Adoption Agencies with a Russian Permit for Adoption Activity

Agency Name ~ Russian Permit for Adoption Activity (formerly known as 'accredited')

USA
ABC Adoption Services Inc ~ 28-Jan-08
Adopt-A-Child ~ 19-Jul-07
Adoption Associates ~ 19-Jul-07
Adoption Center of Washington ~ 26-Feb-08
Adoptions Together Inc ~ 14-Dec-07
Alaska International Adoption Agency (AIA) ~ 28-Dec-07
Alliance for Children ~ 22-Nov-07
Beacon House Adoption Services Inc ~ 28-Jan-08
Buckner Adoption and Maternity Services ~ 21-Jul-08
Catholic Social Services of the Diocese of Charlotte ~ 27-Jun-07
Children of the World Adoption Agency, NY ~ 14-Dec-07
Children's Home Society & Family Services (CHSFS) ~ 27-Jun-07
Children's Hope International ~ 14-Dec-07
Christian World Adoptions ~ 14-Dec-07
Cradle of Hope Adoption Center (COH) ~ 27-Jun-07 (reinstated)
Cradle Society (The Cradle) ~ 27-Jun-07
Creative Adoptions Inc ~ 14-Dec-07
Dove Adoptions International Inc ~ 26-Feb-08
European Adoption Consultants (EAC) ~ 19-Jul-07
Families Through International Adoption (FTIA) ~ 20-May-08
Florence Crittenton League of Lowell ~ 14-Dec-07
Frank Adoption Center-NC ~ 27-Jun-07
Gift of Life ~ 19-Jul-07
Gladney Center for Adoption ~ 14-Dec-07
Global Adoption Services Inc ~ 26-Feb-08
Hand in Hand ~ 26-Feb-08
Happy Families International Center ~ 22-Nov-07
Homestudies & Adoption Placement Services (HAPS) ~ 24-Dec-07
International Assistance Group (IAG) ~ 27-Jun-07
Life Adoption Services ~ 22-Nov-07
Lutheran Social Services of Wisconsin and Upper Michigan ~ 3-Mar-08
Maine Adoption Placement Services (MAPS) ~ 14-Dec-07
New Hope Christian Services ~ 24-Dec-07
Nightlight Christian Adoptions ~ 24-Dec-07
Small World Adoption Foundation of Missouri ~ 12-Sep-07
Wide Horizons for Children ~ 22-Nov-07
World Association for Children and Parents (WACAP) ~ 14-Dec-07
World Child International ~ 28-Jan-08
Wyoming Children's Society ~ 19-Jul-07

Belgium
A La Croisee Des Chemins ~ 14-Dec-07
Adoptiedienst Horizon ~ 22-Nov-07

Canada
Adoption Horizons Inc ~ 22-Nov-07
Caring Homes for Orphan Children (CHOC) Tzivos Hashem ~ 22-Nov-07
CHOICES Adoption ~ 3-Apr-08
Societe D'Adoption Quebecoise Une Grande Famille ~ 28-Aug-08

Finland
Pelastakaa Lapset ~ 24-Dec-07

France
De Pauline à Anaëlle Association ~ 28-Jan-08
Enfance Avenir ~ 19-Jul-07
L'Agence Française d'Adoption ~ 27-Jun-07

Germany
Diaconal Services of the Evangelical Church of the Rhein-Necker Region ~ 26-Feb-08

Israel
Atid Haieladim ~ 22-Nov-07
TAF ~ 19-Jul-07

Italy
ARAI - Regione Piemonte (ARAI) ~ 28-Dec-07 ~ corrected permit ~ 3-Apr-08
Associazione Amici dei Bambini (Ai. Bi.) ~ 14-Dec-07
Associazione Ariete ~ 28-Dec-07
Centro Internazionale per l'Infanzia e la Famiglia (CIFA) ~ 14-Dec-07
I Bambini dell'Arcobaleno ~ 28-Dec-07
La Primogenita International adoption ~ 28-Jan-08
L'airone - Adozioni Internazionali ~ 28-Dec-07
Nuova associazione di genitori insieme per l'adozione (NADIA) ~ 22-Nov-07
Servizio polifunzionale per l'adozione internazionale (SPAI) ~ 24-Dec-07
SOS Bambino International Adoption ~ 24-Dec-07

