DOS Adoption Notice - Cameroon Adoption Scams

Adoption Notice

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

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Internet Adoption Fraud Scams on Rise

March 19, 2010

The Department of State is aware of a growing number of Internet scams offering to match prospective adoptive parents with a child who is allegedly available for adoption in Cameroon. Americans should be extremely cautious about sending money to any individual in connection with adopting a child they have only corresponded with by e-mail. Cameroonian law requires that prospective adoptive parents MUST travel to Cameroon and participate in person in the legal procedures that govern Cameroonian adoptions. Furthermore, in order for an adoptive or prospective adoptive child to come to the United States to permanently reside, the U.S. citizen adoptive or prospective adoptive parent MUST file an I-600A or I-600 application with the Department of Homeland Security, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and the child MUST be issued the appropriate immigrant visa by the U.S. Embassy in Yaounde.

The U.S. Embassy in Yaounde maintains a database of aliases and e-mail addresses used by known scam artists that have been brought to its attention. Before sending money to any individual who claims that they can match you with a child in need of a family, please check with the U.S. Embassy first by writing to YaoundeACS@state.gov .

In order to protect yourself and children from the possibility of fraud or other serious problems, prospective adoptive parents are advised to consider first the list of accredited orphanages available through the Ministry of Social Affairs:

Ministry of Social Affairs/High Court (Tribunal de Grande Instance)
Sub-Department of Child Protection (situated at Meki Quarters)
Sous Direction de la Sauvegarde de L’Enfant-SDSE
Tel: 2220-02-16

Should prospective adoptive parents wish to hire a Cameroonian attorney to assist with the adoption, you can obtain a list of attorneys maintained by the U.S. Embassy in Yaounde.

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

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

UPDATE: USCIS Centralizes I 600 A/ I 600 Processing

USCIS Centralizes Processing of Orphan Adoptions Change will Streamline Processing

WASHINGTON — U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that on April 1, 2010, it is centralizing processing and adjudication of all new orphan (Non-Hague) petitions with the agency’s specialized adoptions team in Missouri.

Prospective adoptive parents will continue to file their Petition to Classify Orphan as an Immediate Relative (Form I 600) and Application for Advance Processing of Orphan Petition (Form I 600A) with USCIS’ Dallas Lockbox facility. The Lockbox will forward the case to the Orphan Unit at USCIS' National Benefit Center (NBC) for processing and adjudication. The applicant will receive a receipt notice with the NBC address and contact information for follow-up correspondence.

While this takes place behind the scenes, adoptive parents will benefit because it allows USCIS to:

• Process applications and petitions more efficiently,
• Streamline and standardize work processes, and
• Offer more consistent service.

Parents will also benefit from the specialized skills and experience of the NBC Non-Hague Adoption Unit, based on the NBC’s implementation of the USCIS Hague Adoption Convention program in 2008.

USCIS has dedicated a toll-free NBC Adoption telephone line, 1-877-424-8374 and published an Orphan Home Study Tip sheet (Form M-760) to aid adoption service providers and prospective adoptive parents.

Local USCIS field offices in the United States will continue to accept requests for extensions and change of circumstances for approved Form I-600A applications in accordance with the current filing instructions. Overseas U.S. citizens may continue to file Form I-600 at a U.S. Embassy, consulate or USCIS office abroad that has jurisdiction to accept the petition. However, in order to file a Form I-600 petition abroad, the petitioner must have an approved Form I-600A and be physically present in the adoptive child’s country.

Prospective parents who reside abroad may continue to file the Form I-600A with an overseas USCIS office or the Dallas Lockbox facility.

For more information on orphan adoptions visit: http://www.uscis.gov/adoptions.

Last updated:03/16/2010

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

MEDIA: Guatemala to resume international adoption in June

Guatemala to resume int'l adoptions in June

By JUAN CARLOS LLORCA (AP) – 1 day ago

GUATEMALA CITY — International adoptions will resume in Guatemala this June after a nearly two-year suspension prompted by the discovery that some babies were being sold, officials announced Wednesday.

Four foreign adoption organizations will be selected to be part of the pilot program, said the president of the National Adoptions Council, Elizabeth Hernandez.

Until the door to adoptions slammed shut in 2007, Guatemala was the world's second-largest source of babies to the United States after China due to its routinely quick adoption process.

