot.com/2010/04/adopted- children-always-in-disputes.

Uttar Tamata (interviewed in Paper Orphans) owns the Children's Home (Bal Griha) -- a home at the center of Al Jazeera's recent adoption documentary:

Nepal: Children for sale (Al Jazeera):

http://english.aljazeera.net/programmes/101east/2011/09/2011920125119853524.html

Also worth reading (for general background on Nepali adoptions):

Trade of Children (Voice of Children):

http://pearadoptinfo-nepal. blogspot.com/2010/06/trade-of- children-voice-of-children. html

and

Orphaned or Stolen? The U.S. State Department investigates adoption from Nepal, 2006-2008

Exclusive State Department internal cables from Freedom of Information Act requests

The Huffington Post:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ schuster-institute-for- investigative-journalism/ orphaned-or-stolen-the-us_b_ 825451.html

and

Swiss National Radio on Nepali adoptions (English translation):

http://pearadoptinfo-nepal.blogspot.com/2011/10/swiss-national-radio-on-nepali.html

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

DOS Adoption Notice: Mexican Central Authority Grants National Authorization to an Additional U.S.-based Hague Accredited Adoption Service Provider.

2011-10-13T13:12:00.001-04:00

Mexico

October 13, 2011

Notice: Mexican Central Authority Grants National Authorization to an Additional U.S.-based Hague Accredited Adoption Service Provider.

The Mexican Central Authority recently granted national authorization to provide adoption services in Mexico to an additional U.S. based Hague accredited adoption service provider, Across the World Adoptions, bringing the total of authorized U.S. based providers to three. It is our understanding that U.S. based adoption service providers Carolina Adoption Services, Inc. and International Child Foundation have also received national authorization from the Mexican Central Authority. Because this information is subject to updates, we encourage prospective adoptive parents to check the authorization status of an adoption service provider with the Mexican Central Authority before initiating an adoption. The Mexican Central Authority publishes information about the intercountry adoption process as well as contact information on its website.

We remind U.S. citizens wishing to adopt in Mexico that Mexican states may choose whether or not to work with adoption service providers that have achieved national authorization. Please see our May 19, 2011 adoption notice regarding Mexico's process for authorizing U.S. adoption service providers for more details. Mexico's complex system for intercountry adoption is described on our Mexico country information sheet. Working with an adoption service provider that has received only state authorization (and not national authorization) may cause the case to go through a verification process at the national level, delaying the adoption and possibly resulting in the Mexican Central Adoption's refusal to issue Hague certifications that are required for visa issuance.

We will publish additional updated guidance as we receive it. If you have any further questions please write to us at adoptionUSCA@state.gov or call us at 1-888-407-4747.

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

DOS Adoption Notice: Ethiopia

2011-10-07T19:09:00.002-04:00

Notice: Information regarding processing of Form I-600, Petition to Classify Orphan as an Immediate Relative, Filed at the U.S. Embassy in Addis Ababa

In January,April and September, 2011, the U.S. Embassy in Addis Ababa, the Office of Children’s Issues of the Department of State, and the Department of Homeland Security U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) conducted public meetings for adoption service providers (ASPs), adoptive parents, and other stakeholders to address concerns about the quality and completeness of intercountry adoption cases presented in Ethiopia. To ensure prompt adjudication and avoid concerns about possible malfeasance, it is important that I-600 petitions (Petition to Classify Orphan as an Immediate Relative) and accompanying evidence be fully and carefully prepared before presentation to the Embassy.

Approximately 80% of I-600 petitions submitted to the U.S. Embassy in Addis Ababa in recent months were incomplete, contained inconsistencies or errors, or did not contain sufficient evidence to document the child as an orphan under U.S. law. In addition, the Embassy continues to see cases which involve abandoned children but do not include sufficient evidence to document the abandonment and/or evidence of appropriate efforts to locate a child’s birth family. The Embassy also has received evidence of unethical recruitment of children from birth relatives and cases involving known birth parents from whom parental rights have not been severed by the Ethiopian courts. In these cases, consular officers in Addis will need to take additional measures to confirm that a child meets the legal definition of orphan, which could delay processing by several months.

The Department of State and USCIS remind all families interested in adopting from Ethiopia that consular officers are required to forward any I-600 petition that is not “clearly approvable” to the USCIS Field Office in Nairobi for adjudication.

For families that already have an I-600 petition on file at the U.S. Embassy in Addis Ababa, consular staff will advise them when a determination is made to approve the petition and the case may be scheduled for an immigrant visa interview in Addis Ababa, or when the petition is not “clearly approvable” and forwarded to USCIS Nairobi for adjudication. Upon receipt of a petition,” USCIS in Nairobi will notify the parents that the case has been received and issue any requests for additional evidence if necessary. Families can find more information about processing I-600 petitions referred to USCIS Nairobi at www.USCIS.gov under “Adoption/Country Information.”

It should be noted that, although this update specifically addresses I-600 petitions filed with the U.S. Embassy in Addis Ababa, USCIS sees similar problems with I-600 petitions filed with the USCIS National Benefits Center (NBC). Families can contact NBC at NBC.Adoptions@dhs.gov.

If families have concerns about their adoption, we ask that they share this information with the Embassy, particularly if it involves possible fraud or misconduct specific to their cases. The Embassy takes all allegations of fraud or misconduct seriously.

The best way to contact the Embassy on issues related to adoption is by email at ConsAdoptionAddis@state.gov. Please include your name, your child's name, your adoption agency, the date of the adoption (month and year), and, if possible, the immigrant visa case number for your child's case (this number begins with the letters ADD followed by several numbers and can be found on any document sent to you by the National Visa Center). Please let us know if we have your permission to share concerns about your specific case with Ethiopian government officials and any other person or entity.

We strongly encourage you to register any complaint that you may have about an adoption agency in the following ways:

You may file a complaint with the state licensing authority where your adoption agency is licensed and conducts business. The Child Welfare Information Gateway, which is maintained by the Department of Health and Human Services, provides such a list at the link below: http://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/reslist/rl_dsp.cfm?rs_id=15&rate_chno=AZ-0008E
You may also file a report with the state's Better Business Bureau. Following is the link to the Better Business Bureau's website where you may file a complaint on-line: https://odr.bbb.org/odrweb/public/getstarted.aspx
If your agency is a Hague-accredited adoption service provider, you may file a complaint on the Hague Complaint Registry located at the link below. While Ethiopia is not a Convention country, the ASP’ practice in a non-Convention country may impact its substantial compliance. http://adoption.state.gov/hague_convention/agency_accreditation/complaints.php The U.S. Embassy continues to work with the Government of Ethiopia to ensure that appropriate safeguards exist to protect prospective adoptive children, their birth parents, and prospective adoptive parents.

We encourage prospective and adoptive parents to remain in contact with their adoption service provider to stay up-to-date on any information pertinent to their individual case. The Department will post relevant information on www.adoption.state.gov as we receive it.

http://adoption.state.gov/country_information/country_specific_alerts_notices.php?alert_notice_type=notices&alert_notice_file=ethiopia_11

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

DOS Adoption Notice: India Update on CARA's Temporary Suspension of Acceptance of New Dossiers

2011-10-07T19:06:00.001-04:00

October 5, 2011

Notice: Update on CARA's Temporary Suspension of Acceptance of New Dossiers

This is an update to our notice dated July 22, 2011 announcing a temporary suspension on the acceptance of new intercountry adoption cases in India. CARA informed us that they will not accept new adoption applications until December 31, 2011.

CARA is giving priority to processing applications started before the release of the new guidelines before accepting new applications. We will update the notice promptly once CARA notifies us when they are ready to receive new applications.

CARA's latest announcement reiterated that all dossiers must be forwarded to CARA under the new guidelines. CARA will no longer accept any dossier through a RIPA.

If you have any questions about the details of the guidelines or suspension, please do not hesitate to contact us by phone at 1-888-407-4747 or e-mail us at adoptionUSCA@state.gov.

http://adoption.state.gov/country_information/country_specific_alerts_notices.php?alert_notice_type=notices&alert_notice_file=india_3

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

COA Lifts Temporary suspension of St Mary's International and Joshua Tree Adoptions

2011-10-05T16:12:00.002-04:00

Suspension of Saint Mary International Adoption lifted

The Council on Accreditation (COA) has announced that effective October 2, 2011 it has terminated the suspension of the Hague accreditation of Saint Mary International Adoption that was imposed effective August 27, 2011. Saint Mary International Adoption completed its corrective action plan to COA's satisfaction and COA has determined that Saint Mary International Adoption is now in substantial compliance with applicable U.S. accreditation standards. Saint Mary International Adoption may resume providing adoption services in Hague Adoption Convention cases as of October 2, 2011.

If you have further questions, please contact Miki Stebbing, the Accrediting Entity Liaison, who may be reached at (202) 736-9119 or by email at StebbingMD@state.gov or LaTina Woolen, who may be reached at (202) 663-3119 or at WoolenLA@state.gov in the Office of Children's Issues.

http://adoption.state.gov/about_us/suspension_saint_mary_lifted.php

Supension of Joshua Tree Adoptions Inc. lifted

The Council on Accreditation (COA) has announced that effective September 27, 2011, it has terminated the suspension of the Hague accreditation of Joshua Tree Adoptions Inc. that was imposed effective August 27, 2011. Joshua Tree completed its corrective action plan to COA’s satisfaction and COA has determined that Joshua Tree is now in substantial compliance with applicable U.S. accreditation standards. Joshua Tree may resume providing adoption services in Hague Adoption Convention cases as of September 27, 2011.

http://adoption.state.gov/about_us/suspension_joshua_tree_lifted.php

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

DOS Adoption Notice: Guatemala: CNA Processing Framework for U.S. Cases Under Its Authority

2011-09-27T13:10:00.001-04:00

Notice: CNA Processing Framework for U.S. Cases Under Its Authority

On Friday August 19, 2011, the Guatemalan Central Adoption Authority (CNA) published in the Guatemalan government's official register a new processing framework for the limited group of pending U.S. adoption cases that are under CNA processing authority.

The U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) are in frequent communication with Guatemalan authorities to clarify how this framework will be implemented. While many details are still under review, we confirmed the following points:

The CNA's announcement affects only the small group of pending cases that are under CNA processing authority. The CNA's announced framework does not apply to cases being processed by the Procuraduria General de la Nacion (PGN) as "notario" cases. Going forward, more cases may shift from PGN to CNA processing authority and this framework would then apply.
The CNA requires additional information about the prospective adoptive parents to move forward with the cases.
No case will move forward until the CNA officially informs the U.S. Embassy in Guatemala City that they are ready to proceed with a given case. (At that point, USCIS will contact the U.S. prospective adoptive parents with further instructions concerning the new procedures and the additional information that CNA requests.)

Department and USCIS officials are working closely with CNA officials to clarify all details of the new procedure in an effort to ensure that cases will move forward successfully. As soon as we have a fully defined process we will provide additional information.

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

Nepal: Children for sale (Al Jazeera)

2011-09-26T07:48:00.004-04:00

Nepal: Children for sale (Al Jazeera)

With weak law enforcement, can foreigners adopting children from Nepal be sure that they are really orphans?

Video:

http://english.aljazeera.net/programmes/101east/2011/09/2011920125119853524.html

Orphaned, abandoned or trafficked? That is the question facing foreigners who wish to adopt Nepali children.

International adoption services have provided a lucrative business to poverty-stricken Nepal. But in 2007, Nepal stopped adoptions for two years as it investigated claims of child trafficking.

After adoptions resumed, law enforcement remained weak.

By the end of 2010, many countries including the US, stopped granting visas to children from Nepal. This was in response to unscrupulous agents falsifying children's status as orphans so they could be adopted overseas.

Today, loopholes remain in Nepal's adoption processes and the government has been slow to formulate new policies, creating more problems for children in orphanages.

101 East investigates the scam behind an industry borne from the desire to love a child.

Al Jazeera -- 101 East

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

USCIS Invitation toTeleconference onBringing Home Adopted Children

2011-09-21T21:22:00.002-04:00

Teleconference: "Bringing Your Internationally Adopted Child to the United States" (Final Steps in the Adoption Process)

Thursday October 13, 2011 @ 1:30 pm (CST)

The USCIS National Benefits Center (NBC) invites any adoptive parents, adoption service providers and any other interested parties to participate in a national stakeholder meeting on Thursday, October 13, 2011 at 1:30pm (CST). The purpose of this engagement is to provide information regarding the steps that should occur with USCIS after a family returns home to the United States with their adopted child.

