Wednesday, October 26, 2011

USCIS Stakeholder Meeting on Ethiopian Adoptions



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/

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

USCIS Presentation onTeleconference on Bringing Home Adopted Children

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/

Monday, October 17, 2011

DOS Adoption Notice: Ethiopia - More Orphanage Closures Announced


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

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/

Friday, October 14, 2011

Nepal -- Paper Orphans documentary posted on the web







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=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):

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 Children's Organization (NCO/Bal Mandir):

Victims of Balmandir:

http://poundpuplegacy.org/ node/43654

and

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


(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
and

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


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):



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:

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/