Russia adoption update and April's Rant....
Okay, so firstly, Aaron and I BOTH want to thank everyone who continues to pray for us as we await news on our baby girl, Katie Allison Chen. There have been some recent developments in adoption news between the U.S. and Russia and at least one newspaper (The Moscow Times, I believe) reported this morning that an agreement between the U.S. and Russia was signed. This, however, sadly is not the case. BUT, the latest information received over the past couple of weeks is indicative of a move in the right direction for both countries to come to a mutual agreement about how the children should be protected once they are released to adoptive parents in the United States.
1. Joint Statement of U.S. and Russian Delegations on Inter-Country Adoption
On July 21-23 in Moscow, U.S. and Russian experts led by Mary Ellen Hickey, the Managing Director for Overseas Citizen Services at the U.S. Department of State and Alina Levitskaya, the Director of Department of Upbringing and Socialization of Children at the Ministry of Education and Science, held a new round of talks on intercountry adoption. Our goal for these meetings was to complete a draft text that fully functions within our respective legal frameworks.
Experts reviewed, discussed, and decided on a draft agreement to submit to our respective interagencies for comment.
Negotiators were guided by the priorities expressed in the June 24 joint statement of Presidents Obama and Medvedev committing everything in their power to ensure reliable protections for the rights, safety, and well-being of adopted children.
“The fact that we met so soon after the last round of negotiations and achieved significant progress, demonstrates our commitment to finalize for signature an agreement that ensures the welfare of children in intercountry adoptions,” said Mary Ellen Hickey and Alina Levitskaya.
2. U.S. State Department: Russia Adoption Notice
July 27, 2010
A U.S. interagency team met with its Russian counterpart in Moscow from July 21-23, 2010 for the fourth round of discussions about an adoption agreement. This most recent round of negotiations were positive and productive and reflected the continuing commitment of both sides to the common goal of increasing safeguards for adoption between Russia and the United States. The U.S. delegation was led by the Managing Director of the State Department Office of Overseas Citizen Services, and also included representatives from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), the State Department Office of the Legal Adviser, and the Bureaus of the Consular and European Affairs. The Russian side was led by the Ministry of Education and Science’s Director of Government and Children’s Welfare.
There has been no official change in the status of on-going intercountry adoptions originating from Russia, but prospective adoptive parents should be aware that in some parts of Russia, adoptions may continue to be slowed down or delayed.
Isn't it amazing that we believers are ALL ADOPTED CHILDREN OF GOD? When you think of it that way, it makes forming your family through adoption extremely special!!!! We feel blessed to be able to give a Russian baby girl a loving and Christian home and a family she might not otherwise have.
Please keep praying and God Bless you all!!!
Aaron, April, Katie, Nala and Skye Chen (that has a NICE ring to it...our family name as it will be one day very soon)
Adoption is a recurring theme in our family. Aaron adopted me as his wife from E-Harmony. Trust us, it DOES work!!! We will be married four years on 12 August and have been together over five years now. Wow! It seems like just yesterday when we met. Aaron is my best friend and my soul mate. I could never see myself with another man. He loves so deeply, is amazing to me and will be a wonderful father!!! Katie is going to have him wrapped around her little finger!!!
Both of our cats, Nala and Skye were rescued and had we not adopted them from their respective havens, they probably would have been euthanized.
We adopted Nala from the Humane Society of South Mississippi. Yes, her name comes from the Lion King.
1. Joint Statement of U.S. and Russian Delegations on Inter-Country Adoption
On July 21-23 in Moscow, U.S. and Russian experts led by Mary Ellen Hickey, the Managing Director for Overseas Citizen Services at the U.S. Department of State and Alina Levitskaya, the Director of Department of Upbringing and Socialization of Children at the Ministry of Education and Science, held a new round of talks on intercountry adoption. Our goal for these meetings was to complete a draft text that fully functions within our respective legal frameworks.
Experts reviewed, discussed, and decided on a draft agreement to submit to our respective interagencies for comment.
