Friday, April 30, 2010

DOS Updates Adoption Notice for Russia

Adoption Notice

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



April 29, 2010


There has been no official suspension in adoptions of Russian orphans by American parents. However, in some parts of Russia, we are aware that adoptions are being slowed down or delayed. The United States and Russia held their first round of talks on adoption issues in Moscow on April 29. The discussions focused on the U.S. and Russian concerns regarding protecting the welfare and rights of children being adopted internationally. The talks were productive and an expert-level working group will travel to Moscow for further discussions on an adoption agreement on May 12, 2010.

If you have completed an adoption in Russia and have an immigrant visa appointment at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow:

The U.S. Embassy in Moscow is continuing to schedule and issue immigrant visas for adopted children using normal processing procedures. Contact the Embassy at MoscowConsularR@state.gov to schedule an appointment. Please also stay in close touch with your adoption service provider.

If you have a court appointment to finalize your child’s adoption in Russia:

Many adoption cases are continuing to move forward in the courts. We have heard of cases in which a court appointment has been postponed. If your court appointment is postponed by the court, please provide this information to us by email at RussiaAdoption@state.gov and MoscowConsularR@state.gov. We will work with the Russian authorities to try to resolve any problems.

If you do not yet have a court date to finalize an adoption in Russia, but are in the process of adopting from Russia:

Please stay in close contact with your adoption service provider, and check the adoption.state.gov website regularly for current information about intercountry adoption from Russia.

The Department of State’s Office of Children’s Issues has established a special

e-mail box for inquiries or comments about adoptions from Russia. Prospective adoptive parents and others with concerns about adoptions from Russia may send their questions to RussiaAdoption@state.gov. Prospective adoptive parents may also provide complete contact information for themselves, including full address, phone number, and e-mail information, the name of their adoption service provider (if available) and details about the child they are planning to adopt.




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


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

Crises in Adoptions: Resources


PEAR State Directory and Guide to Health Professional license checks links updated on May 17, 2010
Over the past year, PEAR has been researching resources for parents and children in crisis as part of the basic information to be included in our PEAR state directories.

Due to the current demand for help, we are sharing this work-in-progress in the hopes that it may provide some answers.

In addressing this very serious issue, PEAR is not going to mince words - the reality facing adoptive parents is that the easy-to-find, comprehensive, widely available, affordable, and accessible resources that many adoptive parents need, whether for their child or themselves in crisis, do not exist in the United States.

While many of the larger adoption-related organizations have articles about crisis adoptions, their websites are often difficult to navigate. The resources contain research and information that is years out of date; often, URL links are broken. Much of what exists merely discusses the issues on the surface and lists few concrete places to which families can turn, and even less when in a crisis situation.

Furthermore, sites that discuss child-welfare policies tend to be academic, and as a result have no practical in-the-trenches use for an adoptive parent in crisis. These resources may, however, be very useful for training prospective adoptive parents.

We have come to the conclusion that the ivory-tower, top-down approach of providing resources is not working. PEAR is embarking on an expanded approach with panel discussions with adoptive parents working from the trenches up. Adoptive parents need to express their needs AND be heard by those providing services. PEAR invites all adoptive parents with ideas on providing resources to families in crisis or to participate in PEAR’s Parent Panel to contact pveazie@pear-now.org . We are also teaming up with other organizations comprised of and serving the needs of adoptive families to solve the underlying problems of the system. If an organization is interested in joining us, please contact Gina Pollock gpollock@pear-now.org .

PEAR wishes to offer the following list of resources and information as a starting point for those who are experiencing a crisis now.

Caveat One to Crisis Contacts: FEAR

Many parents deeply fear what will happen to their entire family when dealing with a violent crisis with their adoptee, particularly if police or child services become involved. The fear intensifies if you have other children in the home—will officials or social workers take your other children away from you? What will happen to the child being removed? The bottom line is that the adoptive parent must be prepared. Some tips to prepare include the following:

(1) Retain a lawyer. Confide in an attorney you trust. Provide them with the background information concerning your family. Ask for advice on relevant state laws with regards to the effects of police and child services interventions. Seek advice in drawing up plans for the care of other children and pets within your home should they need temporary sanctuary from the chaos of a crisis situation (see point 5 below). When you need to call the police, call your lawyer ASAP and ask for him/her to be present at the house when the police arrive.

(2) If you have a clergyperson or religious advisor, make them aware of your situation and ask them to be available, if needed. At the time you need to call police or child services, call your clergyperson or religious advisor and ask them to be present at the house when the police arrive. They can vouch for you and offer another stable voice in a chaotic situation.

(3) Have all medical and psychological diagnoses readily available. Dates of diagnoses, names and contact information for health professionals who have diagnosed and treated your child, dates of care in facilities and contact information of facilities that your child may have been in for psychiatric care and medications and their side effects used in the past and present for your child should be clearly recorded.

(4) In some cases it may be beneficial to make a proactive call to law enforcement and emergency personnel that a child or adult with a trauma history is living in your home. Consult with your attorney before doing this so that you are aware of any legal risks.