Adoptive Parents and Adoption Service Providers

This session will have a specific focus to adoption service providers and adoptive parents relating to the international adoption process. During the session, USCIS will review the final steps in the adoption process which happen after you bring your internationally adopted child to the United States, and provide contact information and resources to aide in the process to ensure your child receives U.S. Citizenship and all the benefits that they are eligible for.

To Participate in the Session

Any interested parties may participate in this event by telephone. To respond to this invitation, please contact Community Relations Officer Ya-Mei Chen at nbc.communityrelationsofficer@dhs.gov by October 11, 2011. Please reference NBC Adoption Teleconference in the subject line of your e-mail and include your full name, the organization you represent and if you would like to be on NBC's stakeholder list in the body of the e-mail.

If you need additional information, you may contact Ya-Mei Chen at nbc.communityrelationsofficer@dhs.gov

We look forward to helping you ensure your child gains all of the benefits for which they are eligible for!

http://adoption.state.gov/about_us/meeting_invitation_oct_13.php

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

Media Focuses Attention on China Adoptions

2011-09-20T10:19:00.005-04:00

The effects of China's scandals and in intercountry adoption are now being felt by the families and children adopted from China as they attempt to come to grips with unanswerable questions of identity and corruption. The New York Time's ran an article September 16th quoting PEAR board member, Karen Moline. Karen will also appear on MSNBC today at 12:30 to discuss this topic.

NYT Article: For Adoptive Parents, Questions Without Answers, by John Leland:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/18/nyregion/chinas-adoption-scandal-sends-chills-through-families-in-united-states.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all%3Fsrc%3Dtp&smid=fb-share

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

Media: Government Plans Fresh Changes In Armenian Child Adoption Rules

2011-09-20T08:09:00.002-04:00

A leading Armenian media outlet has reported continued corruption in Armenian adoption and has fingered two US adoption Agencies, Hopscotch and Adopt Abroad as participating in corrupt practices. The information came from a governmental report released on intercountry adoption in Armenia.

Government Plans Fresh Changes In Armenian Child Adoption Rules:

The Armenian government is planning to make fresh and potentially far-reaching changes in its rules and procedures for international adoptions of children from Armenia following an RFE/RL report suggesting that they may still be riddled with corruption.

Article, in English, may be found here: http://www.azatutyun.am/content/article/24333430.html

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

Alert: Adverse Action taken by Council on Accreditation towards Saint Mary's International Adoption

2011-09-09T07:01:00.003-04:00

Alert: Adverse Action taken by Council on Accreditation towards Saint Mary's International Adoption

On September 2, 2011, the Council on Accreditation made the decision to temporarily suspend Saint Mary's International Adoption for failing to maintain substantial compliance with the Hague accreditation standards. Saint Mary's International Adoption is a Hague accredited adoption service provider; however, they are authorized to operate in both Hague and non-Hague countries. This agency operates in Bulgaria, Poland, and Ukraine. During this suspension, Saint Mary's International Adoption must cease to provide all adoption services in connection with cases covered under the Hague Convention. If you have an open case with this agency, please contact the adoption service provider directly to find out how this will affect your case. This suspension does not prohibit the adoption service provider from providing adoption services in connection with cases involving non-Hague countries.

The suspension will begin on September 2, 2011 and conclude when the accrediting entity has determined that the adoption service provider has completed the corrective action. Updated information will be provided on the adoption.state.gov website.

http://adoption.state.gov/about_us/saint_marys_adoption_agency.php

Edited 9/9/11 by PEAR: St Mary's International has filed suit in federal court for review of COA's decision to temporarily suspend the agency. The suit was reported on Justia.com: http://dockets.justia.com/docket/north-carolina/ncwdce/3:2011cv00433/64334/ and a media report may be found here: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2011/09/09/2591088/adoption-agency-sues-to-stay-open.html

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

DOS Adoption Alert: Equador & Joshua Tree Adoptions

2011-08-30T14:54:00.001-04:00

Ecuador

August 29, 2011

Alert: Adverse Action taken by Council on Accreditation towards Joshua Tree Adoptions, Inc.

On August 26, 2011, the Council on Accreditation temporarily suspended the accreditation of Joshua Tree Adoptions, Inc. for failing to maintain substantial compliance with the Hague accreditation standards. This agency operates in Ecuador. During this suspension, Joshua Tree Adoptions, Inc. must cease to provide all adoption services in connection with cases covered under the Hague Convention. If you have an open case with this agency, please contact the adoption service provider directly to find out how this will affect your case. This suspension does not prohibit the adoption service provider from providing adoption services in connection with cases involving non-Hague countries.

The suspension will begin on August 27, 2011 and conclude when the accrediting entity has determined that the adoption service provider has completed the necessary corrective actions. Updated information will be provided on the adoption.state.gov website.

http://adoption.state.gov/country_information/country_specific_alerts_notices.php?alert_notice_type=alerts&alert_notice_file=ecuador_1

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

DOS Adoption Notice: China - Concerns About Information on the Background of Children Adopted from China

2011-08-26T08:24:00.001-04:00

China

August 15, 2011

Notice: Concerns About Information on the Background of Children Adopted from China

The press has reported allegations that in 2005 local family planning officials in China, in the name of enforcing the “One Child Policy,” seized children from their birth families and sold them to orphanages. Embassy Beijing has been in touch with China’s Centre for Children’s Welfare and Adoption (CCCWA) about the allegations mentioned in the articles and CCCWA has promised updates on their investigations when they have further information. We are not aware of any intercountry adoption by a U.S. family that has been confirmed to be linked to these alleged actions.

In response to these concerns, we would like to remind adopting parents that verification of a child’s eligibility for intercountry adoption is an integral part of the intercountry adoption process. If there is evidence that documents may have been falsified or are not accurate, then officials at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate conduct an investigation before the visa is approved. If you wish to get more information on your child’s background, we suggest that you contact the adoption service provider that assisted you with the adoption.

If you have any further questions about this notice please contact the Office of Children’s Issues at: 1-888-407-4747 within the United States or 202-501-4444 from outside the United States.

http://adoption.state.gov/country_information/country_specific_alerts_notices.php?alert_notice_type=notices&alert_notice_file=china_2

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

DOS Adoption Notice: Update Orphanage Closures in Ethiopia

2011-08-05T18:36:00.001-04:00

Ethiopia

August 3, 2011

Notice: Confirmation of Orphanage Closures in Ethiopia

Ethiopian government officials have confirmed that several orphanages in the Southern Nations state are closed due to revocation of their licenses to operate by Ethiopian authorities.

These orphanages are:

SOS Infants Ethiopia (Arbaminch, Dilla, and Awassa branches)
Gelgella Integrated Orphans (Tercha and Durame branches)
Bethzatha Children’s Home Association (Sodo, Hosaena, Dilla, and Awassa branches)
Ethio Vision Development and Charities (Dilla branch)
Special Mission for Community Based Development (Hosaena branch)
Enat Alem Orphanage (Awassa branch)
Initiative Ethiopia Child and Family Support (Awassa branch)
Resurrection Orphanage (Hosaena branch)

Ethiopian officials indicate that cases involving orphaned children from these facilities that are already pending with the Federal First Instance court will continue to move forward. The U.S. Embassy in Addis Ababa is working closely with Ethiopian officials to determine if children from these facilities who were previously referred for adoption or matched with prospective adoptive parents will be allowed to continue in the adoption process. MOWCYA officials have confirmed that the affected children’s case files are currently being reviewed, a process that is expected to last at least one month.

We continue to ask prospective adoptive parents and agencies that hear news of specific closures to inform the Department. Please send any specific information regarding orphanage closures to AskCI@state.gov with the subject line “Ethiopia Orphanage Closures.”

Prospective and adoptive parents are encouraged to remain in contact with their adoption service provider to stay up-to-date on any information pertinent to their individual case. The Department will post confirmed information on www.adoption.state.gov as we receive it.

http://adoption.state.gov/country_information/country_specific_alerts_notices.php?alert_notice_type=notices&alert_notice_file=ethiopia_10

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

DOS Adoption Notice, Mexico: Mexican Central Authority granted national authorization to an additional U.S. based Hague Accredited adoption se

2011-08-02T17:52:00.000-04:00

Mexico

August 2, 2011

Notice: Mexican Central Authority granted national authorization to an additional U.S. based Hague Accredited adoption service provider.

The Mexican Central Authority recently granted national authorization to provide adoption services in Mexico to an additional U.S. based Hague accredited adoption service provider, International Child Foundation. We remind U.S. citizens wishing to adopt in Mexico that Mexican states may choose whether or not to work with adoption service providers that have achieved national authorization. Please see our May 19, 2011 adoption notice regarding Mexico’s process for authorizing U.S. adoption service providers for more details. We advise prospective adoptive parents to check with the state child welfare office known as the Desarollo Integral de la Familia (DIF) in the Mexican state where they plan to adopt to determine if that state will work with a specific adoption service provider. We will publish additional updated guidance as we receive it.

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

Ethics Resource: Fleas Biting Back Online

2011-07-31T17:29:00.002-04:00

Not long ago, Desiree Smolin and Usha Smerdon had an excellent blog on intercountry adoption, called "fleas biting," that has been inactive of late. They are re-activating the blog along with Desiree's husband, Professor David Smolin. Professor Smolin has recently posted there on the subject of "Intercountry Adoption and Accountability (Part I)". PEAR welcomes the reactivation of Fleas Biting and the addition of David's input. We invite you to view it at: http://fleasbiting.blogspot.com/

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

Ethiopian Orphanage Closures

2011-07-26T09:38:00.003-04:00

PEAR has been aware of rumors concerning impending revocation of orphanage licenses in Ethiopia since early spring of 2011. Beginning in July, we were made aware that the closures were imminent. We contacted the US department of State and the US Embassy in Addis Ababa for input and confirmation of the license revocations. On July 21, the US department of State publicly confirmed the license revocation of the Mussie Children's Home in Hosanna in an Adoption Notice, which we published on our blog: http://pear-now.blogspot.com/2011/07/dos-adoption-notice-orphanage-closures.html

At this time, we are attempting to gather as much information to confirm further revocations and any affect they may have on the children and on prospective families. Rumors are plentiful and we understand the anxiety that many families are currently experiencing as well as the frustration of attempting to get accurate and complete information. We are interested in clearing up rumors, so we hope to provide prospective families, regardless of agency, with the following information:

1. What are the names of the orphanages that have had their licenses revoked?
2. Are the revocations temporary or permanent?
3. Where are the children?
4. What steps are ASPs taking to assess the condition of the children and ensure their safety and well being?
5. What affect, if any, will there be on referred children in the adoption process?
6. Are any orphanage directors or personnel in police custody?
7. Have any criminal charges been lodged against orphanage directors and/or personnel?
What reasons are being given for the revocations/closings?

We have attempted to contact the Ethiopian authorities but have had no success. We are in continuous contact with the US Department of State, Office of Children’s Issues and the US Embassy in Addis Ababa, neither has been unable to confirm any further information or answer any questions concerning the revocations. From the information provided by DOS and the US Embassy in Addis, we assume that the Ethiopian government is not being prompt in notifying our government concerning the closures and the whereabouts of the children. This is similar to the situation during the previous closures in 2010.

We are now in the process of providing a list of questions to APSs working in Ethiopia and will report any answers they provide to us. To date, we have confirmed the following revocations and information:

1.What are the names of the orphanages that have had their licenses revoked?

Mussie Children’s Care Center, Hosanna/Hosana (previously called Bethzaida, Beth Saida)(CHSFS, Bethany, Holt)
Enat Alem in Awassa (Adoption Associates)
Special Mission Development Association, Hadiya Zone (WACAP)

Between 8 and 48 orphanages have had or will soon have their licenses revoked.

2. Are the revocations temporary or permanent?

It may be possible for the orphanages to reapply or appeal the license revocation, but the process for this remains unclear.

3.Where are the children?

Children from Mussie have been transferred to Kingdom Vision International in Wolyita.

4. What steps are ASPs taking to assess the condition of the children and ensure their safety and well being?

Awaiting responses from ASPs.

5. What affect, if any, will there be on referred children in the adoption process?

Unsure at this point

6. Are any orphanage directors or personnel in police custody?

According to CHSFS, the director of the Mussie orphanage is being held by police but no charges have been filed, another employee was briefly retained and then released without charges.

7. Have any criminal charges been lodged against orphanage directors and/or personnel?

Unknown at this point

8. What reasons are being given for the revocations/closings?

The three orphanages above were cited for failing to provide local humanitarian services and merely serving as a gateway for children destined for intercountry adoption. Licenses can be revoked for the following reasons:

Providing no, or very little, humanitarian aid in addition to adoption services
Providing care only for children for international adoption - not offering even temporary child care to assist local birth families in need (as a community service)
Poorly documented or mishandled paperwork
Insufficient space for the number of children
Inadequate staffing
Lack of compliance with regional or federal regulations
Documented proof of substandard care of children
Other negative actions affecting the care of children

Responses will be updated as they come in from ASPs. Anyone with further information, please contact the US Department of State at AskCI@state.gov and PEAR at reform@pear-now.org.