Authorities suspended adoptions after discovering evidence some babies had been stolen, others had fake birth certificates, and women were being coerced to give up their children.

At least 25 cases resulted in criminal charges against doctors, lawyers, mothers and civil registrars.

As a result, thousands of adoptive parents, most from the U.S., were forced to put their adoptions of Guatemalan children on hold — many after paying thousands of dollars.

Last year, the National Adoptions Council began requiring birth mothers to personally verify they still wanted to give up their children.

Nearly 1,000 of 3,032 cases investigated were dismissed, however, because no birth mother showed up. Prosecutors suspect many of the babies in those cases never existed — that Guatemalan baby brokers registered false identities with the council in hopes of matching them later to babies obtained through fraud.

There will be a significant difference between the old and new systems.

Previously, potential adoptive parents requested children with certain characteristics. Now, the National Adoptions Council will simply present a list of children who are eligible for adoption and ask that its foreign counterparts find families who would be best suited for them.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jTqbMxI6dXX6mBQdiP7karrj066QD9EGKH501


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

PEAR launches Adoptive Parent Survey on Ethiopia Adoptions

Over the past two years, PEAR has received numerous comments and complaints concerning adoptions from Ethiopia.

PEAR has launched a survey for US citizens who are adopting from or have adopted from Ethiopia. The survey requires you to give PEAR your contact information which will not be published.

The survey can be accessed at http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/WEB22ACQ3YKFXA

PEAR intends to report results on our blog and to governmental authorities to recommend changes in the adoption process that will eliminate ethical concerns and protect the members of the adoption triad. PEAR’s intent is NOT to garner support for the closure of adoptions from Ethiopia.

The survey is 20 to 30 minutes in length. If you would like to contribute to this survey but are short on time, then you can complete the short 5 minute option available after completing the demographic information section.

A fix has been made at 5PM EST for Prospective parents trying to take the survey, so you are able to proceed and complete the survey.









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

UDATE: Ethiopia - Australian Government Set to Reopen Program

Australian Government, Attorney-General's Office


Future of the Ethiopia–Australian Intercountry Adoption Program

The Attorney-General, the Hon Robert McClelland MP, has decided to lift the suspension of the Ethiopia–Australia intercountry adoption program. The program will recommence accepting new referrals of children in need of intercountry adoption and matching these children with prospective adoptive parents as at 6 April 2010.

The Ethiopia–Australia program was suspended in November 2009 due to concerns that Australia could no longer conduct intercountry adoptions in Ethiopia in a manner consistent with its obligations under the /Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in respect of Intercountry Adoption. /

In January 2010 an Australian delegation travelled to Ethiopia to discuss the current suspension with the Ethiopian Government and to investigate options for the future of the program. The delegation obtained additional information about the requirement for Australia to
provide development assistance and how this might be done in a manner consistent with the Hague Convention. The visit also provided the Department with an enhanced understanding of the practical challenges facing the program.

Information gathered during the delegation visit was incorporated into the Department’s formal review of the program, which has been underway since June 2009. The Department received over 400 submissions about the program, which were also considered in the review process.

The Attorney-General has decided to lift the interim suspension on 6 April 2010, subject to progressing appropriate safeguards which will ensure the program’s Hague compliance and ongoing integrity. These changes include:

* undertaking additional background checks of children referred to
the program
* establishing relationships with a limited number of specific
orphanages in which the Department has trust and confidence
* commencing the process of entering into formal,
government-regulated agreements to provide broad development
assistance and community sponsorship programs, for projects
unrelated to intercountry adoption (similar development assistance
funds form part of the fees paid for other programs in a Hague
compliant manner), and
* setting a formal, fixed, transparent child maintenance fee for
payment to orphanages for the reasonable costs of caring for a
child (similar fees are charged in a Hague-compliant manner in
some of Australia’s other intercountry adoption programs).

In addition, the Department will be working to finalise a new memorandum of understanding with the Ethiopian Government and a new Service Agreement with an Australian representative.

These changes, which have been identified as necessary for the program’s continuation, will also require a restructuring of fees to reflect actual costs and the need to provide development assistance.

The continuation of the program’s suspension until 6 April 2010 will be necessary to ensure adequate safeguards are put in place.The executive summary of the review is available from the link below. The full document is classified and will not be made public.

http://www.ema.gov.au/www/agd/agd.nsf/Page/Intercountry_AdoptionWhats_New#future






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