Changes for Russian Adoptions

According to the press, as of July 13, 2007, seven adoption agencies have received their re-accreditation. This means that Russian adoptions will start up again and many children will find homes. The number of adoptions from Russia have been declining since American agencies' annual licenses have started to expire. The last two licenses expired April 2007. New licenses have no expiration date, but can be reconsidered at any time.

The seven re-accredited adoption agencies are: International Assistance Group in Oakmont, PA., The Cradle in Evanston, Ill., Cradle of Hope in Silver Spring, MD., The Frank Adoption Center in Raleigh, N.C., Family and Children's Agency in Norwalk, Conn., Catholic Social Services, which is nationwide, and Children's Home Society & Family Services in St. Paul.

Russia comes in third in popularity among American adoptive families behind China in first and Guatemala in second. In 2006, Americans adopted 3,706 Russian children. Russia is not the only country changing it's international adoption policies. China's new stricter guidelines take effect May 1, 2007 and Guatemala is working to comply with the Hague Convention on Inter country Adoptions. Currently the State Department does not recommend adopting from Guatemala(2007).

According to various news reports, in 2005, Russian adoptions by American parents slowed by a third. This is reportedly due to the battle between child care agencies and politicians, which has come to a head after the recent deaths of Russian children who have been murdered by their foreign adoptive parents. Since 1990, when Russian adoptions were made open to foreigners, 13 children have been murdered, 12 of those have been within the United States. The Education Ministry, which oversees the adoption of Russian children by foreigners, has been heavily scrutinized by the State Duma(lower house of the Federal Assembly, the parliament of the Russian Federation) after the most recent two deaths in 2003 and 2005 of Russian children by U.S. adoptive parents. The State Duma is accusing the Education Ministry of being corrupt and making money off of the sell of Russian children. This has prompted the current investigation of Russian adoptions. Now Russina adoptions have been put on hold and have stopped accepting new applications from American adoption agencies. This is all part of its accreditation process.

Some reports estimate 700,000 children wait to be adopted in Russia.

Russians wants their children to remain in thier country, but according to current reporting, Russian families rarely adopt. Interfax found from a recent June 2005 poll by the Russian Public Opinion Studies Center (VTsIOM), which polled 153 cities, towns, and villages of 46 regions of Russia that:

• 81% of Russians do not plan to adopt a child.


• 61% believe that the government should not ban adoption by foreign families.


• 13% believe that foreign adoption was necessary to solve the problem of neglected children.

The balance between the rights of an adoptive family, the safety of a child, and the country of origin to monitor a child's wellbeing.

"What is happening in Russia is part of a fundamental restructuring of international adoption across several countries," said Adam Pertman, executive director of the Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute, an adoption research and advocacy organization. "In most of the countries involved, the changes are part of a widespread change in global practices to protect children, and that is a good thing in the long term."