(5) If other children are residing in the home, prepare a written plan for temporary sanctuary and shelter for other members of the household. Find a relative, close friend, or adoption support group who can provide a safe place in times of crisis. Although the plan may not be legally enforceable in your area, it demonstrates that you have thought this scenario through and are attempting to do the best thing for the other children in your home while dealing with the violent child or even your own out-of-control behavior.

(6) Keep a detailed journal of incidents that are dangerous, threatening, or causing you concern with dates, locations and any witnesses. This journal will helpful for any medical, psychiatric, legal, or social services interventions and treatments plans for your child and yourself.

Caveat Two to Crisis Contacts and Information: Reliability and Quality of Information

We will be working with our Parent Panel and other organizations to create a list of criteria to evaluate the quality and availability of various services and therapies. At this early stage, we have not been able to fully vet all of the resources listed below. We do wish to offer them as a starting point.

Parents for Ethical Adoption Reform (PEAR) does not officially endorse these listings. The contents are provided for informational purposes only as a community service.

PEAR is not certifying the competence or quality of practice of any practitioner. PEAR makes no representations, warranties, guarantees or promises on behalf of or for those listed, and does not assume liability or responsibility for any service or product provided.

PEAR’s Stance on Therapies

Types of therapies that PEAR does not endorse:

Therapies that put children at risk for injury or death are not endorsed by PEAR. PEAR strives to give resources that fit this stance. If you feel that a resource listed does not fit this stance, let us know at pveazie@pear-now.org .

PEAR’s Initial Resources List

General Crises contact information

For immediate danger to adoptee, other children or adults in the home, call 911.

For a list of 24 hour state crisis lines: http://mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/hotlines/state.asp

Mental Health America : http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/ has a list of resources and a Crisis line at 1-800-273-TALK http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/help/default.aspx.

National Alliance on Mental Health (NAMI): http://www.nami.org/

General Crisis Parenting Information for Adoptive Families

North American Council on Adoptable Children (NACAC) http://www.nacac.org/

Child Welfare Information Gateway http://www.childwelfare.gov/

EMK press http://www.emkpress.com/

Perspectives Press: http://www.perspectivespress.com

PEAR Resources

PEAR is in the process of establishing various support resources for families. PEAR has launched 13 state directories in the first quarter of 2010 with state-based parent support including respite care, health provider listings including mental health and residential treatment centers, education and bureaucratic information, freely downloadable at http://www.pear-now.org/resources.html .

Post adoption support groups

Adopting Older kids http://groups.yahoo.com/group/A_O_K/

Adoption Parenting –biweekly topic driven discussion list for those that have completed adoptions. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/adoptionparenting

AFTlist http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aftlist/

Attach China http://www.attach-china.org/

Daily Parenting Reflections (the Beyond Consequences Group) http://groups.yahoo.com/group/DailyParentingReflections/

Eastern European Adoption Coalition, inc- listserves for specific countries, post adoption for any country, fetal alcohol disorders http://eeadopt.com/

Families with Children from Vietnam http://www.fcvn.org/

Families for Russian and Ukrainian Adoption (includes links to local chapters, resources, an online parent support group and hotline) http://www.frua.org/

International Adoption Resources http://groups.yahoo.com/group/international_adoption_resources/

Latin American Parent Association http://www.lapa.com/

Older Child http://groups.yahoo.com/group/older-child/

Older Kids http://groups.yahoo.com/group/OlderKids/

Parenting Kids with Issues http://groups.yahoo.com/group/parentingkidswithissues/

Post- Adopt http://groups.yahoo.com/group/post-adopt/

PostAdoptionDepression http://groups.yahoo.com/group/PostAdoptionDepression

Post-Adoption Labyrinth http://groups.yahoo.com/group/post-adoption-labyrinth/

RAD 101 http://groups.yahoo.com/group/RAD101/

RAD FASD kids http://groups.yahoo.com/group/RAD_FASDkids/

RAD World http://www.rad-world.com/

Spirited Child http://groups.yahoo.com/group/spiritedchild/

State based pre and post adoption support groups www.groups.yahoo.com/InternationalAdoptXX where the XX represents the 2 letter state abbreviation.

The ODD parent journey http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TheODDParentJourney/

Respite finder

http://chtop.org/ARCH/National-Respite-Locator.html

Fetal alcohol syndrome information and listserves

FAS information http://www.come-over.to/FAS/

FASlink Discussion Forum is an Internet mail list for individuals, families and professionals who deal with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders http://www.faslink.org/faslink.htm

FAS Resource listserve http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/FASResource/

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Family Research Institute http://www.fetalalcoholsyndrome.org/

National Organization on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome http://www.nofas.org/

Trauma, Attachment, Reactive Attachment Disorder Information

American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry http://www.aacap.org/cs/root/facts_for_families/reactive_attachment_disorder

Attachment and Trauma Network http://www.radzebra.org/ information and online support groups

Attachment Disorder site http://www.attachmentdisorder.net/

Attachment.org http://www.attachment.org/pages_what_is_rad.php

Child Trauma Academy www.childtraumaacademy.org

Journey to Me www.journeytome.com

Mayo Clinic http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/reactive-attachment-disorder/DS00988

Radkid http://radkid.org/

Trauma Headquarters http://adsg.syix.com/

Locating a Therapist or Counselor

In addition to the resources already stated, you can find lists of therapists at the following locations. An important step after locating a therapist through any means is to follow the steps of self-advocacy for vetting a health care professional described below.