Spain
AIPAME ~ 19-Jul-07
ANDAI Asociación Nacional de Acogida Infantil ~ 24-Dec-07
Asociacion de Aydua a la Infancia del Mundo (AAIM) ~ 19-Jul-07
Association of Navarra Nuevo Futuro ~ 28-Jan-08
Creixer Junts ~ 24-Dec-07
Infancia y Futur ~ 3-Apr-08

Sweden
Adopshunssentrum ~ 28-Jan-08

Recent DOS Updates for International Adoption Programs; Guatemala, Cambodia, Brazil, Kyrgyzstan, Lesotho, Republic of Georgia

GUATEMALA

Adoption Alert

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

Update on Casa Quivira and Semillas de Amor Cases

February 5, 2009

Casa Quivira

According to our records, about 14 of the original 46 children at CQ still have cases pending. For six of these cases, the Attorney General’s Office (PGN) has identified irregularities. All six will have to be processed as abandonment cases; however, the Guatemalan government has agreed cases will be processed as transition cases and do not have to wait for the new procedures to drafted and implemented.

Semillas de Amor

The Embassy has obtained agreement from GOG officials that children whose adoptions have been completed, and who already have U.S. visas, should be allowed to leave the country. However, both the MP and PGN must complete their investigation and processing and then the Judge must lift to order for the children to stay at Semillas. Simply having the completed adoption and issued a visa will not automatically allow the child to leave Guatemala. Twelve more cases were released by the MP to PGN in January. According to the MP only five cases of the original 54 cases have irregularities; these likely will have to be processed as abandonments under Guatemala’s new laws.
http://www.adoption.state.gov/news/guatemala.html

************************************************

CAMBODIA
Adoption Notice

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

February 13, 2009

On December 21, 2001 the processing of adoption petitions for Cambodia was suspended. This decision was based on numerous concerns related to fraud in Cambodia, as well as the lack of sufficient local legal frameworks and other safeguards to protect the children’s best interests. Due to continued concerns, U.S. Citizen and Immigration Services (USCIS) remains unable to approve any form I-600, Petition to Classify Orphan as an Immediate Relative, filed on behalf of a child to be adopted from Cambodia. The USCIS suspension remains in effect for all I-600 forms that have been filed. For more information on the USCIS suspension please see the following link:
http://www.uscis.gov/files/nativedocuments/UpdateStatusCambodianAdopt_11feb09.pdf.
Based on the existing issues of fraud and irregularity in Cambodia, the Department of State (DOS) has reconfirmed the suspension of adoptions under the Hague process in Cambodia. It has been determined that at this time Cambodia is not meeting its obligations under The Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption. For these reasons the DOS remains unable to issue the required Hague Certificate or Hague Custody Declaration for any form I-800, Application for Determination of Suitability to Adopt a Child from a Convention country. The Department of State will continue to monitor the situation in Cambodia and will provide updates as soon as they are available.
http://www.adoption.state.gov/news/cambodia.html
***********************************************

BRAZIL
Adoption Notice

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Bureau of Consular Affairs
Office of Children’s Issues
February 13, 2009

IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR ALL PARENTS WISHING TO ADOPT IN BRAZIL:

