Legislative Update: S. 1376: International Adoption Simplification Act

On July 14, 2010, Senator Leahy from Committee on the Judiciary filed the Committee's written report on the International Adoption Simplificiation Act. The report, No. 111-220 can be found on the Library of Congress website: http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/cpquery/T?&report=sr220&dbname=111&

PEAR supports Senate Bill 1376, the bill to restore immunization and sibling age exemptions for children adopted by United States citizens under the Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoption. This act allows waivers of the immigration immunization requirements for children adopted from Hague partner countries. It also allows children up to the age of 18 to be adopted and admitted into the US if they are siblings of previously adopted children. This bill addresses oversights in the drafting of the Hague Regulations and brings those regulations into parity with existing international adoption law and policy on immunization waivers and sibling adoptions in non-Hague programs.

We encourage prospective and adoptive parents to read the report and actively support this legislation.

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

Ukraine: Consulate Introduces Two-Day Appointment System for Issuing Visas to Adopted children

Americans Adopting in Ukraine: Consulate Introduces Two-Day Appointment System for Issuing Visas to Adopted children

Effective Friday ,July 9, 2010, U.S. Embassy Kyiv is requiring advance appointments for all adoption cases. This is necessary due to the resource and technical requirements of the immigrant visa process for adoptions. The two day appointment system covers document intake on the first business day and a full visa interview on the next business day. The immigrant visa will be processed to conclusion on the second business day, barring unforeseen circumstances. Also, when planning your visit to the Embassy's Consular Section please note that no adoption processing will take place on the last Friday of the month and that in all cases, appointments are required. Additionally, the Consular Section is closed on Ukrainian and American holidays. Please click on the enclosed link to see the holiday calendar for 2010:
http://ukraine.usembassy.gov/holidays.html

When you are ready to finalize your adoption and apply for an immigrant visa for your child, please e-mail us at kyivadoptions@state.gov to schedule your two day appointment. We will schedule you for the next available time slot, and we will e-mail you back with the confirmed appointment date/time. We schedule appointments between 10:00 a.m. and noon only. Our e-mail confirmation will contain a checklist of what documents you should bring as well as all forms you should complete. Please prepare all documents and complete all forms in advance, but do not sign them (as signatures must be made in a consular officer's presence.)

Document intake will occur on the first appointment day and the consular interview will take place on the next business day. (Note that if you are scheduled to submit your documents on a Friday, you will interview the next Monday, or the next business day if that Monday is a holiday. Also, no appointments will be scheduled on the last Friday of the month.) We generally are able to print and return visas by close of business on the second appointment day. However, we urge you not make final travel plans until you have a passport with a printed U.S. immigrant visa for your child in your possession. If we encounter a technical or other problem which prevents immediate visa issuance, and you have already made firm travel plans, you may be severely inconvenienced.

Other Reminders: If one parent needs to sign the I-600 and Acknowledgement of Health Problems forms and wishes to leave Ukraine before the final interview, this service will also be available by appointment only. Please email kyivadoptions@state.gov and we will schedule you for 1:45 p.m. on our soonest available slot and send you a confirmation e-mail that will contain both I-600 and Acknowledgement of Health Problems forms to complete (but not sign) in advance.
Note: Access to the Consular Section will be strictly limited to families who have received e-mail confirmation from us for an appointment on a specific date and time. Please do not assume you have an appointment for a specific date or time, even if you requested it in your e-mail, unless you receive confirmation of that date and time from us. We will respond to you and provide you by email with the earliest available appointment date after we receive your request.

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

http://ukraine.usembassy.gov/two-day_system.html

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

MEDIA: (Australia/Ethiopia) Families in the dark as adoption chief quits

Families in the dark as adoption chief quits
By Cassie White for News Online's Investigative Unit

The man who ran Australia's adoption program with Ethiopia for 20 years has stood down amidst ongoing serious allegations of corruption.
... Adoptive familes have welcomed the news Mr Gebeyehu will no longer be in charge, but have condemned what they say is the Federal Government's "secrecy" surrounding the real reason he stood aside.

Full story:
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/07/08/2948000.htm?section=justin

***Apology issued by ABC Australia:
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/07/08/2948000.htm

Updated Mon Jul 12, 2010 11:16am AEST

Editor's note
On 8 July 2010 the ABC published a story titled "Families in the Dark as Adoption Chief Quits" and on 16 March 2010 the ABC published a story titled "Australians Caught in Ethiopian Adoption Nightmare", which reported on matters concerning the Australian Ethiopian adoption program. The ABC has received a complaint from Ato Lakew Gebeyehu claiming these publications were defamatory of him. The ABC would like to make clear that it did not intend to infer that Mr Gebeyehu created false documents or that he otherwise engaged in corrupt or improper conduct or activities detrimental to children in his care or the performance of his functions, and retracts any such inference. The ABC apologises to Mr Gebeyehu and his family for any distress caused by any readers believing he was personally involved in those matters. The ABC also acknowledges that problems in the Australian-Ethiopian adoption program were reported by the parents of three Australian families but that other parents involved in the program have reported positive experiences with the program.

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

Russian Homestudy Providers Missing Post Placement Reports (aka "Black List")

In April PEAR reported on the Russian MOE's new list of Homestudy Providers with missing Post Placement Reports.

The official Russian MOE statement is here. The official list of Providers missing reports is here.

The Russian MOE advises the regional databank operators not to accept post placement commitments from the Homestudy Providers on this list.

PEAR has translated to English the receiving Country names and the Russian Region names. We created a USA only list have organized by US State to make it easier to use by families and Providers.

You can find the new translated lists on our website under the "Special Resources" tab on the Archives page or by following these links:
List of USA Providers
List of All Providers Worldwide

For Adoption Service Providers:
We are aware that some Homestudy Providers have worked hard to submit or re-submit the post placement reports that are listed as missing. US Homestudy Providers that need assistance in this matter should follow the guidelines of the US Embassy in Moscow. Addresses for the regional databank operators are here in both Russian and English.

For Families in Process of a Russian adoption:
Please be aware if your Homestudy Provider is listed, it is possible that your homestudy and post placement commitment will not be accepted by the region, or by the judge at court. You should speak to your Placing Agency for advice, and your Homestudy Provider to see if they are taking steps to submit the missing reports. You may need to locate another Homestudy Provider to complete your adoption in a timely fashion.

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

Hague Reports for the 2010 Special Commission

Documents submitted by various Hague member countries, including the US, which were created for the attention of the Special Commission of June 2010 on the practical operation of the Hague Convention of 29 May 1993 on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption are now available on the Hague website. http://www.hcch.net/index_en.php?act=text.display&tid=45#sc These include the following reports:

• Documents related to 2010 Special Commission
• Prel. Doc. No 1 - Questionnaire on Accredited Bodies and replies to the Questionnaire (+ responses)
• Prel. Doc. No 2 - Accreditation and adoption accredited bodies: General Principles and Guide to Good Practice
• Prel. Doc. No 3A - Country Profile - State of origin (+ responses)
• Prel. Doc. No 3B - Country Profile - Receiving State (+ responses)
• Prel. Doc. No 4 - Questionnaire on the abduction, sale of or traffic in children (+ responses)
• Prel. Doc. No 5 - Annual Adoption Statistics Forms (+ responses)
  

The documents contain a wealth of information about the demographics of adopted children, and their origins as well as trends, laws and policies of sending and receiving states. The information may be quite useful to prospective adoptive families researching country programs as well as individuals and organizations interested in background information on international adoption.


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