The American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy: http://www.therapistlocator.net/ the listed therapists are Clinical Members of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy. The directory provides information on the therapist's office locations and availability, practice description, education, professional licenses, health plan participation, achievements and awards and languages spoken. The site also contains a downloadable guide to interviewing a therapist and finding the right fit for your family (look under Frequently Asked Questions).

The American Association of Pastoral Counselors: http://www.aapc.org/content/aapc-accredited-centers. This page contains a list of Pastoral Counseling Centers which have been accredited by the American Association of Pastoral Counselors as Service Centers (providing counseling and psychotherapy services). Links to e-mail or websites are provided where available. Pastoral Counselors are also found in private practice and in other settings. The Association office (703-385-6967) can refer you to them, in addition to those who practice in the centers listed.

American Counselor Association: http://www.counseling.org/Resources/CounselorDirectory/TP/Home/CT2.aspxCounselor Counselor Find is a special area of The National Board for Certified Counselors, Inc. NBCC.org website, is designed to help you find a professional counselor.

Adoptive parents need to self-advocate.

Part of self-advocacy is recognition that you need to vet the health-care professional for your child and knowing how to do it. This article explains the need to check licensing http://magazine.angieslist.com/Articles/2010/May/NATIONAL/Check-medical-license-before-getting-checked-out.aspx

We would like to offer the following suggestions for researching professionals and organizations:

Step 1: Figure out who will be working with your child by contacting the resource and asking for names of practitioners.

Step 2: Find out if the health professional or location has licensed people working with your child. A Health professional license check tool for all 50 states and DC is located on a pdf at the PEAR library http://www.pear-now.org/Health-Professional-License-Checks.pdf

Step 3: Go to an adoptive parent support group and ask listmates about their experiences and ask for specific recommendations based on your child’s needs. Some support groups are listed above. Each state PEAR directory located in the PEAR library gives state-based web lists and organizations as well.

Step 4: Share your experiences with other adoptive parents to pay it forward.

If you know of a good resource to be included in a future PEAR directory, please send information to pveazie@pear-now.org or log information (8 basic questions) in PEAR’s mental health survey at http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/?p=WEB2293WGNNAXF or PEAR’s therapist survey at http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/?p=WEB2293WJNNC6H

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

Thursday, April 29, 2010

DOS Corrected Adoption Notice - Haiti

Adoption Notice
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE

Bureau of Consular Affairs

Office of Children’s Issues


IBESR Accepting New Adoption Cases

April 29, 2010


Haiti’s adoption authority, the Institut du Bien-ĂȘtre Social et de Recherches(IBESR), has informed the U.S. Government that they are now accepting new adoption applications for Haitian children who were either documented as orphans before January 12, 2010, or who have been relinquished by their birth parent(s) since the earthquake. The U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince has also resumed normal visa processing. We encourage prospective adoptive parents to verify that their application is being processed in accordance with Haitian legal requirements and the procedures established by IBESR. For more details on intercountry adoptions from Haiti please see Haiti country specific information.


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

Changes to the April 27 Notice are highlighted by PEAR in green for clarity. The following green highlighted text was removed: We encourage prospective adoptive parents to submit their adoption applications directly through the IBESR to ensure that the process is done in accordance with Haitian legal requirements.



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

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

DOS Adoption ALert - Kyrgyzstan

Adoption Alert

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


April 28, 2010


Following the recent unrest in Kyrgyzstan, the Department of State (the Department) has expressed its support for the provisional government’s efforts to resolve peacefully Kyrgyzstan’s political problems and renew Kyrgyzstan’s path to democracy, economic prosperity, and respect for human rights. On April 20, the Department posted a Travel Warning for Kyrgyzstan. The Kyrgyz government stopped processing all intercountry adoptions in October 2008 due to reports of corruption and fraud in the adoption process. The Department is working to determine the provisional government’s stance on intercountry adoption, especially the pending cases of American families.

At present, the Kyrgyz government is not processing any adoption cases, including at least 65 adoptions by American families that were in progress when the halt was announced. Despite the unrest, we understand that the Kyrgyz criminal investigation of alleged corruption in the adoption process is ongoing. The allegations are serious: the Kyrgyz press has reported that two local adoption coordinators who worked with U.S. adoption agencies were arrested and released on bail. The Department urges the provisional government to complete urgently its criminal investigation and resolve the pending cases so that eligible children can be placed in permanent homes. We remind the Kyrgyz government that many of the children have serious health problems and that American families, despite the children’s medical conditions, distance, and a two-year wait to complete their cases, remain committed to these children.