We are working very closely with the Brazilian government to establish how the Hague Intercountry Adoption Convention, which entered into force for the U.S. in 2008, will affect future adoptions in Brazil. At the moment, parents should expect a lengthy process because there is currently no U.S. Hague-accredited adoption service provider working in Brazil. If you are not an immediate relative qualified to adopt via the Brazilian national adoption system, it is unlikely you will be permitted to adopt in Brazil for the foreseeable future. The Brazilian government has not yet passed adoption-related legislation, which may change the criteria by which U.S. adoption service providers are evaluated. Nor has Brazil re-opened the accreditation process for foreign service providers which would allow U.S. agencies to operate in Brazil. They are currently undertaking a review of all foreign service providers working in Brazil which may affect future evaluation criteria as well. These steps will likely take a year or more to be resolved. Prospective adoptive parents should also be aware that children available for international adoption in Brazil are generally over 5 years of age, sibling pairs, or have special needs.
http://www.adoption.state.gov/news/brazil.html
****************************************************
KYRGYZSTAN

Adoption Alert

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Bureau of Consular Affairs
Office of Children’s Issues
February 13, 2009

The U.S. Department of State does not recommend that U.S. citizens consider adoption from Kyrgyzstan at this time. Currently, no adoption cases are being processed, including at least sixty-five adoption cases by U.S. citizens already in progress. In addition, the Kyrgyz government is considering significant changes to its adoption regulations.

The Kyrgyz Government has formed an adoption commission that includes officials from the Vice Prime Minister’s office, the Ministries of Education, Social Protection and Labor, Foreign Affairs, Internal Affairs, and Justice, as well as the General Prosecutor’s office. This commission is responsible for drafting new adoption policy and legislation, with special emphasis on clarifying the roles and responsibilities of the different agencies involved. The commission will recommend whether the Kyrgyz Republic should join the Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoption. The commission plans to report to Parliament by March 20; the Parliament will then choose what action it will take on these proposals. The Kyrgyz government does not intend to process any adoption cases, new or pending, until the adoption commission issues its report and Parliament has taken action on its recommendations.

Although the new legislation likely will not affect existing cases of children already matched with adoptive parents, it will allow the Ministry of Education authority to resume processing these adoption dossiers. New adoption cases would be subject to any new requirements established by Parliament.

The U.S. Embassy continues to monitor the situation and will provide clarification as soon as it is received.
http://www.adoption.state.gov/news/kyrgyzstan.html
*****************************************************

LESOTHO

Adoption Alert

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

February 12, 2009

Government of Lesotho

The Government of the Kingdom of Lesotho has lifted the suspension on intercountry adoptions for four countries: the U.S., Sweden, The Netherlands and Canada. The Government of Lesotho (GOL) plans to designate only one adoption agency per country which will be responsible for coordinating all adoptions, assisting in monitoring the progress of adopted children and providing follow-up reports to the Department of Social Welfare in the Ministry of Health. The Ministry of Health has designated Americans for African Adoptions, Inc. (AFAA) to coordinate intercountry adoptions for the U.S. The Department of Social Welfare is forming an adoption committee to liaise with the adoption agency and prospective adoptive parents to ensure adherence to the adoption process. There has been no change in GOL adoption laws, policies or procedures. However, the GOL requires any case that was in process at the time of the suspension to be reinstated. Any cases that were processed during the suspension are invalid and will require amendment of adoption documents by the High Court.

The U.S. Embassy in Lesotho and the Office of Children’s Issues will continue to monitor the situation and will provide further information on adoption.state.gov as it becomes available.
http://www.adoption.state.gov/news/lesotho.html
**********************************************

GEORGIA

Adoption Notice

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

February 5, 2009

The U.S. Department of State does not recommend that U.S. citizens begin new adoption cases from Georgia at this time because of changes in the country’s intercountry adoption process. The Georgian Government has recently transferred responsibility for adoptions from the Ministry of Education to the Ministry of Health, and the Ministry of Health is currently in the process of developing procedures both to refer children to prospective adopting parents and to review and process adoption cases to completion.

According to local experts, no new international adoption cases are being processed at this time.