Negotiators were guided by the priorities expressed in the June 24 joint statement of Presidents Obama and Medvedev committing everything in their power to ensure reliable protections for the rights, safety, and well-being of adopted children.
“The fact that we met so soon after the last round of negotiations and achieved significant progress, demonstrates our commitment to finalize for signature an agreement that ensures the welfare of children in intercountry adoptions,” said Mary Ellen Hickey and Alina Levitskaya.
2. U.S. State Department: Russia Adoption Notice
July 27, 2010
A U.S. interagency team met with its Russian counterpart in Moscow from July 21-23, 2010 for the fourth round of discussions about an adoption agreement. This most recent round of negotiations were positive and productive and reflected the continuing commitment of both sides to the common goal of increasing safeguards for adoption between Russia and the United States. The U.S. delegation was led by the Managing Director of the State Department Office of Overseas Citizen Services, and also included representatives from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), the State Department Office of the Legal Adviser, and the Bureaus of the Consular and European Affairs. The Russian side was led by the Ministry of Education and Science’s Director of Government and Children’s Welfare.
There has been no official change in the status of on-going intercountry adoptions originating from Russia, but prospective adoptive parents should be aware that in some parts of Russia, adoptions may continue to be slowed down or delayed.
Isn't it amazing that we believers are ALL ADOPTED CHILDREN OF GOD? When you think of it that way, it makes forming your family through adoption extremely special!!!! We feel blessed to be able to give a Russian baby girl a loving and Christian home and a family she might not otherwise have.
Please keep praying and God Bless you all!!!
Aaron, April, Katie, Nala and Skye Chen (that has a NICE ring to it...our family name as it will be one day very soon)
Adoption is a recurring theme in our family. Aaron adopted me as his wife from E-Harmony. Trust us, it DOES work!!! We will be married four years on 12 August and have been together over five years now. Wow! It seems like just yesterday when we met. Aaron is my best friend and my soul mate. I could never see myself with another man. He loves so deeply, is amazing to me and will be a wonderful father!!! Katie is going to have him wrapped around her little finger!!!
Both of our cats, Nala and Skye were rescued and had we not adopted them from their respective havens, they probably would have been euthanized.
We adopted Nala from the Humane Society of South Mississippi. Yes, her name comes from the Lion King.
Skye became a part of our family through a purchase (only $5) on Dayton's Craigslist for Pets. She has one green eye and one blue eye. Her father was a full-blooded Siamese and her mother, completely white. She obviously took after her mother.
Now, we are adopting our Katie through Building Blocks Adoption Service. We can't say enough wonderful things about our agency because they are ALWAYS there when we need to talk to them and they have helped us through EVERY step of the way of paperwork and even sometimes emotional support!
Sadly, there is nothing anyone can do about this ongoing situation in Russia that resulted because of the Tennessee woman who returned her adopted six-year old son to Moscow in April, stating that he was threatening her family and was sure to cause them great harm. It's amazing that someone would do something as cold-blooded as return a child, no matter what problems they have (especially without first even seeking out community resources for mental health, counseling, etc).
I have not written my true feelings about this, but come on....she had him less than six months and it wasn't like he was a baby who could re-adjust easier. He knew nothing of the English language and apparently wasn't being sent to school. It really makes you wonder if they were TRULY EVER IN TOUCH WITH THEIR SOCIAL WORKER as they had claimed. I can understand Russia's anger because nothing has been done to this woman. It is my understanding that she already has one biological son and child protective services has not even investigated whether this child is receiving good care. One report stated that she was not sending either child to school, nor were they receiving home school. After all that Aaron and I went through to become eligible in the State of Ohio to be an adoptive family (for our home study), it makes one wonder where the breakdown in the system was and how this woman passed her home study. At least things are continuing to move, slowly, but surely. So, things are taking a little longer than we had originally wished for, but that's life, right? We just have to remember that God is NEVER late!!!
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