The Department has repeated this message to Kyrgyz officials in Washington and through U.S. Embassy Bishkek. In addition, we have raised the visibility of this issue, and addressed questions and concerns expressed by Kyrgyz officials and shared by some Kyrgyz citizens, through outreach programs. The Department has sponsored the visit of a U.S. adoption expert to Kyrgyzstan and an adoption-themed study tour to the United States for three senior Kyrgyz officials. Finally, we have encouraged Kyrgyzstan to strengthen safeguards in the adoption process and eventually accede to the Hague Adoption Convention.

On March 19, the Kyrgyz Parliament passed a bill that would amend certain Family Code provisions on adoption. It was not signed by the president. If enacted, the government must still approve additional regulations in order for adoptions to resume. The draft regulations, which the Ministry of Labor, Employment, and Migration recently posted on its Web site, address the eligibility of children for domestic and intercountry adoption (including relinquishment and abandonment determinations); the eligibility of adoptive parents; and application, court, and post-adoption reporting requirements. Regardless, the possible effect of the new law and regulations is unclear: neither expressly addresses the pending cases. We are working to determine the provisional government’s position on the bill and draft regulations and how these measures would impact the pending adoptions.

The Department will continue to urge the Kyrgyz government to resolve the pending cases and act in the best interests of children involved in the intercountry adoption process.



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


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

MEDIA: Nonprofit adoption agencies often profit someone other than children, families

PEAR has chosen to publish this article for educational purposes so that prospective adoptive parents understand how to research an agency and what aspects of an agency's practices need to be considered. PEAR believes it it is important for prospective adoptive families to understand where their fees are going and how they are being used. It is also important for prospective adoptive families to investigate the financial health and policies of adoption service providers they are considering in order to reduce the risk that a service provider will go out of business prior to completing the services.

Nonprofit adoption agencies often profit someone other than children, families
AJC investigation: Big portions of agency budgets go to top executives

By Alan Judd

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
4:53 a.m. Monday, April 26, 2010

By law, private adoption agencies in Georgia are supposed to operate as nonprofit organizations.

The law, however, doesn't preclude big salaries for the agencies' executives, or self-dealing by their corporate officers or high overhead costs that don't benefit the children the groups are supposed to help.

For many private adoption and foster care agencies, nonprofit status in the child protection business leaves plenty of room for lucrative rewards, according to an investigation by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

The newspaper's review of federal tax returns and other public documents found numerous examples where top executives' compensation accounted for one-fourth to one-third of agencies' budgets. In many instances, administrative costs exceeded expenses on direct services for children.

For example, Faithbridge Foster Care Inc., in Alpharetta, spent $293,311 in 2008, according to the tax return it filed for that year with the Internal Revenue Service. It paid its executive director $70,325. It spent another $4,200 to rent a building the director owns (on an annual
basis, the rent payments would total $16,800). It paid $40,971 to rent office space from a company belonging to the chairman of its board.

Altogether in 2008, the agency devoted almost 40 percent of its budget to its top officers.

Another agency, Dayton, Ohio-based Phoenix Homes Inc., which operates a branch in Snellville, paid $1.8 million in 2008 to a management company belonging to the nonprofit's president. Phoenix also paid its president about $200,000 in salary and other compensation. A vice president who also works for his boss's management firm collected $117,000 in salary from the nonprofit.

Families First Inc. of Atlanta paid six employees more than $100,000 each in 2008, according to tax documents. It also paid about $32,000 to a board member's company for investment services; meanwhile, the value of the portfolio the firm managed for the agency dropped by almost $1.1 million.

Many executives of adoption and foster care agencies say government budget cuts and fewer charitable contributions have left them strapped for money. Financial troubles recently forced the Catholic Diocese of Savannah to announce it would close St. Mary's Home, which has housed foster children since 1875.

The agencies' finances --- especially concerning how they spend, rather than raise, money --- is a touchy topic for many nonprofit executives. Most of those contacted recently declined to discuss the matter.

A lack of industry standards and government rules enable people running such agencies to spend freely for their own benefit, said Pablo Eisenberg, a senior fellow at Georgetown University's Center for Public and Nonprofit Leadership.

"What you're finding is certainly the trend in nonprofits," Eisenberg said. "An increasing number of people are pushing for a kind of free market in nonprofits."

He described directors who don't challenge excessive spending as "totally incompetent. "

"There's no accountability, " Eisenberg said. "There are no guidelines by the IRS, even on self-dealing. It's just appalling."

Big salaries, overhead

For many agencies, the free market approach especially applies to executive salaries.

For example, Chinese Children Adoption International, which has an Atlanta office, paid its top two officers --- who are married to each other --- a total of about $410,000 in 2006, the latest year for which its tax returns are available. The total budget for the agency, headquartered in Centennial, Colo., was $5.2 million.