Persons interested in additional information are encouraged to visit the following blogs:
REFORM Talk : http://reformtalk.blogspot.com/2011/07/ethiopia-orphanage-closures-and-us.html
Finding Fernanda: http://networkedblogs.com/kQZwO

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

DOS Adoption Notice: CARA Announces Release of New Guidelines and Temporary Suspension of Acceptance of New Dossiers

2011-07-22T22:59:00.001-04:00

Notice: CARA Announces Release of New Guidelines and Temporary Suspension of Acceptance of New Dossiers

CARA recently released new guidelines for intercountry adoptions. Please visit CARA’s website at http://www.adoptionindia.nic.in/ for further information.

CARA also recently announced a temporary freeze on the acceptance of new adoption dossiers as it attempts to clear a backlog of cases pending from before implementation of new guidelines governing intercountry adoptions in India. CARA foresees lifting the suspension by approximately the end of September 2011 and will advise when they are ready to accept new dossiers. We will update the notice promptly. Applications that are already in process prior to the effective date of the new guidelines will proceed as normal.

Please note that the new guidelines direct that after September 30, 2011, all dossiers must be forwarded to CARA. CARA will no longer accept any dossier through a RIPA.

If you have any questions about the details of the guidelines or suspension, please do not hesitate to contact us by phone at 1-888-407-4747 or e-mail us at adoptionUSCA@state.gov.

http://adoption.state.gov/country_information/country_specific_alerts_notices.php?alert_notice_type=notices&alert_notice_file=india_2

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

DOS Adoption Notice: Orphanage Closures in Ethiopia

2011-07-22T22:53:00.001-04:00

Ethiopia

July 21, 2011

Notice: Orphanage Closures in Ethiopia

The Department of State has learned that several agencies are reporting to their clients the closure of Mussie Child Care Center in Hosana, Ethiopia due to a revocation of their license to operate by Ethiopian authorities. The Department is aware that rumors of several other orphanage closure are circulating through the adoption community.

The Department is seeking confirmation from Ethiopian authorities regarding the revocation of Mussie’s license and subsequent closure. We ask prospective adoptive parents and agencies that are hearing news of specific closures to inform the Department. The Embassy in Addis Ababa is working to gain confirmation of orphanage closure rumors from the appropriate authorities. Please send any specific information regarding orphanage closures to AskCI@state.gov with the subject line "Ethiopia Orphanage Closures."

http://adoption.state.gov/country_information/country_specific_alerts_notices.php?alert_notice_type=notices&alert_notice_file=ethiopia_9

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

DOS Adoption Alert: Ukraine- SDA resumes processing adoptions in Ukraine

2011-07-18T17:13:00.001-04:00

DOS Adoption Alert: Ukraine- SDA resumes processing adoptions in Ukraine

On July 14, 2011, the presidential order which extends the State Department on Adoption’s (SDA’s) authority to process adoptions was published in Ukraine. We have been informed by the SDA that they have resumed processing adoption applications. As described in a previous alert, the SDA will have the authority to continue processing adoptions until the Ministry of Social policy is ready to take over as the new adoption authority in Ukraine. The Ministry does not yet know when they will be prepared to take over adoption processing.

The SDA also informed the embassy that the new amendment to the Family Code is now in effect. This requires orphans to be registered on the central adoption registry for one year and to be at least five years old before they are eligible for intercountry adoption. The amendment exempts children with certain special needs, relative adoptions, and sibling adoptions. Please note that the Ukrainian government is in the process of updating the definition of special needs, a process which by law should be completed by October 11, 2011.

We will continue to encourage the Ministry of Social Policy to protect adoptions where U.S. prospective adoptive parents have already been approved by the SDA to adopt a particular child. We will also be following new developments closely to understand how they will affect the families currently in process and will be posting relevant updates.

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

USCIS Fact Sheet and QA on Russian Adoption Process Under the BiLateral Agreement

2011-07-13T15:15:00.001-04:00

The Agreement between the United States of America and the Russian Federation Regarding Cooperation in Adoption of Children
Fact Sheet and QA

Introduction

The Department of Homeland Security and the Department of State announced today, July 13, 2011, that Secretary of State Hilary 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.

USCIS and the Department of State will publish criteria, procedures, and clear guidance related to the Agreement on www.uscis.gov/adoption and http://adoption.state.gov prior to the Agreement’s entry into force.

Questions & Answers

Q. What does the Agreement mean for the U.S. adoption program in Russia?

A. This Agreement strengthens the protections in place for the children and families involved while preserving a robust adoption program between the two countries. It creates a framework for a system in which the family will receive more complete information on the child earlier in the process so that the prospective adoptive parents can receive targeted preparation and training before the adoption. The Agreement also improves post-placement follow-up to ensure that the adopted child and family receive the support they need so that they all can thrive.

Q. Now that the Agreement has been signed, will there be any interruption in the processing of cases for U.S. families adopting from Russia?

A. We do not anticipate any interruption in the processing of adoptions from Russia as we move to implement this Agreement or once it has been fully implemented.

Q: When will the Agreement enter into force?

A. The Agreement will enter into force upon the exchange of notes from the U.S. and Russian governments. The exchange of notes will take place only after both sides have completed internal procedures necessary for entry into force, which for Russia means approval by its Duma and establishment of other internal procedures for implementing the Agreement.

The U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will provide on their websites procedures and clear guidance related to the Agreement prior to its entry into force. Please monitor www.adoption.state.gov and www.uscis.gov/adoption for more information.

Q. Can families continue to file Form I-600A, Application for Advance Processing of Orphan Petition, and Form I-600, Petition to Classify Orphan as an Immediate Relative, now that the Agreement has been signed?

A. Yes. Pending entry into force of the Agreement prospective adoptive parents may continue to file Forms I-600A and Forms I-600 with USCIS under existing procedures, in accordance with the form instructions. USCIS will inform the public of the date that the Agreement will enter into force and what additional or different steps may become necessary at that time.

Q. If a family began adoption proceedings before the Agreement enters in to force, will they have to restart proceedings upon Agreement execution?

A. The Agreement specifically allows cases which have had their dossier already submitted to the Russian authorities to continue under the pre-Agreement system. Prospective adoptive parents who have not submitted dossiers upon Agreement execution may need to change adoption service providers, as not all providers will remain authorized. However, families will not be required to file a new Form I-600A if their Form I-600A was filed or approved while working with the previous adoption service provider and remains valid.

Q. If a family is working with an adoption agency that does not receive authorization to continue working in Russia after the Agreement enters into force, will they be able to complete their case?

A. Yes, but the family may have to transfer the case to a new adoption service provider that is authorized to work in Russia. If a case is covered by the transition provision, it may be completed under the pre-Agreement procedures.

Q. How will we know which cases may proceed under the pre-Agreement procedures and which cases must follow the new procedures?

A. Once the Agreement enters into force, USCIS will coordinate with the Department of State (DOS) and the Russian authorities to identify all cases that can be processed under the pre-Agreement procedures and we will provide additional guidance at that time.

Q. When will guidelines and instructions about the new procedures be available?

A. We anticipate that the United States and Russia will need additional time to discuss implementation procedures for the Agreement once the Russian Duma has ratified it. After ratification and completion of implementation discussions, USCIS and DOS will publish specific guidance.

Q. We understand that under the Agreement, the Russian Government may institute a “pre-approval” requirement for U.S. families adopting from Russia. Would this procedure lengthen the processing time?

A. Although we do not anticipate that a pre-approval step will lengthen the process significantly for most cases, there are two instances in which delays could occur: 1) If there is a delay in the receipt of the detailed medical and psycho-social history of the child from the Russian authorities, or 2) If USCIS finds, during the pre-approval review, that the family does not appear to be prepared and/or has not been evaluated by the home study preparer as capable of meeting the needs of the specific child they intend to adopt.

Q. Why is a pre-approval process helpful?

A. Under the current system, USCIS cannot review information about the child being adopted until after the parents have completed adoption proceedings in Russia and become legally responsible for the child. Many times prospective adoptive parents only receive full medical and psycho-social information about the child immediately before the court proceedings to complete the adoption. Parents then have a very brief time to decide whether to complete the adoption or obtain an amended home study and Form I-600A approval, if necessary. Pre-approval will allow USCIS to make a preliminary determination on a child’s orphan status and to flag any concerns before the adoption takes place.

Q. Would pre-approval guarantee that the Form I-600 will be approved once the adoption is finalized in Russia?

A. Pre-approval cannot be taken as a guarantee of final approval, because it is always possible that new, additional information will come to light that ultimately prevents the approval of the Form I-600 petition. However, in other countries where pre-approval systems have been in place, experience shows that pre-approval allows for problems to be addressed earlier in the adoption process creating a more streamlined process for the family.

Q. The Agreement will require to adoption agencies to report when an adopted child received U.S. citizenship. How will the adoption agency know that the child has received U.S. citizenship?

A. The Agreement is crafted to cover only adoptions of children who will ultimately be granted IR-3 immigrant visas. When a child with an IR-3 immigrant visa lawfully enters the United States with his or her adoptive parents with the intent to reside permanently in the territory of the United States, that child, by operation of law, acquires U.S. citizenship upon entry.

For additional questions and answers on the agreement, please visit http://adoption.state.gov .

Last updated:07/13/2011
http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/menuitem.5af9bb95919f35e66f614176543f6d1a/?vgnextoid=263554ddde321310VgnVCM100000082ca60aRCRD&vgnextchannel=68439c7755cb9010VgnVCM10000045f3d6a1RCRD

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

USCIS Invites Teleconference Participation: Teleconference on U.S.-Russia Bilateral Adoptions Agreement

2011-07-13T14:35:00.003-04:00

Teleconference on U.S.-Russia Bilateral Adoptions Agreement

The Department of State (DOS) Office of Children’s Issues Adoption Division and USCIS International Operations Division invite you to participate in a teleconference on the bilateral adoption agreement between the United States and Russia on Thursday, July 14, 2011 at 1:00PM (EDT). DOS and USCIS will discuss the agreement’s current status and significance and give a preview of implementation planning.

Call-In Information

If you are calling from inside the United States, please dial 1-888-381-5773
If you are calling from outside the United States, please dial 001-203-827-7009

Passcode: RUSSIA

Please RSVP via email to Aleksey Sanchez at SanchezA@state.gov by COB on July 12, 2011.

We would be happy to respond to any questions about the Agreement or intercountry adoptions that are emailed to Sarah Shaffer, ShafferSF@state.gov by NOON on Tuesday, July 12, 2011.

http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/menuitem.5af9bb95919f35e66f614176543f6d1a/?vgnextoid=83aeda0772a11310VgnVCM100000082ca60aRCRD&vgnextchannel=e0b081c52aa38210VgnVCM100000082ca60aRCRD

