Just a little Russian history on adoption

The exponential rise in international adoptions from Russia parallels that for China over the past 12 years. Russia opened for international adoption as the Soviet Union disintegrated. The sudden availability of white children and the closure of Romania for international adoption rapidly accelerated interest in Russian adoptions. American parents were also enthusiastic about the provision of video tapes of the prospective child as part of the referral packet, first offered by a few agencies working in Russia in the early 1990s. Viewing video tapes of the prospective child made it easier for parents to connect with the child and also (often with professional assistance) to identify potential problems.

NUMBER OF IMMIGRANT VISAS ISSUED TO ORPHANS
COMING TO THE U.S.
FROM RUSSIA

FY 2007 FY 2006 FY 2005 FY 2004 FY 2003 FY 2002 FY 2001 FY 2000 FY 1999 FY 1998 FY 1997 FY 1996 FY 1995 FY 1994 FY 1993 FY 1992 FY 1991

2,310 3,706 4,639 5,865 5,209 4,939 4,279 4,269 4,348 4,491 3,816 2,454 1,896 1,530 746 324 12

The Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation is the central authority in Russia for international adoption, although officials and judges in each region have considerable autonomy to determine the actual legal process for adoption. As of 2000, the government required accreditation of all foreign adoption agencies in Russia. Accreditation was offered only to those agencies with 5 or more years of experience in Russia. Accreditation obligates agencies to hire separate, salaried employees, to submit regular reports on their activities and income, and to pay taxes in full. If you are just beginning the adoption process, it is recommended that you seek out an agency for which accreditation is current. A list of accredited adoption agencies is available at the adoptions page of the U.S. Embassy's Website at http://moscow.usembassy.gov/consular/consular.php?record_id=adoptions.

Agencies rely on local facilitators; previously some facilitators had simultaneous relationships with multiple adoption agencies and attorneys. Some unscrupulous facilitators then offered children to multiple agencies, placing the child with the agency able to pay the highest fee. Shortly after taking office in 2000, Vladimir Putin signed a series of laws related to adoption practices. The laws were intended to halt corruption, child-selling, and other illegal activities related to international adoption.

About 600,000-650,000 children reside in institutional care in Russia, with the number growing by approximately 100,000 each year. More than 90% are "social orphans" - children living in orphanages despite having parents. Foster care is virtually nonexistent. Children are usually abandoned at birth, and enter residential care after a period (usually weeks to months) in the children's hospital or maternity home. Orphanages for young children, known as "baby homes," are usually under the jurisdiction of the regional health department. Older children reside in orphanages supervised by the regional education department. Children leave the "baby home" at about age 3; they are then assigned to a particular orphanage on the basis of results of a medical and developmental assessment. Some children enter state care after termination of parental rights. The type and quality of care vary enormously among different settings. Two exposes of conditions in Russian orphanages attracted considerable media attention to the plight of institutionalized children in Russia. Some orphanages have far less than 50 U.S. cents per day to feed each child. Other orphanages have plentiful food, multidisciplinary highly trained staff, and low caregiver-to-child ratios.

In most regions, the process of international adoption now requires adoptive parents to make 2-3 trips before the adoption may be finalized. The purpose is first to identify the child and initiate legal proceedings and second and or third to complete the adoption. A databank listing of available children (currently numbering 80,000) is maintained by government authorities. In theory, three Russian families must refuse the child before he or she is offered to foreigners. Russian law requires that a child be registered first on a local databank for one month and a regional data bank for a month plus six months on the federal databank. Therefore, the total amount of time before a child is released for international adoption is usually eight months.¹ Adoption proceedings must be completed before the immigrant visa is issued for travel to the United States.

The eligibility requirements for adoptive parents are as follows:¹

1. Married couples may adopt.
2. Single persons may adopt but there must be at least a 16-year age difference between the prospective parent and the prospective adoptive child.
3. Russia also has medical requirements for adoptive parents. Persons considering adoption in Russia should consult their adoption agency about medical conditions that may disqualify them. These include TB, active and chronic; illness of internal organs and nervous system; dysfunction of the limbs; infectious diseases; drug and alcohol addictions; psychiatric disorders; and, any disability which prevents the person from working.

Note: Due to frequent changes in the adoption procedures in Russia, the information on this page may not be up-to-date. Please check with your agency for the most current regulations.

Intercountry Adoption News
The latest news affecting adoptions can be found here: http://travel.state.gov/family/adoption/intercountry/intercountry_482.html

{Source: www.adopteducation.com}