Similarly, in 2007, Open Door Adoption Agency Inc. of Thomasville paid a total of $201,000 to its two top executives, also a husband and wife, out of a $1.2 million budget.

Some agencies devote significant portions of their budgets just for one executive's salary. For instance, Alpharetta-based AAA Partners in Adoption Inc. told the IRS that its executive director's total compensation for 2008 was $107,747 --- one-fourth of all its expenses that year.

The adoption and foster care agency Bethany Christian Services, based in Grand Rapids, Mich., with offices in Atlanta and Columbus, paid 72 employees at least $50,000 in 2007, according to its tax returns. The chief executive earned $169,000, while the agency's vice president
collected $178,000.

Bethany had a total budget of $9.1 million. However, $7.2 million, or almost four of every five dollars, went to management expenses. Another $1.2 million covered fund-raising costs --- far more than the $694,000 that went to programs that directly served children.

The agency put more into employee pension plans than into children's services.

Bethany collected $803,225 from the Georgia Department of Human Services for supervising foster children in 2009, state records show. The state money covers administrative costs as well as direct services to children.

Faithbridge, where the executive director and the board chairman received 40 percent of all spending, received about $75,000 from the state in 2008. The agency said in tax documents that the public money helped offset $145,969 in expenses for placing foster children. In its
tax documents, the agency said it "partnered" with state agencies to "provide foster homes for children and return children home to extended families."

Bill Hancock, the agency's executive director, did not respond to messages requesting an interview.

Faithbridge disclosed to the IRS its dealings with its officers. But it generally avoids public scrutiny.

"The organization, " Faithbridge says in tax documents, "does not make its governing documents, conflict of interest policy and financial statements available to the public."

Dimmed outlook

At some agencies, executives work for next to nothing, or even less.

Adoption Planning Inc. of Atlanta, for instance, reported on its most recent tax return that it paid its executive director, Rhonda Fishbein, just $2,500 in 2008. The same year, the tax return said, Fishbein lent the agency $28,000 in "working capital."

The Giving Tree Inc. of Decatur received a $25,000 interest-free loan in 2007 from its executive director, Yvette Bowden. Her compensation that year totaled about $67,000.

And Christian Homes Inc. of Pavo, near Valdosta, reported on its most recent tax return that none of its $54,580 budget went to salaries or any other expenses other than services for children.

For many agencies, especially those that rely on public money, the financial outlook has dimmed.

The state has cut payments to many agencies because of deep budget shortfalls. Consequently, some organizations say they are struggling to survive.

For eight years, Morningstar Treatment Services based its annual budget on state payments to house 58 children in its Youth Estate group home near Brunswick. But now the state pays only for 48 children, and Morningstar is "taking a $60,000 to $70,000 hit a month," said Barry
Kerr, the agency's chief executive officer.

"I don't think there's an administrator you could interview who would not say it's not having a significant impact," he said.

Morningstar spends relatively little on fund-raising --- $186,000 of a $10 million budget in 2008. Executive salaries also trail those at many other agencies; Kerr's salary and expense reimbursement totaled $115,000 in 2008. The only self-dealing the agency reported to the IRS involved the payment of $51,304 to a consulting firm owned by a Morningstar employee.

As public money becomes scarcer, some agencies have tried to get more private funding. For instance, The Bridge, a group home in northwest Atlanta, has increased its reliance on private donors to an amount equal to one-fourth of its annual budget, said Tom Russell, the agency's chief executive officer.

Even so, only about 5 percent of its spending goes into fund-raising efforts.

By contrast, Georgia Agape Inc., an Atlanta foster care and adoption agency, spent $273,000 on fund-raising in 2008, or 17 percent of its total budget --- even though it relies heavily on government appropriations.

How we got the story

This is the final installment in a four-part series on the regulation of privately operated adoption and foster care agencies in Georgia.

For today's article, The Atlanta Journal-Constitutio n examined federal income tax returns for most of the 336 private foster care and adoption agencies licensed in Georgia. Federal law allows public inspection of nonprofits' tax returns. Most of those documents are available free
online from organizations such as the Foundation Center (www.foundationcent er.org) or GuideStar (www.guidestar. org).*

http://www.ajc. com/news/ nonprofit- adoption- agencies- often-493623. html

*Tax returns for non-profit 501c3 organization can also be requested by writing to the organization or the IRS and asking for a copy.
*It is important to note that not all states require adoption agencies to be non-profit corporations so their financial records may not be discoverable on Guidstar, Foundation Center or the IRS
.

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

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

DOS Adoption Notice: Haiti - Haiti Resumes Intercountry Adoption

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


IBESR Accepting New Adoption Cases

April 27, 2010

Haiti’s adoption authority, the Institut du Bien-ĂȘtre Social et de Recherches(IBESR), has informed the U.S. Government that they are now accepting new adoption applications for Haitian children who were either documented as orphans before January 12, 2010, or relinquished by their birth parent(s) since the earthquake. We encourage prospective adoptive parents to submit their adoption applications directly through the IBESR to ensure that the process is done in accordance with Haitian legal requirements. For more details on intercountry adoptions from Haiti please see Haiti country specific page.