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

FAQs: Bilateral Adoption Agreement with Russia

2011-07-13T14:20:00.002-04:00

FAQs: Bilateral Adoption Agreement with Russia
July 13, 2011

Q: Why is there a Bilateral Adoption Agreement with Russia?
Each year, thousands of children find loving, nurturing homes through intercountry adoptions, and thousands of American families are enriched by welcoming Russian orphans into their homes. In light of concerns raised by several tragic cases, in April 2010, the U.S. and Russian governments began negotiating the Agreement between the United States of America and the Russian Federation Regarding Cooperation in Adoption of Children to strengthen procedural safeguards in adoptions between the United States and Russia.
Q: When was the Agreement signed?
The Agreement was signed on July 13, 2011, by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Washington, D.C.
Q: When will the Agreement enter into force?
The Agreement will enter into force upon the exchange of diplomatic notes from the U.S. and Russian governments. The exchange of notes will take place only after both sides have completed internal procedures necessary for entry into force, which for Russia means approval by its Duma and establishment of other internal procedures for implementing the Agreement.
The U.S. Department of State and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will provide on their websites procedures and clear guidance related to the Agreement prior to its entry into force. Please monitor www.adoption.state.gov and www.uscis.gov for more information.
Q: Does this mean that the United States does not want Russia to join The Hague Intercountry Adoption Convention?
In order to promote stronger safeguards for children in the intercountry adoption process between our two countries within our existing legal authorities, the United
States and Russia negotiated the Agreement, which incorporates several elements of The Hague Convention.
Q: What are the key provisions of the Agreement?
The Agreement provides a framework for intercountry adoptions between Russia and the United States and is designed to be reciprocal.
The Agreement aims to improve the intercountry adoption process and better protect adoptive children, birth parents, and adoptive parents. Under the Agreement, Russia may authorize adoption agencies to operate in Russia and only those “authorized organizations” may 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 eliminate independent adoptions of children from Russia by U.S. families, except in situations where a child is being adopted by a relative. The Agreement includes provisions designed to enhance the prospective adoptive parents’ preparation to adopt, to ensure that prospective adoptive parents receive more complete information about adoptive children’s social and medical histories and anticipated needs, and to improve post-adoption reporting and monitoring.
Q: Whom does the Agreement cover?
The Agreement will cover adoptions to and from the United States and Russia. It applies to children up to the age of 18 who are citizens of and habitually resident in one country, and who are adopted in their country of origin by spouses habitually resident in the other country (at least one of whom is a citizen of that country), or by an unmarried individual who habitually resides in and is a citizen of the other country.
Prospective adoptive parents should also be aware that the Agreement only covers adoptions where both spouses, or the individual (if unmarried), have seen and observed the child in person prior to adoption and personally participated in the decision-making procedures by the court issuing the adoption decree.
Q: Will the Agreement change U.S. visa processing for adopted children?
The Agreement will not significantly impact visa processing for children adopted from Russia. The processing of an adopted child’s U.S. visa occurs after the adoption in Russia and the approval of the orphan petition (Form I-600, Petition to
Classify Orphan as an Immediate Relative) by USCIS. Information on how to adopt from Russia is available on www.adoption.state.gov.
Q: What will change as a result of this Agreement?
Three aspects of the current intercountry adoption process will change:
No independent adoptions
Russia will no longer permit independent adoptions (i.e., adoptions where the prospective adoptive parents elect to act on their own behalf without facilitation by an adoption agency), unless a child is being adopted by a relative. Once the Agreement enters into force, non-relative adoptions from Russia must take place with the facilitation of an authorized organization. Relatives are defined in accordance with Russian law.
Prospective adoptive parent preparation and training
U.S. prospective adoptive parents may be required to obtain additional special training in light of their particular matched child’s special needs. The new procedures called for by the Agreement will help ensure that prospective adoptive parents receive all available information on the child’s social and medical history, possible special needs, and availability for intercountry adoption before the adoption takes place.
The authorized organizations should also provide prospective adoptive parents with information on how to register their adopted children with the Russian Embassy or local consulate in the United States and other post-placement reporting required by Russian law. Prospective adoptive parents will be expected to register their adopted children as soon as possible after bringing them to the United States and to work with their adoption agencies to comply with the post-placement reporting requirements.
Pre-approval process
Russia may require that cases involving Russian children being adopted by U.S. prospective adoptive parents undergo a “pre-approval” step with USCIS after the match but before the Russian adoption process is completed. To implement this pre-approval process, the prospective adoptive parents will file their Form I-600, Petition to Classify an Orphan as an Immediate Relative, before completing the adoption procedures in Russia. Russian authorities will provide all available medical and psycho-social information about the child at this stage in the process, thereby enabling USCIS to review the family’s suitability and eligibility
determination in light of the child’s particular needs. Before issuing pre-approval, USCIS will work with the adoption agencies and the prospective adoptive families in an effort to ensure that the family is fully aware of the child’s situation and has completed appropriate training and preparation.
Q: How will the Agreement affect U.S. adoption agencies’ ability to work in Russia?
This Agreement will add no additional authorization requirements under U.S. domestic law.
However, under the Agreement, only adoption agencies that are specifically authorized by Russia will be permitted to provide services in adoptions to or from Russia. The Department has agreed to provide the Russian Ministry of Education with the list of U.S. adoption service providers accredited or approved in the United States to provide services under The Hague Convention. The Ministry may, at its discretion, decide to grant requests for authorization only to U.S. adoption service providers who have obtained such accreditation or approval, and may not necessarily authorize all of the organizations on the list provided.
Russian authorization of adoption organizations
Adoption agencies must apply to the Russian Ministry of Education and meet the criteria established by Russia to be authorized to operate in Russia. The U.S. Department of State will publish the specific authorization criteria on www.adoption.state.gov once they become available. Adoption service providers will have 60 days following the Agreement’s entry into force to submit the required information in order to continue to provide services in adoptions from Russia. The Ministry must make a decision about an adoption service provider’s continued authorization in Russia within 30 days of receiving the required information.
Adoption service providers seeking authorization to operate in Russia for the first time will be able to submit an application at any point after the Agreement’s entry into force. The Ministry must make a decision about the new provider’s authorization request within 60 days of receiving the application.
Adoption service providers that do not meet the selection deadline
The Ministry has confirmed that any adoption agencies currently operating in Russia that do not submit the required documentation for authorization under the
Agreement within the required 60-day timeframe after the Agreement’s entry into force will be allowed to apply for re-authorization after one year.
Q: Does the Agreement impose any new or more stringent responsibilities on adoption agencies?
Adoption service providers authorized to operate in Russia will need to meet requirements established by the Russian Ministry of Education or by Russian law in order to obtain and retain authorization to provide services in intercountry adoptions from Russia. The Agreement lays out several new or expanded requirements for receiving and maintaining authorization that may be imposed on adoption service providers. Adoption service providers may be required to submit documentation assuring that they will comply with certain requirements, including the following:
Post-adoption requirements
 To inform prospective adoptive parents of Russia’s adoption procedures and post-adoption reporting requirements. If the authorized organization assists with a subsequent dissolution and/or placement of a child with another family, the authorized organization must also inform the new prospective adoptive parents of the Russian procedures and post-adoption reporting requirements.
 To monitor the living conditions and upbringing of adopted children as instructed by Russia. The monitoring would have to be carried out at the family’s home by the authorized organization’s social worker, or by another social worker or organization licensed to evaluate the home.
 To provide periodic reports following an intercountry adoption to the Russian authorities. The reports would have to contain reliable information about the child’s psychological and physical development and adaptation to his/her new life.
 To confirm an adopted child’s lawful entry into the United States and the child’s acquisition of U.S. citizenship.
Adoption disruption and dissolution requirements
 To notify Russian authorities and the U.S. Department of State’s Office of Children’s Issues as soon as reasonably possible if a case in which it
provided services (even cases facilitated before the Agreement entered into force) is pending dissolution or has dissolved. The notification may need to include information on any proposed placement or new adoptive family, the expected (or completed) timeframe for the U.S. court’s decision (or any decisions reached by the U.S. court). At the same time, for cases still pending a court decision, the authorized organization may be required to request the consent or non-consent of the Russian authorities to the proposed re-adoption, and if a statement is provided by the Russian authorities before the re-adoption decision is made by the court, present the Russian consent or non-consent information to the court for its consideration.
Authorized organization requirements
 To notify the Russian authorities and transfer any pending cases or post- adoption reporting responsibilities to another authorized organization in the event that an authorized organization chooses to cease operating in Russia.
Q: What if my case started before entry into force?
Prospective adoptive parent(s) initiating an adoption prior to the Agreement’s entry into force will be able to complete the process under the current (pre-Agreement) procedures. Cases will be considered initiated if the prospective adoptive parents have registered their documents to adopt in Russia prior to entry into force.
Q: Is any part of the Agreement effective retroactively?
The Agreement does not apply retroactively. Under the Agreement, Russia may impose requirements on adoption agencies regarding the disruption or dissolution of an adoption that took place prior to entry into force of the Agreement. For example, an authorized organization may be required to report a disruption or dissolution as soon as reasonably possible after it discovers that a case may, or has, been terminated, regardless of when the intercountry adoption was completed.

available for download: http://adoption.state.gov/country_information/country_specific_alerts_notices.php?alert_notice_type=notices&alert_notice_file=russia_2

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

DOS Press release: Agreement between the United States of America and the Russian Federation Regarding Cooperation in Adoption of Children

2011-07-13T14:15:00.001-04:00

Agreement between the United States of America and the Russian Federation Regarding Cooperation in Adoption of Children

Office of the Spokesperson

Washington, DC

July 13, 2011

The Department of State and the Department of Homeland Security announced today, July 13, 2011, that Secretary of State Hillary Rodham 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 adoption.state.gov.

http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2011/07/168180.htm

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

Russia - US Bi-Lateral Agreement on Intercountry Adoption to be Signed Today

2011-07-13T13:28:00.005-04:00

According to the public schedule for secretary of State Hilary Clinton, the bi-lateral adoption agreement between Russia and the US will be signed today at 2 pm Eastern time. http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/appt/2011/07/168149.htm

Radio Free Europe released an article on the agreement earlier today: http://www.rferl.org/content/russia-us_adoption_treaty_introduces_stronger_controls_/24264751.html

The Department of State, Office of Children's Issues will be holding a stakeholders meeting July 14 to fill in adoption agencies and organizations involved in adoption on the new agreement and any changes that will be instituted for adoptions from Russia.

PEAR will be updating our blog as information becomes available today and during tomorrow's stakeholder meeting.

Added July 13, 2011 2:13 pm:
Press Release from the Secretary of State's Office: http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2011/07/168163.htm

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

DOS Adoption Alert Ukraine: Presidential order expected to allow SDA to continue processing adoptions in Ukraine

2011-07-13T08:42:00.001-04:00

Ukraine

July 12, 2011

Alert: Presidential order expected to allow SDA to continue processing adoptions in Ukraine

On July 8, 2011, the president of Ukraine signed an order which extends the State Department on Adoption’s (SDA's) authority to process adoptions. We have been informed by the SDA that the order will not take effect until the order is published, likely within a few days. The SDA currently is not accepting adoption applications. According to the order, the SDA will have the authority to continue processing adoptions until the Ministry of Social policy is ready to take over as the new adoption authority in Ukraine. The Ministry does not yet know when they will be prepared to take over adoption processing.

We will continue to ask the Ukrainian government to resume adoptions as quickly as possible. We will also continue to encourage the Ministry of Social Policy to protect adoptions where U.S. prospective adoptive parents have already been approved by the SDA to adopt a particular child.

According to the SDA, there are approximately 139 U.S. families registered with the SDA, some of them already in-country. We will be following new developments closely to understand how they will affect the families currently in process and will be posting relevant updates. In that respect, we recommend that all American families that are currently in Ukraine or have appointments with SDA during the next few weeks send their contact information to the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine's Adoption Unit at: kyivadoptions@state.gov. Families should contact their local adoption service provider for further updates and details

http://adoption.state.gov/country_information/country_specific_alerts_notices.php?alert_notice_type=alerts&alert_notice_file=ukraine_3

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

DOS Adoption Notice: Ukraine Post Placement

2011-07-08T08:25:00.003-04:00

July 6, 2011

Notice: What does Ukraine require of the adoptive parents after the adoption?

Ukraine requires adoptive parents to supply information about the adopted child's living conditions and educational progress to the Ukrainian consular office annually during the first three years following the adoption and once every three years thereafter, until the child's 18^th birthday.

Note: Under Ukrainian law, an adopted child remains a citizen until he/she turns 18 years old. At that time, he/she can decide whether or not to remain a Ukrainian citizen.

We strongly urge you to comply with the wish of Ukraine and complete all post-adoption requirements in a timely manner. Your adoption agency may be able to help you with this process. Your cooperation will contribute to Ukraine's history of positive experiences with American parents.

More information and the Post Placement Report form can be found on the Ukrainian Embassy's website: www.mfa.gov.ua/usa/en. The Ukrainian Embassy requires that you send the Post Placement Report via e-mail or mail to:

Yaroslava Zayets
Consular Office / Adoption Unit
Embassy of Ukraine
3350 M Street NW
Washington DC 20007

E-mail: adoption@ukremb.com

Telephone: 202-349-2948
Fax: 202-333-0817

http://adoption.state.gov/country_information/country_specific_alerts_notices.php?alert_notice_type=notices&alert_notice_file=ukraine_10

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

Research Invitation

2011-06-30T14:24:00.003-04:00

The below invitation for participation is being posted on behalf of the researcher. If you are interested in participating, be sure to reply directly to Ms. Strassberg via her email address below. PEAR is not sponsoring or otherwise involved in the research project or its funding, we are posting this purely as a public service in support of improving pre-adoption services and education.

************************************************************************************************
Dear Parents,

I invite you to participate in a study of adoptive parents that focuses on your pre-adoption decisions. I hope to gain a more accurate picture of the decision making process involved in international adoption, particularly surrounding the choice of birth country. I am looking for parents who have adopted a child internationally within the past 25 years from three different geographic areas: Africa and the Caribbean Islands, Eastern Europe, and Latin America. I am asking parents to participate in a phone interview that will last about one hour. To compensate you for your time, I will provide an online $15 gift certificate to a store of your choice. If you are willing to be interviewed, please let me know, and I will get in touch with you to arrange a time to talk by phone.