The U.S. Embassy continues to monitor the situation and will provide updated information as soon as it is received.
http://www.adoption.state.gov/news/georgia.html

Focus On Children - Sentencing scheduled for February 19

Sentencing for Focus on Children's Karen and Scott Banks, Dan Wakefield, Coleen Bartlett and Karalee Thornock is scheduled for February 19, 2009. In January, they pleaded guilty to counts of aiding and abetting the improper entry of an alien for putting false information on immigration forms during the performance of adoption services relating to FOC's Samoa program. Although the plea agreements have a recommendation for probation, U.S. District Judge David Sam may impose up to six months on each count and a $5,000 fine.

Transparency, honesty and full disclosure during the adoption process are vital to the integrity of adoptive families. Conduct such as that displayed by Focus on Children cannot be tolerated. The families and children involved in this case deserve justice.

For more information on this case please see:
Adoption Scandal Has Prompted Only Minor Changes
Focus on Children Defendants in the case likely to get probation.
By Pamela Manson, The Salt Lake Tribune, Posted: 02/14/2009 02:29:00 PM MST
http://www.blogger.com/www.sltrib.com/ci_11700836

If you would like to express your opinions on the sentencing of Focus on Children defendants, please send letters to:

The Hon. Judge David Sam
United States Court for the District of Utah
350 South Main Street
Salt Lake City, UT 84111

Below is a letter sent to Judge Sam by PEAR board member Barbara McArtney:

Dear Judge Sam,

I am writing you concerning the sentencing of Karen and Scott Banks and the proposed plea deal. I was stunned to hear that anything other than a prison sentence was proposed and hope that you will see justice is done in this case.

I am an adoption provider, parent of internationally adopted children and an adoptee. Adoption is an activity that should be motivated by humanitarian interests not greed. Providers have a legal and moral obligation to place child and family welfare first and foremost. To do otherwise is a grave violation of the rights of birth parents, children and adoptive parents alike.

The Bankses engaged in heinous activity ripping apart families, stealing children, lying and committing fraud as adoption professionals. They have ruined many lives. Other criminals have gone to jail for far, far less. Perhaps even more troubling is their trail of dumped adopted children that show even in their own family they have no regard for human life. Though this conduct may not be criminal, it is a strong indication of how little respect and concern they have for children's welfare.

Adoptive parents come to providers in a very vulnerable position. They are emotional and unknowledgeable about the legal process, a combination that makes them easy prey for those looking to make money. The international adoption industry is largely unregulated with the state patchwork of laws having little relevance, let alone protection over foreign proceedings. Parents rely completely upon their agencies to follow the law and operate ethically. Consular screening is generally cursory at best and is not a substitute for good ethical agency practices. Parents have little to no recourse when things go wrong.

Despite numerous instances of fraud in international adoptions, with many countries closing for similar child trafficking, it is rare that evidence is available against a US citizen that allows prosecution. Developing countries lack the resources to protect impoverished families considering adoption. It is up to the United States to act decisively in the rare instances that a case is prosecutable. For those cases, it is critical that the legal process sends a loud, clear message. Fraud, trafficking and corruption will not be tolerated and will be punished proportionately to the enormous damage done by such profiteers. To give a mere slap on the wrist only encourages others to cross legal boundaries to get rich in this lucrative business and is a slap in the face to those families torn apart by this criminal behavior.

Much needs to be done on a legislative and international basis to improve adoptions, but this case is truly a golden opportunity to make it perfectly clear that the utmost due diligence and ethical judgment must be exercised when conducting adoptions. That fast and loose practices, deceit and theft will never be allowed especially when American's operate in vulnerable populations. Punishment will be meaningful not token.

Please sentence the Bankses to the substantial prison time they clearly deserve. Not only will the Bankses and their victims receive the justice they deserve but you will be deterring other providers tempted to follow in their footsteps to profit from illegal adoptions. Much future heartache to other families may be prevented by a firm stance against this sort of reprehensible criminal conduct.
Respectfully submitted,

Barbara J McArtney

Announcing Ethica's Webinars for Prospective Adoptive Parents

http://www.ethicanet.org/item.php?recordid=webinars&pagestyle=default

Ethica is pleased to offer its first webinar series for prospective adoptive families as they begin to pursue the adoption process. Please join us as we explore issues surrounding adoption fraud, how to choose an agency, and the implications of adopting from a "Hague" country. Note that *space is limited* so please register early. Thank you!