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

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

Additional Update: DOS Adoption Notice for Russia

The US Department of State has again updated the Russia Adoption Notice. Changes to the previous notice are highlighted by PEAR in green for convenience:



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



April 26, 2010

We have received no official notification that adoptions of Russian orphans by Americans have been suspended, but it is clear the recent controversy has slowed down adoptions in some parts of the country.


The United States is sending a delegation to hold talks with Russian officials, now scheduled to take place on April 29 in Moscow. The United States plans to emphasize the importance of intercountry adoptions between our two countries, and will discuss our mutual concerns about how to better protect the welfare and rights of children and all parties involved in the intercountry adoption processs. On April 25, Secretary of State Clinton spoke by telephone with Russian
Foreign Minister Lavrov. The issue of adoptions was raised. They discussed our shared commitment to the common goal of protecting the welfare and rights of children and all parties involved in intercountry adoptions.

Many thousands of Russian children have found loving, safe and permanent homes in the United States through intercountry adoption. Families in the United States have adopted more than 50,000 children from Russia.

If you have completed an adoption in Russia and have an immigrant visa appointment at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow:

The U.S. Embassy in Moscow is continuing to schedule and issue immigrant visas for adopted children using normal processing procedures. Contact the Embassy at MoscowConsularR@state.gov to schedule an appointment. Please also stay in close touch with your adoption service provider.

If you have a court appointment to finalize your child’s adoption in Russia:

Many adoption cases are continuing to move forward in the courts. We have heard of cases in which a court appointment has been postponed. If your court appointment is postponed by the court, please provide this information to us by email at RussiaAdoption@state.gov and MoscowConsularR@state.gov. We will work with the Russian authorities to try to resolve any problems.

If you do not yet have a court date to finalize an adoption in Russia, but are in the process of adopting from Russia:

Please stay in close contact with your adoption service provider, and check the adoption.state.gov website regularly for current information about intercountry adoption from Russia.

The Department of State’s Office of Children’s Issues has established a special

e-mail box for inquiries or comments about adoptions from Russia. Prospective adoptive parents and others with concerns about adoptions from Russia may send their questions to RussiaAdoption@state.gov. Prospective adoptive parents may also provide complete contact information for themselves, including full address, phone number, and e-mail information, the name of their adoption service provider (if available) and details about the child they are planning to adopt.



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


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

Monday, April 26, 2010

DOS: Adoption Notice Liberia

Adoption Notice

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



Notice Concerning Adoption Processing In Liberia


April 26, 2010

On January 26, 2009, the Government of Liberia suspended adoptions because of allegations of mismanagement and corruption in the adoption process. The U.S. Department of State cautions American citizens against filing an application to adopt a child from Liberia while the moratorium on adoption remains in effect. The U.S. Embassy remains in frequent contact with adoption officials, but there is no indication when the moratorium might be lifted.

Since the suspension went into effect, the Liberian Government has formed an Ad-hoc Central Adoption Authority to have oversight over adoptions and is working to pass adoption legislation focused on strengthening existing laws and preventing abuses of the system. The U.S. government strongly supports the Liberian Government’s efforts to strengthen its adoption laws and regulations to provide greater transparency and safeguards for prospective adoptive children, their birth parent(s) and prospective adoptive parents.

The Government of Liberia has informed the U.S. Embassy that it will not process any adoption cases during the suspension, including those that were in progress before the suspension was announced, and that it will not permit adopted children depart Liberia. They have also indicated that no new adoption applications should be accepted by adoption service providers, no referrals of children to prospective adoptive parents made, and no adoption petitions filed with the Liberian court while the suspension is in effect. The Liberian Government has made no provisions for the grandfathering of cases under the existing laws. Therefore any case in which a full and final adoption had not been completed prior to January 26, 2009 is effectively on hold.

The U.S. Embassy in Monrovia has been informed by the Government of Liberia that it will issue exit clearances, on a case-by-case basis, to children whose full and final adoption had been completed prior to January 26, 2009 and approved by Liberia’s Ad-hoc Central Adoption Authority. Prospective adoptive parents who believe their case might fall into this category should contact the Consular Section at
adoptionsmonrovia@state.gov to discuss next steps in the visa process and any gaps in their adoption file. Additionally, the Government of Liberia is requiring that all adoptive parents appear personally for the exit clearance interview. Processing the visa and obtaining the exit clearance takes about a week of time, but adoptive parents are advised to purchase open-ended return tickets, as there is no guarantee as to how quickly the exit clearance can be obtained.

Prospective adoptive parents and adoption service providers are reminded that a consular officer is required, by law, to complete a For I-604 (determination of orphan status) before issuing a visa in all IR-3 and IR-4 adoption cases. In some cases, this may require only a conversation with the birth parent, but in others it may require a full field investigation, possibly lasting several weeks. Since verifying the parent-child relationships in Liberia is difficult, we also expect that in most cases where the child was relinquished by the birth parent, DNA testing will be recommended in order to establish a blood relationship between the adopted child and claimed birth parent(s).