I am a senior Psychology and Education major at Mount Holyoke College. My cousin was adopted from Ethiopia, and my cousin's struggles though the decision-making process of where and how to adopt led me to this investigation. This study is my senior thesis project, and I am working under the direction of my thesis advisor Patricia Ramsey, who is an adoptive parent.

The pre-adoption decision-making process has not been studied in depth. It is my hope this project will provide a better understanding of adoptive parent's choices and lead to better services and guidelines for supporting families through these decisions. Participants, please send me an email if you wish to participate at stras20s@mtholyoke.edu or leave me a message at (617) 680-9086 so I can schedule an interview time.

Thank you very much for considering my request, and please contact me or my advisor Patricia Ramsey (pramsey@mtholyoke.edu) if you have questions. If you have friends who might be willing to complete this survey, please send them my email or send their email addresses to me.

Thank you!

Sophie Strassberg, stras20s@mtholyoke.edu

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

Adoptee Voice: Jennifer Kwon Dobbs

2011-06-29T08:40:00.003-04:00

On June 26, PEAR published a link to an article written by Jennifer Kwon Dobbs entitled "Ending South Korea's Child Export Shame", http://pear-now.blogspot.com/2011/06/article-ending-south-koreas-child.html. Today we wish to share a video of Jennifer that was put together and published on the blog Land of Gazillion Adoptees, Birth Searches as Public Pedagogy http://landofgazillionadoptees.wordpress.com/2011/06/28/%E2%80%9Cbirth-searches-as-public-pedagogy%E2%80%9D-unedited-voices-of-adoption-featuring-jennifer-kwon-dobbs/

The video is quite powerful. We recommend that adoptive and prosepctive adoptive parents not only view the video, but examine the circumstances surrounding the availability of children for adoption. Educate yourselves on where and why a child becomes available for adoption, what role we as adoptive parents play and what steps we can take to ensure that our desires for a family do not unwittingly (or purposefully) perpetuate political, cultural or religous injustices that separate families.

In addition to examining the reasons behind relinquishments, please keep in your heart your child's need to know their full story. Do not underestimate the powerful need for this. Be careful and mindful of processes that may deny access to identity, history or heritage.

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

DOS Adoption Alert: Haiti/Independent Adoptions

2011-06-28T11:17:00.003-04:00

June 27, 2011

Alert: Pursuing Independent Adoptions without Licensed Agencies Increases Risks of Delays and Fraud

The Department of State has seen a recent increase in U.S. citizens seeking to pursue adoptions in Haiti through independent agents instead of licensed adoption providers. While these “private” adoptions are currently permissible in Haiti, prospective adoptive parents should be aware of the risks associated with not utilizing experienced, licensed agencies. Non-licensed facilitators may lack experience in navigating the complex Haitian adoption process, and this could lead to delays and critical mistakes in processing the case. Haitian facilitators may also not be familiar with U.S. immigration law governing intercountry adoption processing. Prospective adoptive parents pursuing an independent adoption may place their trust in private facilitators engaging in unethical or illegal practices in Haiti. The Department strongly encourages prospective adoptive parents adopting from Haiti to research U.S. immigration laws and Haitian adoption procedures through the use of a reputable, licensed agency or experienced facilitator. For more information about intercountry adoption in Haiti, please visit our website at: http://adoption.state.gov/country_information/country_specific_info.php?country-select=haiti.

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

Article: Ending South Korea's Child Export Shame

2011-06-26T16:32:00.000-04:00

Ending South Korea's Child Export Shame

By Jennifer Kwon Dobbs, June 23, 2011

South Korea is on the verge of changing its reputation as the world’s leading baby exporter to a world leader in grassroots adoption reform. The first-ever birth mother, unwed mother, and adoptee co-authored bill is moving toward a National Assembly vote with government sponsorship.

Under current South Korean law, prospective adoptive parents don’t need to undergo criminal background checks. Moreover, agencies counsel unwed mothers, whose children comprise almost 90 percent of adoption placements, to sign illegal paperwork consenting to adoption even though their children are still in their wombs. The new bill proposes urgent revisions to change these realities and stipulates a court process for adoption, a cooling off period for child surrender without duress, and the documentation of identities, among other provisions.

"What makes this reform effort distinctive is that [it] is neither the result of a top-down process nor a powerful adoptive parent lobby,” says tammy ko Robinson, coalition member and professor at Hangyang University. “This bill is co-authored and informed by those of us who have been directly affected by this law.” The bill is a coalition effort that includes Adoptee Solidarity Korea (ASK), Korean Unwed Mothers and Families Association (KUMFA), and several other groups.

"[The revision of the special adoption law] is an opportunity for South Korea to fully enter the 21st century as not just an economically developed nation, but as a socially developed one," says ASK representative Kim Stoker. “It's time for the government to end its outdated attitude toward international adoption and make concrete steps toward protecting the rights of its children and the mothers who give birth to them.”

full article: http://www.fpif.org/articles/ending_south_koreas_child_export_shame

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

Article: Pictures of Hope (Vietnam)

2011-06-23T14:14:00.004-04:00

Pictures of Hope

Last updated: 2/25/2011 13:00
Thanh Nien News, Vietnam

Years after their sons and daughters were 'stolen' and adopted abroad without their consent, a number of Vietnamese parents have finally been shown proof the children are alive and well. Now, their poor hill-tribe villagers face a moral dilemma.

Full story: http://www.thanhniennews.com/2010/Pages/20110228180300.aspx

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

Bulgarian MOJ Lists Accredited Mediators for Intercountry Adoption

2011-06-22T09:53:00.005-04:00

The Bulgarian Ministry of Justice released a list of accredited organizations to mediate intercountry adoptions on June 20, 2011. The list can be found here: http://www.justice.government.bg/new/Pages/Adoptions/Default.aspx?evntid=SK5O1lunRPk%3d , scroll to and click on Информация за действащите акредитирани организации, получили разрешение от министъра на правосъдието за посредничество при международни осиновявания /актуализиран на 20.06.2011г./ then use a translation tool such as Google Translate to read.

PEAR recommends that prospective adoptive parents use only those agencies that are accredited under the US Hague Regulations (http://adoption.state.gov/hague_convention/agency_accreditation/agency_search.php) who work with one of the agencies accredited by the Bulgarian Ministry of Justice. We also highly recommend that prospective adoptive parents thoroughly research any agency before signing a contract. A guide to researching agencies can be found on our website: www.pear-now.org, select "Projects & Positions", scroll to Guide to Researching US Adoption Agencies.

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

2011 Symposium Opening Adoption: Realities, Possibilities and Challenges

2011-06-21T15:01:00.002-04:00

2011 Symposium Opening Adoption: Realities, Possibilities & Challenges

On September 23 and 24, 2011 Coordinators2inc will bring together adoption professionals, academics, students and those personally affected by adoption will meet at the University of Richmond School of Law, Richmond VA.

Presenters and attendees will have opportunities to discuss, from multiple viewpoints, adoption as a lifelong process. We do not intend for this symposium to only discuss open adoption nor to only discuss adoption from a positive or negative perspective. We will have a wide range of perspectives to give a full view of the complexity of the issues and to allow attendees an opportunity to consider adoption from another perspective other than their own.

Attendees are expected to be adoptees, first/birth parents, adoptive parents, adoption professionals, therapists, researchers, educators, media professionals, advocates, attorneys, policy makers and legislators.

Registration is $85 for both days, lunch included.

http://www.openadoptionsupport.com/symposium/

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

Special Advisor for Children’s Issues to Visit Haiti this Week

2011-06-21T13:10:00.001-04:00

DOS/OCI Press release
June 21, 2011

Special Advisor for Children’s Issues, Ambassador Susan Jacobs, will visit Haiti June 22 – 24 to discuss how the United States can support Haiti in its efforts to join the Hague Adoption Convention.

The visit to Haiti will mark the second round of meetings hosted by the Governments of France and Canada that began in Montreal in December 2010. The United States, together with other countries and international and non-governmental organizations, support Haiti’s efforts to initiate adoption reform consistent with the Hague Adoption Convention.

For more information about intercountry adoption, please visit: adoption.state.gov

For press inquiries please contact CAPRESSREQUESTS@state.gov or (202) 647-1488.

For updates on Special Advisor Susan Jacobs’ trip, follow her on twitter: http://twitter.com/childrensissues

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

DOS Adoption Alert: Ukraine Family Code Amendments and temporary suspension on adoptions to take effect on July 11, 2011

2011-06-17T23:16:00.002-04:00

June 15, 2011
Alert: Ukrainian Family Code Amendments and temporary suspension on adoptions to take effect on July 11, 2011

The Ukrainian State Department on Adoptions (SDA) informed the US Embassy this morning that beginning July 11 SDA will no longer have the authority to process adoption cases. This will likely result in a temporary suspension of adoptions from Ukraine. The Ministry of Social Policy will take over as the new adoption authority in Ukraine, but does not yet have Cabinet approval to create a staff and begin processing cases. The Ministry does not yet know when they will be able to resume adoption processing. The amendments to the Ukrainian Family Code mentioned in the previous adoption alert will also go into effect on July 11.

We will ask the Ukrainian government to resume adoptions as quickly as possible. We will also continue to encourage the Ministry of Social Policy to protect adoptions where U.S. prospective adoptive parents have already been approved by the SDA to adopt a particular child.

According to SDA, there are now 139 U.S. families registered with the SDA, some of them already in-country. We will be following new developments closely to understand how it will affect the families currently in process and will be posting relevant updates. In that respect. we recommend that all American families that are currently in Ukraine or have appointments with SDA during the next few weeks send their contact information to the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine’s Adoption Unit at: kyivadoptions@state.gov. Families should contact their local adoption service provider for further updates and details.

http://adoption.state.gov/country_information/country_specific_alerts_notices.php?alert_notice_type=alerts&alert_notice_file=ukraine_2

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

DOS Adoption Notice: Guatemala

2011-06-15T21:29:00.001-04:00

June 14, 2011

Notice: Guatemala listserv update June 13, 2011 Letter of understanding delivered

The Office of Children’s Issues announces that it has delivered a letter of understanding to the CNA that confirms the U.S. Government's role in the CNA’s proposed framework for processing its transition cases to conclusion. We await the CNA's response and will provide updates as they become available.

http://adoption.state.gov/country_information/country_specific_alerts_notices.php?alert_notice_type=notices&alert_notice_file=guatemala_6

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

DOS Adoption Notice: Vietnam

2011-06-15T21:03:00.000-04:00

Vietnam

June 2011

Notice: Adoption Notice Vietnam

Intercountry adoption is not possible from Vietnam at this time. Adoption service providers and prospective adoptive parents should not seek or accept new (or potential) adoption referrals from Vietnam until an announcement is posted that the United States Citizenship and Information Service (USCIS) is again processing new I-600 or I-800 petitions for intercountry adoption in Vietnam.

In June 2010, the Vietnamese legislature passed a new adoption law which took effect on January 1, 2011. The Vietnamese Prime Minister subsequently signed the new adoption decree on March 21 which took effect on May 8. Vietnam continues their efforts to implement the new law and achieve Vietnam’s stated goal ratifying the Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Co-Operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption (the Convention).

Vietnam signed the Convention on December 7, 2010 and has expressed its intent to ratify the Convention in July 2011 which means that the Convention would enter into force (and Vietnam would become a party) in November 2011. Under U.S. law, if/when Vietnam becomes a party to the Convention, the United States Central Authority (USCA) must evaluate whether procedures leading to the adoption of a child in Vietnam conform to the standards established by the Convention and the U.S. Intercountry Adoption Act (IAA).

The United States recognizes Vietnam’s initiatives as significant developments in the renewed commitment by the Government of Vietnam to strengthen its child welfare system and the integrity of its domestic and international adoption process. Nevertheless, adoption service providers and prospective adoptive parents are cautioned that important steps must still be taken before Vietnam completes this reform process and before intercountry adoptions between the United States and Vietnam can resume.

The USCA cautions adoption service providers that they should not offer or appear to offer adoption services in Vietnam until specific adoption service providers have been accredited or otherwise approved by the Government of Vietnam. In addition, under applicable U.S. regulations, accredited or approved adoption service providers may only provide services in a Convention country if the USCA has determined that the Convention country is compliant with Convention standards.

The United States welcomes Vietnam’s strong efforts to create a child welfare system and an intercountry adoption process that will meet its obligations under the Convention. At this time it is not possible to estimate when adoptions between the United States and Vietnam may resume.

