Results of POSitive Study–Comments

Unlike most surveys, we asked several open-ended questions. There were hundreds of helpful comments. Here is a representative list of recommendations by adoptive parents and issues that still need to be addressed.

• The need to give parents a list of what type of interventions are available, what issues kids have and the order/timing .Screens need to continue throughout several years.

• Sensory issues, speech/language, dietary/toxin, psychology/attachment, infant reflexes and sleep issues screening in first year with learning assessments in subsequent years.

• Pre-adopt and post-adopt education of all of these assessments.

• Concern for cost of therapies.

• Speech screening in native language within first month.

• Respite care as an option in the first few months after gaining custody of child to ease transition.

• Educate pediatricians on possible issues in adopted children.

• Audio and sensory screens before child begins school.

• Older children need counseling immediately for how to function in family setting.

• Details about behavior issues after being in orphanage.

• Specifics on how to address sexual abuse prior to joining family.

• Alcohol related Neurological Disorder (ARND) what to look for, early assessment.

• Break down of disorder frequency by country.

• Dental issues.

• Missed/delayed diagnoses of Post traumatic stress disorder/assume child has PTSD.

• Not enough education about Post-Adoption Depression (PAD).

• Insurance not covering developmental therapy.

• Achieving educational success.

• Want advocate or case manager to go to for customized explanations for child.

• Figuring out agency’s honesty/accountability/getting money back for failed adoption.

• Better list of parent support groups.

• Assertiveness training for parents since they need to advocate for their child.

• Legal issues, such as falsely being accused of abuse.

• Helping the parents, not just the children.

• Support in navigating birthfamily relationships.

• Handling serious attachment issues.

• All aspects of dealing with older children.

• Vaccine scheduling for the internationally adopted child.

• Continued support (including financial) from adoption agencies.

• Issues stemming from child’s history of sexual abuse.

• Trauma from adoption and life before adoption.

• Central website for post-adoption resources.

• Finding/connecting with birthfamily in international adoptions.

• Parental stress/depression post adoption.

• Post adoption subsidies, grants for issues that are not detected immediately after adopting.

• Dealing with situation where it has been found that your child was trafficked/sold into adoption.

• Developmental stages post adoption for kids of all ages.

• Identity issues, especially in transracial adoptions.

• Peer mentors for adoptive parents.








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

PEAR Questions to US Department of State

PEAR has asked the following questions to Assistant Secretary for Consular Affairs, Janice L. Jacobs during the Ask the State Department Celebrate National Adoption Month open questioning period that ends November 30. The State Department will be selecting questions and answering them on their website in December.

1. How can China be considered "Hague-compliant" with open trafficking rampant enough for their government to set up a website to find the parents for trafficked children who have been recovered amid reports that the CW Centers themselves routinely offer hundreds of dollars to Mother's willing to sell their children?

2. How can India be considered “Hague-compliant” when their own laws state CARA may charge ONLY $3000 total in foreign adoption fees yet there is not a single agency in the world that pays them that? In reality no agency can get Cara approval to operate in India without agreeing to donate thousands of dollars for both services and "humanitarian aid” programs.

3. Given the facts that JCICS is a financial supporter of COA, adoption service providers sit on COA's board of directors, and the accreditation process and review is not transparent, how can we have confidence in COA's ability to make unbiased decisions to accredit agencies? Despite numerous promises to do so, neither COA nor DOS have provided publicly accessible disclosure of agencies with pending applications. Why is this?

4. To date, adoptive parents, adoption service providers and adoption advocacy and reform groups have filed numerous complaints against Hague accredited agencies, some dating back over a year yet, according to a recent quote by Richard Klarberg, none of the complaints leading to investigations have been resolved. Is DOS planning on providing assistance to COA in completing these investigations in a timely manner and disclosing the outcomes to the public? What about cases where COA is unable to investigate allegations of Hague violations in foreign countries? Will DOS be providing assistance?

5. Why is the US continuing to allow adoptions from non-Hague countries and are there any plans to demand Hague compliance in the foreseeable future?

6. Will the US be one of the four pilot countries when Guatemala re-opens?









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

ISS Report on Adoption from Vietnam

In November 2009, the International Social Service (ISS) released its "Report on Adoption from Vietnam". The ISS is "an international non-governmental organisation that has consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), as well as with UNICEF and other intergovernmental bodies." ISS helps individuals, children and families confronted with social problems involving two, or more, countries as a consequence of international migration or displacement. The report was commissioned by the Department of Adoption of the Ministry of Justice of Vietnam and UNICEF Vietnam to assist the Vietnamese government in formulating an adoption system in compliance with the 1993 Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoption.