Please continue to monitor adoption.state.gov for updated information.



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

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Additional Update to DOS Adoption Notice on Russia


Adoption Notice: Russia


April 20, 2010



We have received no official notification that adoptions of Russian orphans by Americans have been suspended, but it is clear the recent controversy has slowed down adoptions in some parts of the country. (highlight PEAR's in order to bring attention to the change from yesterday's announcement)


Volcanic ash prevented the U.S. delegation from traveling to Moscow over the April 17
th weekend. The talks in
Moscow between U.S. and Russian officials are now rescheduled for April 29 and 30. The United States plans to
emphasize the importance of this issue, and will discuss our mutual concerns about how to better protect the welfare and rights of children and all parties involved in intercountry adoptions. Many thousands of Russian children have found loving, safe and permanent homes in the United States through intercountry adoption. Families in the United States have adopted more than 50,000 children from Russia.

If you have completed an adoption in Russia and have an immigrant visa appointment at the U.S. Embassy in
Moscow:

The U.S. Embassy in Moscow is continuing to schedule and issue immigrant visas for adopted children using normal
processing procedures.
Contact the Embassy at MoscowConsularR@state.gov to schedule an appointment. Please also stay in close touch with your adoption service provider.

If you have a court appointment to finalize your child’s adoption in Russia:

Many adoption cases are continuing to move forward in the courts. We have heard of cases in which a court
appointment has been postponed. If your court appointment is postponed by the court, please provide this information to us by email at
RussiaAdoption@state.gov and MoscowConsularR@state.gov. We will work with the Russian
authorities to try to resolve any problems.

If you do not yet have a court date to finalize an adoption in Russia, but are in the process of adopting from
Russia:

Please stay in close contact with your adoption service provider, and check the adoption.state.gov website regularly for current information about intercountry adoption from Russia.

The Department of State’s Office of Children’s Issues has established a special e-mail box for inquiries or comments about adoptions from Russia. Prospective adoptive parents and others with concerns about adoptions from Russia may send their questions to RussiaAdoption@state.gov. Prospective adoptive parents may also provide complete
contact information for themselves, including full address, phone number, and e-mail information, the name of their adoption service provider (if available) and details about the child they are planning to adopt.


http://www.adoption.state.gov/news/russia.html


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

Monday, April 19, 2010

UPDATE to DOS Adoption Notice on Russia

The Department of State issued the following update today to the April 16 Adoption Notice:
Russia

Adoption Notice

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




April 19, 2010

The Department of State has received no official notification that adoptions from Russia to the United States have been suspended. However, it appears that the adoption process has slowed down. Our Embassy in Moscow and other Department of State officials are talking with Russian officials to clarify this issue.
We look forward to further discussions with the Russians to clear up the status of pending adoptions, and to establish the basis for a continuation of the adoption process in a way that assures the welfare of Russian children adopted in the United States.

Volcanic ash prevented the U.S. delegation from traveling to Moscow over the April 17th weekend.. The delegation now plans to travel to Moscow during the week of April 25. They plan to emphasize the importance of this issue to the United States, and will discuss our mutual concerns about how to better protect the welfare and rights of children and all parties involved in intercountry adoptions.

Many thousands of Russian children have found loving, safe and permanent homes in the United States through intercountry adoption. Families in the United States have adopted more than 50,000 children from Russia.

If you have completed an adoption in Russia and have an immigrant visa appointment at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow:

The U.S. Embassy in Moscow is continuing to schedule and issue immigrant visas for adopted children using normal processing procedures. Contact the Embassy at MoscowConsularR@state.gov to schedule an appointment. Please also stay in close touch with your adoption service provider.

If you have a court appointment to finalize your child’s adoption in Russia:

Many adoption cases are continuing to move forward in the courts. We have heard of cases in which a court appointment has been postponed. If your court appointment is postponed by the court, please provide this information to us by email at RussiaAdoption@state.gov and MoscowConsularR@state.gov. We will work with the Russian authorities to try to resolve any problems.

If you do not yet have a court date to finalize an adoption in Russia, but are in the process of adopting from Russia:

Please stay in close contact with your adoption service provider, and check the adoption.state.gov website regularly for current information about intercountry adoption from Russia.

The Department of State’s Office of Children’s Issues has established a special e-mail box for inquiries or comments about adoptions from Russia. Prospective adoptive parents and others with concerns about adoptions from Russia may send their questions to RussiaAdoption@state.gov.











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

Media: Liberia concerned welfare fo adopted children

PEAR will be publishing stories this week which we believe highlight the need for better and more consistent pre adoption education, and counseling; consistent and meaningful homestudy reports; and, better access to post adoption services and oversight for internationally adopted children.