Updated information will be provided on www.adoption.state.gov as it becomes available.

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

RESOURCE: Video of “Stolen Children: Illegal Practices in International Adoption and the Need for Reform”

2011-06-07T09:18:00.003-04:00

Erin Siegal of Finding Fernanda, has posted a link to the video from the “Stolen Children: Illegal Practices in International Adoption and the Need for Reform” conference at American University’s Washington College of Law.

http://findingfernanda.com/2011/06/video-from-stolen-children-conference/

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

DOS Adoption Notice: Cambodia Update

2011-06-06T22:19:00.002-04:00

PEAR has published the DOS Adoption Notice for Cambodia on our Cambodia Blog:
http://pearadoptioninfo-cambodia.blogspot.com/2011/06/dos-adoption-notice-cambodia-update.html

The Notice may also be found on the DOS Adoption website:
http://adoption.state.gov/country_information/country_specific_alerts_notices.php?alert_notice_type=notices&alert_notice_file=cambodia_2

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

DOS Adoption Alert: Kyrgyzstan

2011-06-03T15:33:00.001-04:00

June 2, 2011

Alert: Kyrgyzstan Adoption

In October 2008, the previous government of Kyrgyzstan halted all intercountry adoptions in response to allegations of corruption and illegal processing. The new government has not yet implemented a new processing system, and at this time it is not possible for new intercountry adoption cases to move forward.

The Department of State continues to reach out to the Kyrgyzstan government in an effort to seek a resolution for US citizen prospective adoptive families who were in various stages of the process prior to adoptions being suspended.

A draft Law amending the Family Code to enable the government of Kyrgyzstan to establish new adoption regulations has passed its 2nd and 3rd readings in the Kyrgyz Parliament. President Otunbaeva signed the Law on May 6, 2011 and tasked the Government to bring legislation into conformity with this new Law within 3 months.

At this time, we are unable to estimate when new adoptions from Kyrgyzstan may resume. Updated information will be provided on www.adoption.state.gov as it becomes available.

http://adoption.state.gov/country_information/country_specific_alerts_notices.php?alert_notice_type=alerts&alert_notice_file=kyrgyzstan_2

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

DOS Adoption Notice: Guatemala Updates

2011-06-02T21:00:00.000-04:00

June 2, 2011

Notice: Guatemala June 2011 Listserv Update

Office of Children's Issues Meeting with the Consejo Nacional de Adopciones in Washington, DC on April 14, 2011

On April 14, 2011, the Office of Children's Issues (CI) met with: Elizabeth de Larios, President of the Consejo Nacional de Adopciones (CNA); Marilys Barrientos de Estrada, and Fernando de la Cerda of the Guatemalan Embassy in CI's office in Washington, DC. Ambassador Susan Jacobs, the Director of Children's Issues, the Adoption Unit Chief, and other CI adoption unit staff represented the CI in the meeting. The U.S. Citizen and Immigration Services (USCIS) Deputy Director of International Operations Division, Wally Bird, attended as well.

Representatives of CI and USCIS expressed the U.S. Government's (USG) interest in resolving the estimated hundreds of grandfathered adoption cases. We specifically raised concerns regarding cases under CNA processing authority, which have been stagnant since mid-2010. The CNA stated again that cases placed under its authority must be processed in accordance with the December 2007 law, which requires the CNA to seek biological and domestic placement options prior to approving an intercountry adoption. In addition, the CNA also informed us that many of the cases it has reviewed do not meet other procedural and substantive requirements of the new December 2007 law.

CI pointed out that the December 2007 law provided for continued processing of transition cases. Specifically, Article 56 of the December 2007 law states that cases in progress prior to December 31, 2007, and registered by February 1, 2008, may proceed pursuant to processes in place at the time of case initiation (notarial). CI expressed concern that cases that have been under CNA processing for over 3 years are now no longer being treated as transition cases. While we respect the CNA's right and responsibility to apply Guatemalan law, we urged the CNA to continue to move forward on these cases, in the best interests of the children.

During the meeting CI also provided CNA with a draft letter of assurance that U.S. immigration process is available for CNA cases that meet U.S. grandfathering provisions. We had committed to providing this letter during our meetings in Guatemala in March 2011. CNA President De Larios reviewed and generally agreed with the language of the letter, but requested several additions. Both parties concluded that a single letter could cover the group of cases identified as ready to move forward.

May 5, 2011 meeting with the CNA and current status of the letter of assurance” for cases with the CNA

Following the April 14, 2011 meeting, the Director of the Office of Children's Issues finalized a letter of assurance, which incorporated CNA's previously stated expectations. The Consul General delivered this letter to the CNA on May 5, 2011. However, the CNA responded that it required additional language on four new points. CI is expeditiously working on a revised version of the letter addressing CNA's new requirements.

The CNA advised that it has identified 9 cases as ready to proceed once they accept the language of the letter. They also indicated that there are 27 total cases with 31 children under CNA processing authority. The CNA repeated its previous statements that not all cases under its authority will be able to proceed to intercountry adoption and that it will notify U.S. citizen prospective adoptive parents with cases that cannot proceed.

Senator Mary Landrieu and Ambassador Susan Jacobs trip to Guatemala
April 18-19, 2011

Ambassador Susan Jacobs travelled to Guatemala from April 24-27, 2011 to attend meetings with a delegation led by Senator Mary Landrieu of Lousiana. The delegation attended meetings with: Ministerio Publico (MP); the Comisión Internacional Contra la Impunidad en Guatemala (CICIG); the Procuraduría General de la Nacion (PGN); CNA; Guatemalan President Colom; and members of the Guatemalan Congress. Senator Landrieu expressed her desire for the pending adoption cases to be resolved and children placed with the U.S. families with whom they had been matched.

Working Group update

Guatemalan authorities have advised us that the working group (known as the "mesa tecnica" in Spanish) has continued to meet weekly. The U.S. Embassy continues to communicate with each of the institutions that participate in the working group on a regular basis.

In its April 19 meeting with Senator Landrieu and Ambassador Jacobs, the CNA provided information about cases reviewed by the working group to date. Though not all cases appear to be connected to U.S. grandfathered families, approximately 60 cases involving U.S. citizens have undergone an initial review by the working group since January 2011. The CNA information indicates the following on the cases reviewed by the working group:

6 cases were approved to proceed to final adoption processing as notarial cases
12 cases are pending additional processing
18 cases are pending under the CNA's protection processing authority
13 cases resulted in the child being placed with the biological family
6 cases resulted in the child being placed in domestic adoption proceedings
2 cases were completed and the child is already in the U.S.
3 of the cases did not meet transition requirements.

Important note: The information provided was incomplete, somewhat unclear, and is unconfirmed. We have asked the CNA and the PGN to inform families directly of significant case developments, and have asked that the two agencies provide us with copies of the notices to families, so that we can ensure that families receive this information. To date, the two agencies have not provided us with copies of the notice to families of case specific decisions, but we continue to request it.

Adoption Visas issued by the U.S. Embassy in 2011

Since January 1, 2011 the Consular Section of the U.S. Embassy has issued 16 IR3 adoption visas for cases which had completed all adoption processing including I-600 approval from USCIS. The numbers of visas issued each month from January 2011 to May 2011 are as follows:

January 2011: 2
February 2011: 3
March 2011: 7
April 2011: 3
May 2011 (as of May 15): 1

Please note that the numbers represent only those cases that have completed ALL Guatemalan processing, including: receiving a final adoption decree; new birth certificate; Guatemalan passport; and for which a complete Form I-600 petition has been filed with and approved by USCIS. Only after all of these steps are completed, USCIS transfers the case file to the Consular Section of the U.S. Embassy for visa processing. The above figures represent only the numbers of cases which have completed ALL processing steps with Guatemalan authorities, USCIS- Guatemala, and the Consular Section.

USCIS Status of Remaining Grandfathered Cases

As of April 30, 2011, USCIS Guatemala had 378 active cases. (Note: This total may include cases in which the petitioner has subsequently decided to abandon the case but did not inform USCIS.) Of these cases:

339 were pre-approved and pending action by the Government of Guatemala; awaiting final adoption documents
21 were pending U.S. petitioner action (i.e. DNA, RFE response, etc.)
2 cases were pending USCIS processing
2 cases pending other U.S. Government action
2 cases were pending Consular Section visa interview

In the month of April 2011, USCIS Guatemala received final Guatemalan adoption documents for 2 cases AND approved 2 Form I-600 petitions.

If the documents are sufficient, the case is processed quickly and referred to Consular Section for visa appointment.
If the final documents do not provide sufficient information to establish that the child meets the definition of an orphan under U.S. immigration law, USCIS Guatemala City issues a Request for Evidence (RFE).

USCIS Guatemala received 11 sets of final documents in from January through April, 2011.

Other news

CICIG announced in a press release that lawyer Susana Luarca Saracho was arrested in her residence on May 6, 2010 and charged with illicit association, trafficking in persons for the purpose of illegal adoptions, and use of false documents in connection with her involvement with Asociación Primavera. In addition, the CICIG press release announced that Alma Beatriz Valle Flores de Mejia, also connected with Asociación Primavera, was arrested on April 6 on similar charges. The link (in Spanish) can be found on CICIG's website at http://www.s21.com.gt/opinion/2011/05/08/adopciones-malas-interpretaciones.

http://adoption.state.gov/country_information/country_specific_alerts_notices.php?alert_notice_type=notices&alert_notice_file=guatemala_5

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

DOS Adoption Notice: Ethiopia

2011-06-02T14:24:00.001-04:00

Notice: Update on adoption case processing by MOWCYA in Ethiopia

June 2, 2011

The U.S. Embassy in Ethiopia has received information from the Ministry of Women, Children and Youth Affairs indicating that processing of cases that received a court summons prior to March 8, 2011 is still ongoing. This exceeds their estimated 15-20 days to expeditiously process this caseload, as indicated in our April 5 notice. The Embassy also understands that processing of cases with court summons after March 8 is proceeding at 5 cases per day, and there is no indication that these numbers will increase in the short term.

Prospective Adoptive Parents and parents awaiting final approval of their match from the Ministry of Women, Children and Youth Affairs are cautioned to anticipate continued and considerable delays and are encouraged to remain in contact with their agency for updates to their case.

The Embassy's Adoptions Unit can be reached at consadoptionaddis@state.gov.

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/

UPDATE: Media Reports on China Scandal

2011-06-01T09:49:00.002-04:00

On May 11, PEAR published a list of reports on the emerging scandal involving the abduction of children for intercountry adoption. Continuing reports on the scandal have been published in May 2011 some of which are listed below. These reports include a piece in the Canadian Inside Politics Blog entitled Canadian Parents wary as China Confronts Baby Trafficking. PEAR member Cathy Wagner was interviewed for this piece.

Canadian Media:

CBC News, Inside Politics Blog. Canadian Parents wary as China Confronts Baby Trafficking, May 25, 2011. Leslie MacKinnon http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/inside-politics-blog/2011/05/canadian-parents-wary-as-china-confronts-baby-trafficking.html.

CBC News. Chinese baby trafficking leaves farmers forlorn. May 16, 2011.Anthony Germain http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/story/2011/05/15/china-stolen-babies.html

US Media:

TIME Global Spin Blog, Have Foreigners Unwittingly Adopted Victims of Baby-Selling in China? May 11, 2011. Hannah Beech. http://globalspin.blogs.time.com/2011/05/11/have-foreigners-adopted-victims-of-baby-selling-in-china/

MSNBC, Adoption scandal exposed by muckraking Chinese journalists. May 17, 2011. Adrienne Mong. http://behindthewall.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/05/17/6659485-adoption-scandal-exposed-by-muckraking-chinese-journalists-

LifeSiteNews.com, Illegal babies abducted by Chinese population control officials, May 26, 2011 Steve Mosher. http://www.lifesitenews.com/news/illegal-babies-abducted-by-chinese-population-control-officials/

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

DOS Adoption Notice: Ukraine

2011-05-21T22:20:00.001-04:00

May 20, 2011

Notice: Ukrainian Family Code Amendments and adoption processing in Ukraine

On May 19, the Ukrainian government passed an amendment to its Family Code to require orphans to be registered on the central adoption registry for one year and to be at least 5 years old before they are eligible for intercountry adoption. The amendment exempts children with certain special needs, relative adoptions, and sibling adoptions. The proposed amendment will take effect in June of this year and names the Ministry of Social Policy as the responsible authority for adoptions procedures.

We will continue to encourage the Ministry of Social Policy to ensure that pending adoptions between Ukraine and the United States are not interrupted as the Ukrainian Family Code is amended and the procedural and logistical aspects of the transfer is implemented.