The full report is very a detailed and thoughtful analysis of the issues facing adoption from Vietnam and includes recommendations for improvement. The report highlights issues that currently plague other adoption programs, therefore its principles and recommendations could well suit consideration by adoption service providers, governments, and adopting families involved in international adoptions. PEAR suggests that interested parties read the entire 68 page report in order to fully appreciate the findings and recommendations. The full report can be obtained by writing to PEAR at reform@pear-now.org or by downloading a copy at: http://www.omc.gov.ie/viewdoc.asp?fn=/documents/legislation/ISS_Report_Adoption_from_Vietnam_Nov_2009.doc

The report has the following sections:

The adoption of Vietnamese children in context.

Main areas of concern in relation to alternative care in Viet Nam including separation of families, adoption and alternative care.

Main areas of concern in relation to adoption in Viet Nam, including determination of the need for adoption, prioritizing domestic adoption, matching, and decision-making.

Characteristics of Vietnamese children adopted abroad including age, disabilities, minorities, adopters’ expectations.

Impact of foreign actors in intercountry adoption practices including governments and central authorities of receiving countries in developing, coordinating and oversight of programs; adoption agencies accreditation, monitoring, influence over policies and influence of money; financial questions of costs, fees, humanitarian aid requirements.

Legislative issues

Main recommendations

Addenda include the intercountry adoption procedure for the non-identified child and the proposal for regulations on foreign adoption agencies in the republic of Viet Nam prepared by International Social Service.

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

UPDATE: DOS Adoption Alert - Kyrgyzstan

Kyrgyzstan

Adoption Alert

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

November 24, 2009

The Kyrgyz government stopped processing all intercountry adoptions in October 2008 due to reports of corruption and fraud in the adoption process. The Kyrgyz authorities are conducting a criminal investigation into these allegations.

At present, the Kyrgyz government is not processing any adoption cases, including at least 65 adoptions by American families that were already in progress when the halt was announced. The Department of State (the Department) has urged the Kyrgyz government to complete its criminal investigation and resolve the pending cases so that eligible children can be placed in permanent homes. Many families have been waiting for over a year to complete their adoptions, and many of the children have serious medical problems. The Department has repeated this message to Kyrgyz officials in Washington and through U.S. Embassy Bishkek. Department officials raised the pending adoptions in a November 12 meeting with the Kyrgyz Ambassador to the United States, and with the Kyrgyz Foreign Minister during his visit to Washington on October 5.

The Department also raised the visibility of this issue, and addressed questions and concerns expressed by Kyrgyz officials and shared by some Kyrgyz citizens, through outreach programs. A U.S. adoption expert visited the Kyrgyz Republic in June to share her knowledge with Kyrgyz officials, nongovernmental organizations, journalists, and others. In May, the Department sponsored an adoption-themed study tour to the United States for three senior Kyrgyz officials. During the trip, the Kyrgyz officials met with representatives of the families with pending cases as well as some Kyrgyz children who had been adopted by Americans. In addition to these efforts, we have encouraged the Kyrgyz government to strengthen safeguards in the adoption process and eventually accede to the Hague Adoption Convention.

The Kyrgyz Parliament is considering a draft bill to reform the adoption process. It is unclear, however, if or when legislation will be passed to allow the completion of the pending cases and the processing of new ones. On November 13, the Kyrgyz Parliament held a closed hearing on intercountry adoption at which experts made presentations. It is our understanding that after the hearing Parliament decided to extend the deadline for government agencies to continue research on the subject. Parliament plans to hold another hearing on adoption by the end of February 2010. We will continue to engage the Kyrgyz government on this issue and will provide updates on this site as new information becomes available.

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

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

Results of POSitive Study-Testing and Intervention sections

Analyses of testing, and interventions including parenting techniques will be available in 2010.

Here are some general results.


Testing
The four most common screening tests that adoptees received include Hepatitis B and C serology (65%), HIV serology (64%), stool testing for ova and parasites (64%) and Tuberculosis screening (57%). The CDC outlines all of the recommended tests that international adoptees should receive at http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/yellowbook/2010/chapter-7/international-adoptions.aspx

Interventions
We asked adoptive parents about ninety different interventions. Speech therapy was the most commonly used intervention(39%). Occupational therapy with or without sensory processing specialty was used in 30% of the adoptees. Corrective lenses were used in 21%, physical therapy in 12% and Handwriting without tears program in 9% of the adoptees.

We asked adoptive parents about biomedical testing. Food allergen testing was the most prevalent with blood testing being the most common of those. Heavy metal testing was the second most common type of testing and inhalant allergy testing was the third most common type of testing.

We asked adoptive parents about supplements, nutritionals and chelators. Twenty-two percent used fish oil, thirteen percent used multivitamin ,twelve percent used melatonin, eleven percent used a form of probiotics and nine percent used vitamin C.

Next week we will be sharing a summary of adoptive parent concerns captured in our comment section.










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