Fairview case draws scrutiny from Liberian ambassador ~ Liberian ambassador says abuse of adopted children has his country concerned

BY ANN KELLEY

FAIRVIEW — The Liberian ambassador to the United States says he’s monitoring the controversial child welfare case involving four Fairview children adopted from his country. Ambassador Milton Nathaniel Barnes said the girls’ attorney, Melvin Johnson, of Atlanta brought the case to his attention last month.

"We are watching this case and others that involve Liberian children with great concern,” Barnes said. "In many cases these children are adopted by well-meaning people, but things somehow go terribly wrong.”

The four sisters, ages 5 to 16, were removed last week from their parents’ custody. Ardee Tyler, 51, and his wife, Penny Tyler, 45, of Fairview were convicted in February of abusing a fifth adopted daughter. The couple received 10-year suspended sentences.

Separate from the criminal case is a controversial child welfare case that has dragged on for two years. The case now includes state prosecutors, and a new judge is reviewing a previous judge’s decision to close the case and allow the four girls to remain with their adopted parents.

This is thought to be the first time in state history that judicial review is being used in a child welfare case, authorities said.

Fixing a problem
The Liberian government in September placed a one-year moratorium on international adoptions to allow officials there time to make changes to the adoption system, Barnes said.

He said his home country, having been damaged by civil war, was like any country coming out of a chaotic disaster. Government officials didn’t have the resources to monitor adoptions closely.

"We started to see problems,” Barnes said.

A Liberian national in Philadelphia was caught adopting children and moved them to the United States for sex trafficking, he said. More recent is a California case in which a Liberian-born child is alleged to have been beaten to death by her adopted parents, he said.

Even worse, many African parents putting their children in orphanages didn’t understand the Western concept of adoption. Many of them thought they would have contact with their children, as if they were sending them to a relative’s home to be cared for, Barnes said.

Attorney seeks investigation
Attorney Melvin Johnson said he wants the Tylers and the people who helped them adopt investigated for potential fraud.

The children were adopted by the West African Children Support Network. The U.S. State Department in January reported the adoption agency, founded by Liberian-born Maria Luyken of Eden Prairie, Minn., was ordered by the Liberian government to suspend operations pending an investigation into whether it was properly caring for children.

A 2005 home study that helped Ardee and Penny Tyler adopt the five African sisters painted a picture of a strong, stable family excited about having more children.

What it didn’t uncover were allegations that a son had been abused, rifts with family members over their children and a possible misrepresentation of their financial ability to support the girls.

The Oklahoman obtained a copy of the home study, which was completed by Oklahoma Home Study of Edmond before the Tylers adopted the girls in 2005.

Calls to Chris Foell, executive director of Oklahoma Home Study, and Erlene Logan, the adoption worker who completed the study, were not returned.

Logan’s report says Ardee Tyler’s 28-year-old son, Jeremy Tyler, was interviewed and supportive of his parents adopting.

Jeremy Tyler said he was beaten and abused by Penny Tyler as a child and would have recommended against the adoption if asked. No one ever called him, he said.

The report claims Penny Tyler has a good relationship with her siblings, except her sister, Robyn Raveling. It never says why.

Raveling said she sent her children to live with the Tylers while she was going through a divorce. A month later, the Tylers refused to return the children, and a custody battle ensued, she said.

Raveling said she got her children back and hasn’t spoken with the Tylers since. The home study indicates the Tylers have an annual income of $83,000, a figure that contradicts a presentence investigation that reveals they bring home about $60,000 less.

In an April 10 interview with the Tylers, the couple denied claims that Jeremy Tyler was an abused child and defended the home study. Penny Tyler said it’s possible the agency has a letter from her stepson to prove they contacted him.

"We don’t have any way of knowing for sure if she interviewed all the people she said she did, but why would she lie?” Penny Tyler said.

"We never put ourselves out there to be the perfect family, but whose family is?”

Adoptive parents urged to be prepared
Along with a thorough home study, it’s important that any adult considering an international adoption be well educated about the problems that can transpire, said Dr. Dana Earnest Johnson, a member of the University of Minnesota’s adoption medicine program and clinic. One of Johnson’s areas of study is the effects of institutionalizatio n on the growth and development of internationally adopted children.

Johnson has addressed the U.S. Congress on international adoption issues. He also has firsthand knowledge — he and his wife adopted a son from India.

He said not all, but many children coming to the United States arrive with a complex set of problems that adoptive parents aren’t skilled to deal with. Some parents are so eager to adopt that they’re afraid to ask about the child’s history, Johnson said.

He said many children, especially those coming from countries with political unrest, are abused, neglected, starved or raped and have witnessed atrocities happening to other people.

As a result, the children might not grow physically as they should, and have delays in motor skill development and language skills, Johnson said.

In some instances, children so hurt in their former lives develop Reactive Attachment Disorder, making them unable to trust adults. Those children can work against the very adults who are trying to help them, Johnson said.

"The most important advice I can give any adoptive parent is be prepared,” Johnson said. "If you see problems, get help immediately.”



Read more: http://newsok. com/fairview- case-draws- scrutiny- from-liberian- ambassador/ article/3454788# ixzz0lY9eKTGA








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