According to SDA, there are now 139 U.S. families registered with the SDA, some of them already in-country. We are asking all American families that are currently in Ukraine or have appointments with SDA during the next few weeks to send their contact information to the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine's Adoption Unit at: kyivadoptions@state.gov . Families should contact their local adoption service provider for further updates and details.

We will keep monitoring the situation and will provide updates as they become available.

http://adoption.state.gov/country_information/country_specific_alerts_notices.php?alert_notice_type=notices&alert_notice_file=ukraine_9

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

An Open Letter from Norma Cruz to Senator Mary Landrieu

2011-05-20T14:23:00.004-04:00

The following letter was provided to PEAR for publication at large. It follows up CICIG's request for clarification from Senator Landrieu on her comments questioning the legitimacy of the CICIG report Players Involved in the Illegal Adoption Process in Guatemala since the Entry into Force of the Adoption Law referenced in our blog on May 4, 2011 - http://pear-now.blogspot.com/2011/05/cicigs-report-on-players-involved-in.html. Senator Landrieu has not yet made a statement clarifying her position on the CICIG report.

Dear Senator Landrieu,

During your short visit at the end of April to Guatemala, your agenda did not include Fundacion Sobrevivientes. As a result, I am writing this letter on behalf of the organization as well as the women of Guatemala who suffer living in the most violent country in the Western Hemisphere. We have the shameful statistic of two deaths of every day as a result of femicide, in addition to countless rapes and alarming rates of domestic violence. All of these social problems fuel human trafficking. On the issue of human sales, I am writing on behalf of the mothers who have lost their children to human trafficking, including illegal intercountry adoptions. I am currently very concerned about three specific cases—three young girls we know as Karen Abigail, Heidi, and Arlen Scarlett.

Since we share the same opinion that criminals must be prosecuted, especially those who were involved with illegal adoptions from Guatemala, I know that you will be sympathetic to these cases. In regards to progress on that mission, I am happy to report that a notorious adoption attorney, Susana Luarca was just arrested last week for her involvement with the case of Karen Abigail. While this is a good step forward, Luarca’s arrest is just one of many that are necessary to prosecute the criminals involved in the hidden structures of organized crime and adoptions in Guatemala. Given your commitment to justice, I am asking for your assistance in our quest for further criminal hearings. As I am sure that you know, the Government of Guatemala made a formal request to the US Department of Justice (DOJ) for the DNA tests of Karen Abigail, Heidi, and Arlen Scarlett. Their mothers Loyda, Raquel, and Olga ask that you use your influence and passion for ethical adoptions to help move this cause forward. This DNA request, dating back five years now, has yet to receive a satisfactory response from DOJ. We still await test results to legally and officially verify the child abductions and confirm the whereabouts of the girls in the USA.

Further, in the USA, we need a collaborative law enforcement response above and beyond the DNA tests. We have reason to believe that Celebrate Children International (CCI) adoption agency of Florida was involved in the aforementioned illegal adoptions. I assume that you know there are well over a thousand documents related to complaints and other documentation on file with the state of Florida licensing board in regards to this agency (CCI). As we say in Guatemala, there is a “mountain” of evidence indicating this agency’s poor practices and illegal activities taking place in my country. Another agency is Felicity Children in Miami and we suspect, like CCI, that this agency was also involved in illegal adoptions. Finally, others who must be investigated include social worker Elizabeth Thomas-Colwell who was formerly a licensed social worker (LCSW) in the state of Illinois. Again we have reason to believe that she was involved poor practices and potentially illegal adoptions.

Finally, as you know, the UN Commission on Impunity has been an incredibly important organization in Guatemala as we struggle for justice and fight against organized crime. Their December 2010 report on adoptions from Guatemala, including an extensive review of records and sampling of cases, was an important landmark in moving forward in the prosecutions of those involved in illegal adoptions. I understand that you are not in agreement with their findings. I am sure that you know that the Commission has asked for a response from you in regards to your recent comments. As I stand by the integrity of the research and the report itself, I too am requesting a formal response from you so that you may clarify your position. Please see the English version of the report at http://findingfernanda.com/2011/04/cicigs-december-2010-adoption-report-english-spanish/ and the follow-up request for a response at http://findingfernanda.com/2011/04/cicig-responds-to-senator-landrieu/

In closing, we anticipate another hunger protest on behalf of the three mothers and their daughters. We hope that you will join us in solidarity, at least in spirit. If you want to know more about our 2009 hunger protest, please see: http://www.socmag.net/?p=540

I appreciate your response to this open letter.

Sincerely,

Norma Cruz
2008 “Woman of Courage” Recipient awarded by the US Department of State

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

DOS Adoption Notice: Mexico

2011-05-20T13:23:00.009-04:00

May 19, 2011

Notice: Adoption Service Providers Authorized in Mexico

The Mexican Central Authority (MCA) has provided the U.S. Central Authority (USCA) with information clarifying its process to authorize U.S.-based Hague accredited adoption service providers (ASPs) to provide adoption services in Mexico.

All prospective adoptive parents seeking to complete an intercountry adoption in Mexico must work with an ASP that has been authorized by a competent Mexican authority on either the national or state level. The national office of the Desarollo Integral de la Familia (DIF) provides national authorization of ASPs. In addition, state DIF offices do not have to recognize national authorizations and have the discretion to provide state-level authorizations to ASPs.

The MCA has informed us that, to date, only one ASP, Carolina Adoptions, has been authorized at the national level by national DIF. Twenty-nine Mexican states, plus the Federal District, have confirmed that they will accept Carolina Adoptions’ national authorization (please see the MCA state-by-state list provided).

The state of Jalisco does not accept Carolina Adoptions’ national authorization, but has authorized Across the World Adoptions to operate there. The state of Nuevo Leon indicates that it does not process intercountry adoptions.

Please note that because state DIF offices may authorize additional ASPs on a case-by-case basis, prospective adoptive parents (or their ASPs) must contact the DIF office in the relevant state to confirm whether a specific ASP has authorization, as well as provide USCIS, National Benefits Center, with proof of that authorization from the state level at the time of filing their case.

Please note that Carolina Adoptions has informed the USCA that due to its full workload of pending cases it is not able to take on new Mexican cases at this time. The National DIF informed us that several additional U.S.-based Hague Accredited ASPs are in process and pending authorization by the National DIF. As soon as we receive updated information we will publish additional public announcements.

The USCA will continue to work with the MCA to clarify how best to confirm that prospective adoptive parents are working with an authorized provider as authorizations continue to be granted at both the national and state levels, and more information will be provided at a later date.

Note from the Office of Children's Issues: The below list of U.S. Hague accredited adoption service providers that are authorized to provide intercountry adoptions services in Mexico was provided to our office in April 2011 by the national office of the Desarrollo Integral de la Familia (DIF). The information is subject to change. Prospective adoptive parents should verify this information with the national DIF before proceeding with an intercountry adoption.

Agencias acreditadas por Estados Unidos, y autorizadas en México, con el objeto de realizar adopciones internacionales con este Sistema Nacional DIF, y los diversos Sistemas Estatales.

ENTIDAD FEDERATIVA	ORGANISMO
AGUASCALIENTES	CAROLINA ADOPTION SERVICES
BAJA CALIFORNIA	CAROLINA ADOPTION SERVICES
BAJA CALIFORNIA SUR	CAROLINA ADOPTION SERVICES
CAMPECHE	CAROLINA ADOPTION SERVICES
COAHUILA	CAROLINA ADOPTION SERVICES
COLIMA	CAROLINA ADOPTION SERVICES
CHIAPAS	CAROLINA ADOPTION SERVICES
CHIHUAHUA	CAROLINA ADOPTION SERVICES
DURANGO	CAROLINA ADOPTION SERVICES
DISTRITO FEDERAL	CAROLINA ADOPTION SERVICES
ESTADO DE MÉXICO	CAROLINA ADOPTION SERVICES
GUANAJUATO	CAROLINA ADOPTION SERVICES
GUERRERO	CAROLINA ADOPTION SERVICES
HIDALGO	CAROLINA ADOPTION SERVICES
JALISCO	ACROSS THE WORLD
MICHOACÁN	CAROLINA ADOPTION SERVICES
MORELOS	CAROLINA ADOPTION SERVICES
NAYARIT	CAROLINA ADOPTION SERVICES
NUEVO LEÓN	NO REALIZAN ADOPCIONES INTERNACIONALES
OAXACA	CAROLINA ADOPTION SERVICES
PUEBLA	CAROLINA ADOPTION SERVICES
QUERÉTARO	CAROLINA ADOPTION SERVICES
QUINTANA ROO	CAROLINA ADOPTION SERVICES
SAN LUIS POTOSÍ	CAROLINA ADOPTION SERVICES
SINALOA	CAROLINA ADOPTION SERVICES
SONORA	CAROLINA ADOPTION SERVICES
TABASCO	CAROLINA ADOPTION SERVICES
TAMAULIPAS	CAROLINA ADOPTION SERVICES
TLAXCALA	CAROLINA ADOPTION SERVICES
VERACRUZ	CAROLINA ADOPTION SERVICES
YUCATÁN	CAROLINA ADOPTION SERVICES
ZACATECAS	CAROLINA ADOPTION SERVICES

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

DOS Adoption Notice: Democratic Republic of Congo

2011-05-13T14:26:00.001-04:00

Democratic Republic of Congo

May 13, 2011
Notice: Change to travel requirement for prospective adoptive parents

The U.S. Embassy in Kinshasa has been verbally informed by the Direction Generale de Migration in Kinshasa (Immigration Office) that a change in regulation will now require prospective adoptive parents to travel to the Democratic Republic of Congo to pick up their child in order to receive exit clearance. This change has not yet been confirmed in writing, which the U.S. Embassy has requested through formal diplomatic channels, nor have any other details been released.

Prospective adoptive parents are encouraged to work with their agencies regarding details of any planned travel to bring their children home. The U.S. Embassy in Kinshasa will post any new information that becomes available on adoption.state.gov.

http://adoption.state.gov/country_information/country_specific_alerts_notices.php?alert_notice_type=notices&alert_notice_file=democratic_republic_of_congo_1

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

COMMENTARY: Response to China's Latest Adoption Scandal

2011-05-11T20:11:00.000-04:00

-- by Brian H. Stuy

The news this week that Chinese Family Planning officials had raided a small farming community in rural Hunan Province and confiscated nearly twenty young children has citizens in China understandably outraged. Family Planning officials are already despised by most Chinese, due to their ability to blatantly and capriciously impose their will on local families. As the New York Times described it, villages and towns are often "private fiefdoms run by local party officials." This story, in which Family Planning confiscated children to "sell" to overseas foreign families through the area orphanage, has ignited a firestorm of outrage in China, most of it directed at the Family Planning establishment.

This anger is largely misdirected. Although the Family Planning officials are certainly guilty of myriad sins, the majority of the guilt for these events should be directed at the orphanages themselves.

Most would assume that orphanages in China are set up to care for abandoned children found scattered around the countryside. What is usually overlooked is that with the introduction of international adoption in 1992, fees paid by foreign families has become a substantial source of revenue for China's social welfare program, revenue that is used to build lavish and impressive orphanages and Old Folk's Homes, used to "benefit" local and Provincial authorities, and used to pay the salaries of an entire bureaucratic structure dedicated to international adoptions. Everyone involved in China's international adoption program has an incentive to keep the program going. The payoff is obvious -- for every child adopted by a foreign family, the orphanage receives $5,000 (35,000 yuan) in "donations".

The Gaoping Family Planning confiscations has its root not in the Family Planning restrictions, but in the Shaoyang orphanage. Area residents reveal that before 2000, Family Planning officials would punish a family for having an overquota child by smashing their furniture or destroying their homes. "Since 2000 they haven't smashed homes. They abduct children," one local resident stated. The change occurred when the orphanage began to reward the Family Planning official who confiscated a child with 1,000 yuan cash. Now, instead of having to expend energy smashing a couch or end table, the officials could simply take the child and be paid nearly a month's salary as a reward.

In 2005, six orphanages in Hunan Province were caught buying babies from area traffickers. Although those six orphanages largely ceased participating in the international adoption program after the exposure, many other orphanages inside China have continued to buy babies from traffickers unimpeded. Press stories by ABC News, the L.A. Times, and others show that buying babies is still prevalent, and statistical analysis reveals that a majority of children adopted from China entered the orphanage through Family Planning confiscations, outright purchase, or through other "incentive" programs. Rather than being safe-havens for unwanted and abandoned children, China's orphanages are more accurately described as businesses, seeking to maximize its benefit like any other profit-seeking enterprise.