*Webinar** 1: February 25th, 7-8:30PM EST*
*"Adoption Fraud 101: What to look out for in your international adoption
process."*

Many adoptive families rely on testimonials from other adoptive families as well as information from their adoption agency to prepare for the adoption process. However what many families are unaware of are the uncertainties that can come with their adoptions; policy changes by both sending and receiving countries, as well as unethical and sometimes illegal practices leading to adoption fraud. Ethica has assisted hundreds of families who were unable or barely able to complete their adoptions as a result of crises that could have either been avoided or handled to meet the best interests of the child involved. This workshop will guide families through what to look for in their contracts (gag clauses, refunds), what are reasonable requests from your agency (fee changes, foster care, etc.), and examples of adoption fraud that have led to indictments and lawsuits. Attendees will be better able to advocate for themselves to their agencies as well as to state and federal
authorities. Register Here https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/911952330

*Webinar** 2: March 18, 7-8:30PM EST*
*"From Good Samaritans to Convicts - How to Choose an Ethical International
Adoption Agency"*

The most common request Ethica receives is, "how can families choose an ethical adoption agency?" Families are increasingly aware of adoptions being in limbo, stretching out for years, or not being completed at all due to unethical agency practices. This workshop will cover the basics on what to look for in an agency, what best practices are used and recognized within the adoption service provider community, as well as where the most common concerns are regarding establishing a child's status as an orphan (according to international and U.S. laws). Case studies of agency practices will be covered with first person accounts, as well as insight from agency personnel and government representatives. Attendees will have a greater understanding
of what resources are available to them and ways to evaluate agency promises and performance. Register Here https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/903303462

*Webinar** 3: April 8, 7-8:30PM EST*
*"The Hague Convention 1 Year Later: Successes and Drawbacks"*

The Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoption was ratified by the U.S. in April 2007, after nearly 15 years after signing the agreement. Since then, the U.S.has gone down the path of accrediting adoption agencies and encouraging sending countries to "become Hague." This workshop will give an overview of the Convention's history, incentives for families to adopt from Hague countries, and case studies of the Hague's successes and drawbacks with insight from adoption policy experts and adoption agency personnel. Attendees will gain a greater understanding of how the Hague impacts their adoptions (China, Guatemala, El Salvador, strong potential for Ethiopia and Vietnam). Register
Here https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/459296403

PEAR Observational Survey - Post Adoption Services

PEAR invites all adoptive parents to take the PEAR Observational Survey of Adoptive Parents on Success, Satisfaction and Types of Post-Adoption Services (POSitive Study).

This survey is for those who have completed a domestic or international/inter-country adoption from any country. Whether your child has had virtually no issues or interventions or many, we would like your input!

This anonymous survey is in English. One survey would need to be taken per child. It will take between 20 and 40 minutes to complete depending on the amount of services you have used. The survey includes questions about adoption professional follow-up; financial and life insurance; International Adoption Clinic and medical doctor follow-up; early intervention services(US only); mental health/attachment services; faith-based services; school-based services; testing, therapies and at-home interventions.

We seek to address gaps in post-adoptive support and provide free information to adoptive parents. Starting in 2009, we will be sharing explanations of interventions and practical tips.

Our goal is to bring health care sectors together to solve the gaps brought to light in the survey. Ultimately, we want to recommend a healing roadmap that will have an interactive flowchart to assist parents in determining timing and types of interventions.

You can access our survey at the following link http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/?p=WEB228Q6QUGVM6 or go to our website at www.pear-now.org and access it there.

You will also find on our website a free, comprehensive listing of 128 international adoption doctors and other issues we are currently addressing. Click on the Files Pear