China's problems are by no means unique, as similar scandals have been seen in Ethiopia, Guatamala, Vietnam, Romania, and nearly every other sending country on earth. These problems will persist until the "profit-making" structure of international adoption is changed. Until an orphanage can no longer receive substantial cash donations from foreign families for a child that they can obtain for relatively little outlay, enterprising orphanage directors will
continue to make "deals with the devil", whether that be area baby traffickers or the local Family Planning officials.

**Brian Stuy is the owner of Research-China.Org, a firm committed to obtaining pre-adoption information for children adopted from China. He is a member of PEAR (Parents for Ethical Adoption Reform). He can be contacted at BrianStuy@Research-China.Org.

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

MEDIA: Adoption Scandal Being Reported in Media

2011-05-10T15:58:00.003-04:00

Allegations in the Chinese and other international media are emerging concerning reports that babies were confiscated under the country's one-child policy and put up for intercountry adoption against their families' wishes. Adoptive and prospective adoptive families should fully investigate adoptions programs both with their agency and through independent and alternative information sources. Be aware of potential issues and be prepared to make hard choices. Don't just open your hearts, open your eyes and ears as well.

The story is being reported in the following media:

And blogs:

http://seagullreference.blogspot.com/2011/05/children-sold-by-government-for.html

Further background on trafficking allegations and scandals involving the illegal procurment of children for intercountry adoption in China can be found at the following sites:

Pound Pup Legacy:

Research-China.org:

http://www.research-china.org/

Schuster Institute:

http://www.brandeis.edu/investigate/gender/adoption/china.html

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

UPDATE: Kyrgyzstan Moratorium

2011-05-08T10:28:00.004-04:00

Radio Free Europe reported on May 7, 2011 that the Kyrg government has lifted the moratorium on intercountry adoptions which has been in effect since February 2009:
http://www.rferl.org/content/kyrgyzstan_lifts_ban_on_international_adoptions/24094372.html

The lifting of the ban comes on the heels of an official US visit to Kyrgystan by DOS Special Advisor on Children's Issues, Ambassador Susan Jacobs, on February 14, 2011. The purpose of Ambassador Jacob's visit was to advocate for intercountry adoptions and the processing of the 65 cases in process prior to the moratorium. http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2011/02/156030.htm

The US DOS has not yet confirmed the lifting of the moratorium, please refer to the adoption.state.gov website for updates and confirmation. PEAR will post any DOS public announcements as they are made.

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

SURVEY: Stories of Adult Transnational Adoptees and their American Parents

2011-05-07T08:48:00.002-04:00

A mother - daughter team of researchers is putting together research on the relationship between adult transnational adoptees and their adoptive parents. The goal is open dialogue between adoptees and their adoptive parents on issues related to transnational adoption.

If you are an adult transnational adoptee or the adoptive parent of an adult transnational adoptee and you would like to take part in this research please visit the website to find out more about this study, access the surveys, or send requests to be interviewed: http://transnational-adoptee-parent-study.webs.com/

Website: http://transnational-adoptee-parent-study.webs.com/
FB page: http://www.facebook.com/Stories.Adoptee.Parent
Parent Survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/Stories_Adoptive_Parent
Adoptee Survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/Stories_Adult_Adoptee

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

Agency Information: Florida Department of Children and Families' Documents Concerning Celebrate Children International of Oveido Florida

2011-05-05T06:17:00.004-04:00

Erin Siegal, author of the upcoming book, Finding Fernanda*, has released documents obtained from the Florida Department of Children and Families concerning Celebrate Children International (CCI) of Oveido Florida. The documents pertain to complaints about CCI's International adoption programs. All documents were obtained in response to a public records request (Freedom of Information Act) made by Ms. Siegal as part of her research process in writing Finding Fernanada and are available for download at the following link: http://findingfernanda.com/?p=512

*From the Finding Fernanda website - "Finding Fernanda is a dramatic true story and a carefully reported work of investigative journalism that brings readers on a gripping journey into the world of international adoption corruption. The story follows two mothers, one American and one Guatemalan, whose lives abruptly collide while searching for the same little girl. Each woman unwittingly ends up playing a pivotal role in what was one of Guatemala’s most profitable underground industries: the buying and selling of children for international adoption".
http://findingfernanda.com/

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

CICIG'S Report on Players Involved in the Illegal Adoption Process in Guatemala since the Entry into Force of the Adoption Law

2011-05-04T22:35:00.007-04:00

CICIG Report on on Players Involved in the Illegal Adoption Process in Guatemala since the Entry into Force of the Adoption Law is now available in English.
http://cicig.org/index.php?page=reports

EXCERPT FROM CICIG'S REPORT ON GUATEMALA ADOPTIONS:

Latin America is one of the most unequal regions in the world, with one of the highest rates of violence, which affects mainly women and children. In Guatemala, people aged 0-17 represent more than half the total population.

Although significant progress has been made, Guatemala has not been able to ensure that children can live free from violence and protected against all forms of abuse or exploitation. Impunity, and thus violence, are marking the lives of children and adolescents in Guatemala.
For years, many children have been stolen, missing and/or kidnapped for trafficking under the irregular guise of adoption; their mothers were threatened, deceived or even punished in their communities. An example of the consequences of impunity is the fact that in 2007, 60% of lynchings in Guatemala concerned alleged abductions of children.

This problem is one of the main concerns of the International Commission against Impunity in Guatemala (known by its Spanish acronym as CICIG).

That was precisely why, to support the considerable efforts made by UNICEF in this area, the “Agreement for Cooperation on Studies on Children and Adolescents” was signed to continue supporting the work of UNICEF and institutions responsible for child protection and investigation of crimes committed against children and adolescents in connection with Guatemalan clandestine organizations and illegal security bodies.

That is the context of this study. It sets out the results of investigations conducted by the International Commission against Impunity in Guatemala (CICIG) of all domestic and inter-country adoption proceedings conducted during the transition period that started on 31 December 2007 with the entry into force of the Adoption Law and of the first ones processed under the regulations of the new law. The Adoption Law of Guatemala contains the principles enshrined the Convention on the Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Inter-Country Adoption (Hague Convention), ratified by Guatemala.

Reducing violence and impunity in this type of crimes requires not only strong political will in the criminal and investigative area, but also that this will be exercised by all the institutions responsible for the comprehensive protection of children and adolescents.

That is why CICIG presents specific recommendations and hopes that they will be followed in keeping with the national and international obligations of each State institution in charge of the comprehensive protection system in favor of Guatemalan children and adolescents.
Finally, I thank all the officials of Guatemalan institutions who cooperated with CICIG by providing information for this study and thank all my colleagues at the International Commission against Impunity who worked with great professionalism and commitment in the preparation of this report. Guatemala deserves a country worthy of its children, without violence and with institutions that can be trusted.

After publication of this document, Prensa Libre reported on April 26, 2011 that Senator Mary Landrieu called into question the legitimacy of the reports finding. http://www.prensalibre.com/noticias/Cicig-detalles-senadora-Landrieu-criticas_0_470952933.html. In repsonse, CICIG published the following press release demanding an explanation from Senator Landrieu:

PRESS RELEASE 030

CICIG REQUESTS PUBLIC EXPLANATION FROM SENATOR LANDRIEU (LOUISIANA STATE, U.S.A.) CONCERNING COMMENTS MADE ON REPORT OF ILLEGAL ADOPTIONS IN GUATEMALA.

During her visit to Guatemala, the Senator met with various authorities responsible for child protection and manifested her disagreement with the CICIG´s report on criminal structures involved in illegal adoptions.

Guatemala, 27 April 2011. The Guatemalan media edition of Prensa Libre, dated 26 April 2011 (pages 4 and 5), published a story about the visit of U.S. Senator Mary Landrieu which reads: “Landrieu said she does not share all of CICIG´s findings presented in a report in late 2010, detailing abnormalities in the adoption processes which are still in transition between the previous and the current law.”

The International Commission against Impunity in Guatemala publicly requests Senator Landrieu to provide evidence to the Guatemalan society on which she bases her comments to disqualify the content of the “Report on actors involved in the process of illegal adoptions in Guatemala.” She was also invited to explain to the Guatemalan society her position concerning the numerous adoptions of children illegally taken away from their biological parents.

CICIG informs the public opinion that the report is a result of the work of a team of professional experts who analyzed for 18 months over 3,342 notarial notices from the records of the Attorney General’s Office (PGN) related to adoption processes: 1,412 issued by the PGN and the National Council on Adoptions (CNA); 879 requests and protection measure processes from the Youth and Children Courts; and 153 declarations of adoptability issued by the Courts of Children and Adolescents. Furthermore, more than 50 criminal investigations conducted by the Public Ministry (MP) were analyzed in relation to the crime of trafficking in persons for illegal adoption.

From the analysis of the data gathered, it was found that over 60% of the processes for adoption contained abnormalities such as theft and illegal purchase/sale of children, threats and deception to biological mothers, and forgery of documents to carry out “adoption processes” both before and after the entry into force of the Adoption Law (31 December 2007). In many cases there are multiple and clear indications that the illegal procedures were promoted by transnational organized crime who acted along with the participation or acquiescence of state officials. Currently, the Public Ministry investigates more than 325 adoption processes which present serious irregularities.

In its report, the CICIG is able to determine the modus operandi of transnational organized crime networks involved in trafficking of children through illegal adoptions. Since that report, the CICIG was also able to determine that an international adoption in Guatemala, rather than representing a way of procuring a family to an unprotected child, often has become a mechanism for delivering children to those who request and pay, turning such institution into a lucrative form of human trafficking which is an offense under the Penal Code in Guatemala.

Among the many findings stated in the CICIG report, it is established that only 10% of Guatemalan children who were placed for adoption between 2007 and 2010 were in an orphaned or abandoned situation.

Moreover, specific cases were identified in which the representatives and/or facilitators of international adoption agencies in Guatemala were aware of the illicit origin of the children placed for adoption and yet continued illegal processes through altered DNA tests, deception and threats to biological mothers, and the use of forged documents.

CICIG supports that the international adoptions are an option of life for those children who need it. However, given that the pending processes have serious irregularities, CICIG supports the position of PGN, CNA and MP – competent institutions on the issue – and in particular promotes that each adoption process approved individually, as a minimum, should establish the following: (1) lawful origin of the child; (2) ratification of the biological mother´s consent; (3) determination of paternity through DNA testing; and (4) veracity of the identity of the child and the mother.

CICIG reiterates its firm commitment to continue supporting the Guatemalan institutions, including the Attorney General’s Office, the National Council on Adoptions and the Public Ministry, in its fight to eradicate illegal adoptions and to combat impunity.http://www.guatemala-times.com/news/guatemala/2257-cicig-requests-explanation-from-us-senator-landrieu-regarding-illegal-adoption-comments-in-guatemala.html

An excellent analysis of the situation can be found at REFORM Talk Blog:
http://reformtalk.blogspot.com/2011/05/guatemala-says-over-60-of-adoption.html

Editorial Note: Yesterday's publication of this blog mistakenly omitted the text of CICIG Press Release which was added 5/5/2011

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

DOS Adoption Notice: Ukraine

2011-05-01T08:10:00.003-04:00

Editorial note: the DOS released a similar Notice on April 8, we have highlighted the updated information with italics to accentuate the changes between the current Notice and the Notice of April 8, 2011

Adoption Notice: Ukraine
April 29, 2011

SDA authority and adoption processing in Ukraine

On the evening of April 7, 2011, President Yanukovych signed a Decree transferring all functions of, the State Department for Adoption and Protection of the Rights of the Child (SDA-- the current central adoption authority of Ukraine), to the Ministry for Social Policy. We do not yet know how the implementation of this transfer will affect processing of adoption cases in the immediate future however the SDA is continuing to process current pending cases at present.

We understand the Decree to amend the Ukrainian Family Code to reflect the transfer of adoption authority to the Ministry of Social Policy is currently in effect. However, the SDA has continued to carry out the functions of the adoption authority.We will continue to encourage Ukraine to ensure that adoptions between Ukraine and the United States are not interrupted as the Ukrainian Family Code is amended and the procedural and logistical aspects of the transfer is implemented.

According to SDA, there are now 134 U.S. families registered with the SDA, some of them already in-country. We are asking all American families that are currently in Ukraine or have appointments with SDA during the next few weeks to send their contact information to the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine’s Adoption Unit at: kyivadoptions@state.gov . Families should contact their local adoption service provider for further updates and details.

We will keep monitoring the situation and will provide updates as they become available.

http://adoption.state.gov/country_information/country_specific_alerts_notices.php?alert_notice_type=notices&alert_notice_file=ukraine_8

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